Introducing: The Doxa SUB 300T Divingstar 'Poseidon Edition' (Live Pics & Pricing)

March 16, 2018

Doxa has been on a roll lately. Two years ago, the 50th Anniversary SUB 300 releases were a sensation and possibly the most historically-correct recreation of a vintage watch, short of Omegas Trilogy collection. Last years Black Lung tribute was similarly faithful and sold out in very short order. Today the company announced another limited edition that will likely have the Doxa faithful afroth: the SUB 300T Divingstar Poseidon Edition, which recreates another ber-rare dive watch from the archives.? Why This Watch Matters An original 1970s Doxa SUB 300T Divingstar "Poseidon" (photo: Bukowski's) To understand why the "Poseidon Edition" is significant, a quick primer on Doxas nomenclature might be useful. In the beginning, there were three versions of Doxa dive watches: the orange-dialed "Professional," for which the company is most famous, the black-dial "Sharkhunter", and the silver-dial "Searambler". These three versions were options on the earliest SUB 300 and have continued ever since. But for a brief window of time in the early 1970s, Doxa also made a version of the SUB 300T (the "T" was added in 1968 to denote the use of tritium) with a bright yellow dial, calling it the Divingstar. These bright watches were quite rare and Doxa collectors seek them out. Also in the early '70s, Doxa made a co-branded version with Poseidon, the Swedish dive gear company, putting the latters black and yellow trident badge on the dial. This version was made in very small numbers and to find a vintage one is rare. The Poseidon logo hasn't been seen on a Doxa dial for over 40 years. Poseidon was founded in 1958 and made a splash right away when it introduced the first single-hose regulator, the Cyklon. Before this, regulators had two bulky accordion-style hoses that protruded from the divers mouthpiece. Poseidon also played on its Nordic roots to introduce some of the best known cold water diving gear. Its thick neoprene drysuit, known as the Unisuit, was seen on most of the top deep wreck divers in the 1970s and '80s. The fact that Doxa co-branded with Poseidon may seem odd today but back then, Doxas were sometimes sold in dive shops and were so purpose-built for diving that they were almost seen as just another piece of gear. Legendary diver Richie Kohler wearing a Poseidon Unisuit diving the Andrea Doria wreck. The SUB 300T Divingstar "Poseidon Edition" comes in a 43-millimeter tonneau-shaped steel case with 1,200 meters ?(3,960 feet in old money) of water resistance. Of course, present on the watch is the unidirectional sawtooth bezel engraved with the US Navys no-decompression limits scale, that Doxa patented in 1967. It comes mounted on a steel beads of rice bracelet with foldover clasp and diving extension. The watch is driven by an ETA-2824-2 self-winding movement. On the left side of the case is a helium release valve, that Id usually find annoying, but I tend to give Doxa and Rolex a pass on this feature, since the two brands shared the original patent for it, and Doxa was first to release a watch with one to the public. Doxa developed the helium release valve with Rolex. The "beads of rice" bracelet is a Doxa signature. Initial Thoughts I had a chance to try the Poseidon Edition and it feelslike a Doxa. This is a brand with polarizing aesthetics. The odd hands, the prominent bezel and the rather garish bracelet are an acquired taste, one that I, as a diver and fan of diving history, happen to like. What isnt in question is the comfort of the tonneau case which makes this rather heavy watch sit well on the wrist (its less than 45mm lug to lug). The bezel is still one of the best in the businesseasy to grip, with just the right amount of turning resistance.? The tonneau-shaped case wears well despite this watch's heft. While Doxa is best known for its orange-dial divers, orange is actually a color that turns to grey upon descent into the sea, since water filters out red wavelengths at around 15 feet of depth. Yellow and blue are visible to much greater depths, so the Poseidon would still look yellow well past 100 feet. To me, dial visibility is a bit of a moot point, since what you really need to see while diving are the hands vis-a-vis the bezel markings. Still, a bright dial watch somehow conjures a casual, tropical vibe and makes sense on a dive watch. The co-branding might be lost on a lot of people, but for those faithful to their Poseidon diving gear, or collectors who dont stand a chance of finding one of the originals, this one is the ticket. I suspect Doxa will sell out the 500 pieces being offered very quickly. ? Dive watches have become so popular and commonplace, even though theyve fallen out of regular use by divers, that it almost seems like the natural habitat of a Rolex Submariner or Omega Seamaster is at an office. But somehow, a Doxa still seems to tug at ones sleeve, begging to get wet. Especially ?a bright yellow one with the logo of a Swedish dive gear company. Good with jeans. Better with a wetsuit. The Basics Brand: DoxaModel: SUB 300T Divingstar "Poseidon Edition"Diameter: 42.7mmCase Material: Stainless steelDial Color: Yellow with Poseidon logoIndexes: SuperLumi-NovaWater Resistance: 1,200 metersStrap/Bracelet: Solid stainless steel beads of rice bracelet with wetsuit extension The Movement Caliber: ETA 2824-2Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, and elapsed time with no-decompression diving limitsPower Reserve: 38 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)Jewels: 25 Pricing & Availability Price: $2,490 (pre-order: $1,990)Availability: Pre-order opens March 17thLimited Edition: 500 piecesFor more, click here.