In recent times, the name of Doxa has become synonymous with rugged and distinctive dive watches, which, despite any meaningful High Street presence, have procured a cult following among those for whom a divers watch needs to be a lot more than a land lubbing fashion accessory. Designed specifically for the serious diver and featuring numerous innovations their Sub series have often set the standard in sub aquatic instruments since it was introduced in the 1960s and subsequently have become a talisman of the scuba diver – professional and sporting alike.
Of course, with the company having been established in 1889, divers watches would be some way into the future and the watches produced by Doxa one hundred and twenty five years ago bore very little in common with the watches we are familair with today.
Doxa 8 Day Manufacture – The first 8-days patented caliber
At Baselworld 2014, to celebrate the occasion their 125th anniversary Doxa unveiled a number of pieces which reminded us that there was a lot more substance to the company than their cult hero. Among these was the Doxa Eight Days Manufacture which was presented in an interesting collection of limited edition options.
Doxa 8 Day Manufacture
Underlining their historical spirit of innovation the new Eight Days Manufacture collection features Doxa’s 1907 8 day calibre – the first to be patented – as NOS calibres presented in a contemporary wristwatch, although having originally been designed as an oversize instrument to be mounted and demounted on a dashboard back in its day, the 1907 calibre is a beast and the wristwatch weighs in at a mighty 57mm!
Doxa 8 Day Manufacture – Black & White cult
On offer are basically two options, although there are variants in each. First there is a traditional classic style which features black or white dials and curvaceous black steel hands with luminous droplets. Small seconds are at the 9 o’clock position and the unusual power reserve red tipped indicator patrolling its 8 day display actually eminates from the central axis, which it shares with the hours and minutes.
The same layout is also available with symmetric dial cutouts either side of the small seconds subdial, revealing the Côtes de Genève decoration and the centre wheel on the manual winding manufacture calibre beneath.
Doxa 8 Day Manufacture
One other variant in this mode dispenses with the power reserve indication and offers simply the hours, minutes and small seconds as would have been the only option when the Eight Day watch was first produced over one hundred years ago. This more traditional collection is available in stainless steel or rose gold pvd case options with large aviator crown and a sapphire crystal caseback through which to view this revilatised old calibre.
Rounding off the Doxa 8 Days Manufacture anniversary collection in a departure from its stablemates is a Pilot with classic easy to read layout which seperates the minutes and the hours and retains the small seconds at the 9. Luminous indices and large luminous filled hands ensure excellent legibility in low light conditions. This model comes on a worn-look leather strap with tang buckle.
Each variant is offered in a limited production of 125 pieces.
