Doxa SUB 300T Owner Review : Robust, essential and generous

The term "icon" is often used, sometimes incorrectly, but here you'll agree that the Sub 300T, with its sunburst and silver dial, is a direct nod to the Sub 300T Conquistador tradition. The Sub tradition began with the Sub 300 in 1967, and soon afterward, in 1969, the Sub 300T was designed in collaboration with Claude Wesly, a member of Jacques-Yves Cousteau's crew. The new diver's watch boasted numerous innovations: case, crown, rotating bezel with its double scale, dial, hands, automatic movement with date, adjustable steel bracelet, and the most important innovation, the helium escape valve. The brand is keen to emphasize that it worked rigorously and scientifically. The helium escape valve, developed jointly with Rolex, has now become a standard feature in all professional diver's watches. It allows the evacuation of helium molecules, which, being smaller than those of oxygen or nitrogen, can penetrate the case and, under underwater pressure, dislodge the watch crystal. And if it's called Sub 300T, it's because of the tritium that coats its indexes and hands in very large quantities to provide the greatest luminescence. The tritium has been replaced by luminova. I had intended to buy this diver's watch, but the brand wasn't distributed in France. In 2023, my favorite watchmaker, Stéphane Clouzeau, became the brand's first distributor! On June 9, 2023, he organized a brand presentation evening. Happy to rediscover this legendary diving brand, I was there in Pithiviers with other watch fans. The first thing I noticed was that a Doxa Sub 300 has a smaller dial opening than a 300T. This was the point that stumped me the most, but the differences don't stop there. The Sub 300T has a more interesting clasp than the 300, allowing the watch to be easily adjusted to the right size via a simple adjustment (see photo). Personally, I was unsure which model to choose between the Sub 300 Professional with an orange dial and the Sub 300T Searambler. I admit that the choice was made very quickly early in the evening, as the Sub 300T had so many important features. The dimensions of the 300T versus the 300 are: - Diameter tied! 42.50 mm x 44.50 mm (same dimensions); - Thickness 13.65 mm for the 300T versus 13.40 mm for the 300; - Water resistance 1,200 meters for the 300T versus 300 meters for the 300. I find the watch very comfortable to wear. Its silver sunray dial is magnificent in the sun, creating irises of color. The touches of Luminova on this sunray dial make it magnificent. The case, the finish of the bezel, the crown, the rice grain bracelet, and the engravings on the caseback of the watch demonstrate the brand's real attention to detail. Unfortunately, I find that, unlike in the past, the Luminova is a little weak, and compared to my divers, a Seiko SKX is more luminescent. Despite everything, the watch is beautiful and solid. The few Atlantic waves last summer didn't affect it. I recommend this brand to anyone looking for an original watch with a touch of history.