The Doxa Sub 300 Carbon model, presented in a blue box made of sporty material with a distinctly non-Swiss sporty character, made a splash as the first Sub 300 model in a carbon case not released as a limited edition. Nonetheless, the collection continues to offer a wide range of fun colors that have long made the Sub 300 collection even more special. It's not perfect, but it certainly deserves close attention.
The vibrant orange bezel with distinctive black and white markers stares you in the face when you unpack it. I can't quite pinpoint where this vibe comes from in the 50-year history of the Sub 300, but they really look like watches that could withstand a shark attack. I couldn't, and the Doxa Sub 300 Carbon doesn't let me feel for a second that I could. But these watches look almost angry for spending so much time in the box - and so little in the open sea.
The Sub 300 watch is water-resistant to... yes, 300 meters, yet they are impressively thin. In fact, it has one of the coolest case profiles (if such a thing exists) among all dive watches. The mid-case or "case band" looks as if someone's grandpa or grandma flattened it with a rolling pin, as the lugs almost endlessly expand sideways and simultaneously taper. I found myself just holding the watch by these thin and wide lugs - such a fun and eerie execution of the case.
The bezel looks like it was taken off an old ADS (atmospheric diving suit) helmet. Resembling a bastion with its powerful projecting elements, it is wide enough to accommodate the regular time scale, as well as the U.S. Navy's no-decompression limits table, a benchmark for diver safety. The patented SUB 300 Carbon bezel uses these two separate scales for reliable calculation and control of dive time: orange for the outer ring "depth" and white for the inner ring "minutes." The click is super-clickable, quite precise, and indeed, gun-like loud.
The aforementioned dial looks excellent in almost any color. The hour hand tends to get lost, but not by mistake, but by design: it makes the already massive minute hand much more easily distinguishable at a glance.
The proportions between the various sizes of the hands and indices are somehow maintained, and I respect that. Less exciting is the light show created by the luminous hands and especially the markers, and this is due to the non-white (bordering on yellow) paint used for the markers.
When observed in normal conditions (i.e., not in the dark) their yellowish color perfectly complements the orange base - it's just that this color of luminous paint has never been and will never be as bright as the standard white/neon-green luminous paint. On most other dial colors of the Doxa Sub 300 Carbon, namely dark blue, yellow, turquoise, and black, the markers appear white and therefore promise a more impressive light show. As much as I like this orange base, I'm not sure I could live without the most powerful glow on my precious dive watches.
The 42.50 mm x 45.00 mm x 13.40 mm case is so light that the massive clasp with an integrated micro-adjuster actually tips the watch over. In other words, the clasp feels heavier than the entire watch head with 300 meters of water resistance, movement, case, dial, and domed crystal. It's quite surprising. The lug width is 20 mm, and this combined with the integrated rubber strap - of course, in a carbon case, a bracelet is not provided (although a carbon bracelet would be something else)! The strap is well made, with a cool wave pattern on the inside and Doxa branding on the side profile, indicating that it is a genuine OEM strap.
It may be well made, but the overall aesthetic it creates with the watch head is an acquired taste. Besides, the strap is cut, which means you will have to cut both straps to size, which always causes horror, but maybe that's just me. The integrated micro-adjustment is great, as it allows for quite small steps. What's less great is that it is not fully integrated into the clasp: when opened, it forms sharp edges and places where dirt can enter. Obviously, Doxa put a lot of effort into the strap and clasp, but I would probably set aside this valuable strap and clasp and not cut them to size, and buy something else that looks good and matches the thin lugs.
The engraved massive case back looks and feels great: it's a real chunk of metal with neat engraving and white lettering, including "Certified Chronometer." Both the case back and the inner ring under the carbon shell are made of titanium - a very expensive choice that is nonetheless appreciated for a number of reasons.
First, due to its thermal conductivity properties, titanium feels completely different on the skin than stainless steel - it's less cold and better retains body heat.
Second, it's much, much lighter than steel, and frankly, there's little point in wrapping heavy steel in a thin layer of carbon for "lightness." A small, borderline imperceptible detail that can nonetheless be felt every time the Doxa Sub 300 Carbon is on your wrist.
Under the titanium case back lies a COSC certified version of the ETA 2824-2 movement. It runs at a frequency of 4 Hertz, is practically indestructible (it's been produced since the last Ice Age, so it should be reliable by now), and thin.
Its only significant downside is the meager 38-hour power reserve - many luxury brands in this $4,000 segment have developed and launched special movements with much longer power reserves. Nevertheless, I wouldn't trade the surprisingly thin profile of the Sub 300 case for a longer power reserve (the 2824-2 is about 2 mm thinner than most of the aforementioned modern long power reserve movements), so solving this shortcoming should somehow come from a thin movement.
The Doxa Sub 300 Carbon is an instantly recognizable classic of diving watches, one of those inspiring original designs that never go out of style and that respond very well to new materials and other changes. Doxa seems to have realized this and brought the Sub 300 Carbon to the forefront in the sub-$4,000 segment, and while competition from Tudor, Breitling, and others is very strong here, it can be confidently said that the Sub 300 has the history and appearance to finally enter this segment.
However, if you want that aesthetic but want to spend less, the Sub 300 in stainless steel might look just as chic for much less money. The Doxa Sub 300 Carbon is priced at $3,890, while the Sub 300 in steel is $2,450 on a rubber strap and $2,490 on a steel bracelet. The choice is yours!
