Doxa

Who are Doxa?

Doxa is a Swiss watch company founded in Le Locle in 1889 by Georges Ducommun and now based in Biel/Bienne (Doxa; Wikipedia). It is known above all for the SUB dive watches that began with the orange-dialled SUB 300 of 1967, and it has been owned by the Jenny family since 1997 (Doxa). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a second-hand Doxa in the UK.

Wikipedia describes Doxa as an “independent Swiss watch manufacturer” known mainly for dive watches. Its current range is almost entirely SUB dive watches, sold in a set of named dial colours (Doxa).

The history of Doxa

Doxa’s history runs from a Le Locle workshop in 1889, through eight-day clocks and dress watches, to the SUB 300 of 1967, a run of owners during the quartz era, and the Jenny family’s purchase in 1997.

The founding. Georges Ducommun began an apprenticeship in 1880 at the age of 12, and in 1889, aged 21, opened his own business, “Georges Ducommun, Fabriques DOXA” (Doxa). Wikipedia places it in Le Locle.

Eight-day calibre. Doxa filed a patent for its eight-day calibre in 1907, and Doxa says the movement became standard equipment on Bugatti racing cars (Doxa). Time+Tide gives the patent date as 1908; Time+Tide says the calibre was widely used in dashboard clocks in cars and aircraft. When Ducommun died in 1936, his son-in-law Jacques Nardin took over (Saatolog).

Dress watches. In 1957 Doxa launched the Grafic, a minimalist dress-watch collection that Doxa describes as Bauhaus-inspired (Doxa).

The SUB 300. Doxa says tests in Lake Neuchâtel in 1964 showed that “bright orange proved ideal for divers” (Doxa); Wikipedia places the tests in the late 1960s. The SUB 300 was launched at the Basel fair in 1967, which Doxa calls “the first professional-grade diver’s watch for the public”, with a patented rotating bezel (Doxa). Wikipedia cites a 1967 Swiss patent for the no-decompression bezel, with Urs Alois Eschle named as inventor, and says Doxa consulted Jacques-Yves Cousteau during development. In 1968 Cousteau negotiated exclusive US distribution for his company, US Divers (Doxa).

Military and helium valve. The SUB 300T Conquistador, which Doxa dates to 1968 and Time+Tide to 1969, was one of the first dive watches with a helium escape valve (Doxa). The Swiss Army equipped its divers with the SUB 300T Professional: Doxa says about 150 were issued from 1968 to 1975, while Wikipedia says the Swiss Armed Forces bought the model between 1968 and 1979.

Changes of owner. Doxa became part of Synchron S.A. in 1968 and was acquired by Aubry Frères S.A. in 1978; operations under Aubry ended in 1983 (Wikipedia). In 1997 the Jenny family of Biel/Bienne acquired Doxa and made it part of their Walca S.A. group (Wikipedia), and Doxa moved its headquarters to Biel/Bienne (Doxa).

Recent decades. In 2020 Doxa moved the SUB 300, previously sold only in limited editions since 2015, into regular production with a COSC-certified movement (aBlogtoWatch). Forged-carbon SUB 300 Carbon models followed; Wikipedia dates them to 2020, while Time and Watches reported the full range in March 2021. A seventh dial colour, Whitepearl, came in 2021 (aBlogtoWatch).

What is Doxa known for?

Doxa is known for orange dive-watch dials, the no-decompression bezel of the SUB 300, the 1968 helium escape valve and its named dial colours, and for appearing on the wrist of Clive Cussler’s fictional hero Dirk Pitt.

Orange dials. Doxa says it chose orange after underwater tests in Lake Neuchâtel (Doxa). Every SUB dial colour has a name: Professional for orange, Sharkhunter for black, Searambler for silver, Caribbean for navy, Divingstar for yellow, Aquamarine for turquoise, and since 2021 Whitepearl for white (aBlogtoWatch). Listings often use these names in place of the colour.

The bezel. The SUB 300’s rotating bezel carried a patented no-decompression scale alongside the usual minute markings (Wikipedia; Doxa).

Helium escape valve. Doxa says the SUB 300T Conquistador of 1968 was one of the first dive watches with a helium escape valve, a feature for saturation divers (Doxa).

Dirk Pitt. Wikipedia says Clive Cussler’s character Dirk Pitt is often shown wearing a SUB 300T in the novels, and that Matthew McConaughey wore the SUB 300T Professional in the 2005 film Sahara. Doxa sells a SUB 300T Clive Cussler model (Doxa).

Other Swiss dive-watch brands from a similar era and price bracket include Squale and Zodiac, both also known for colourful dial options and helium-valve divers.

Movements. The current Doxa models covered by our sources use Swiss supplier movements. The SUB 300 uses a COSC-certified ETA 2824-2 (aBlogtoWatch), as do the SUB 300 Carbon models (Time and Watches); the SUB 200 uses an ETA 2824-2 without chronometer certification (aBlogtoWatch), and the SUB 200 T.Graph reissue uses reconditioned Valjoux 7734 chronograph movements (Time+Tide). Doxa says each watch is hand-assembled in Switzerland (Doxa).

Which Doxa collections are there?

Doxa’s current range is grouped by SUB model: SUB 200, SUB 200T, SUB 200 T.Graph, SUB 200 C-Graph, SUB 250T GMT, SUB 300, SUB 300T, SUB 300 Carbon, SUB 300 Beta, SUB 600T, SUB 750T and SUB 1500T, with a Doxa Army model and limited editions (Doxa).

The collections table on this page gives a line on the main families. A few points help when you read listings:

• Model, then colour. A listing such as “SUB 300 Searambler” gives the model and the dial colour. Check the full reference, because the same colour name runs across several models.
• T and non-T. The “T” models carry a helium escape valve, starting with the 1968 SUB 300T Conquistador (Doxa). Check which one a listing describes.
• Chronometer or not. The SUB 300 has a COSC-certified movement (aBlogtoWatch); the SUB 200 does not. Our guide to COSC certification explains what the certificate means.
• Limited editions. Doxa makes many limited editions. Match the edition number on the case back to the papers.

Who owns Doxa?

Doxa is owned by the Jenny family of Biel/Bienne, who acquired it in 1997 (Doxa). Wikipedia says the family made it a subsidiary of their Walca S.A. group, that Jan Edöcs has been chief executive and Romeo F. Jenny managing director since 2019, and that the company trades as Montres DOXA S.A. It is not part of a larger watch group.

Doxa’s US sales run through DOXA Watches USA, based in Boca Raton, Florida (Doxa).

Buying a Doxa watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check the model and dial colour against the reference and papers, the movement and service history, when the water resistance was last tested, and the warranty; then run a stolen-watch check.

1. Reference, colour and papers. Ask for the warranty card and box, and check that the model, dial colour and serial number match. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. Water resistance. Doxas are made to be dived with. On a second-hand watch the seals matter more than the rating on the dial, so ask when the watch was last pressure-tested and whether the crown and, on a T model, the helium escape valve were checked. Our water resistance guide explains what to ask.

3. Servicing. Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. Most modern Doxas use ETA movements (aBlogtoWatch); ask whether genuine Doxa parts, such as the bezel and crystal, were used. Our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves.

4. Warranty. Doxa’s online policy page covers returns but not warranty terms. Ask the seller whether any warranty remains and how it would be claimed. See watch warranties explained.

5. Vintage SUBs. For a 1960s or 1970s SUB, original dials, bezels and bracelets are what to check, because parts may have been replaced. Ask a watchmaker who knows vintage divers to look at it.

6. Authenticity and theft. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at, and our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers to search before you pay.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Doxa?

The Jenny family of Biel/Bienne, who acquired Doxa in 1997 (Doxa). Wikipedia says it sits within the family’s Walca S.A. group.

Where are Doxa watches made?

In Switzerland. Doxa is based in Biel/Bienne and says its watches are hand-assembled in Switzerland (Doxa).

When was Doxa founded?

In 1889, by Georges Ducommun in Le Locle (Doxa; Wikipedia).

Why do Doxa watches have orange dials?

Doxa says tests in Lake Neuchâtel showed bright orange was the easiest colour to read underwater (Doxa).

What do Doxa’s colour names mean?

Each dial colour has a name: Professional (orange), Sharkhunter (black), Searambler (silver), Caribbean (navy), Divingstar (yellow), Aquamarine (turquoise) and Whitepearl (white) (aBlogtoWatch).

Does Doxa make its own movements?

Not in the current models covered by our sources, which use Swiss supplier movements such as the ETA 2824-2 in the SUB 300 and SUB 200 (aBlogtoWatch).

What does the T mean on a Doxa SUB?

The T models have a helium escape valve, first fitted to the SUB 300T Conquistador of 1968 (Doxa).

Which Doxa did Dirk Pitt wear?

A SUB 300T, in Clive Cussler’s novels (Wikipedia).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Doxa.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.