What We Know
If you’re a Doxa fan, you might be familiar with the brand’s connection with the late explorer and novelist Clive Cussler, along with his literary creation of Dirk Pitt, an explorer in Cussler’s books known to sport a Sub 300 Professional on the wrist. This relationship has manifested itself in a few Clive Cussler limited editions going back to 2023, and this year’s edition is probably the coolest one yet.
It’s a special edition Sub 300 in grade 5 titanium, meant as a tribute to Cussler. It’s a big departure, design-wise, from a few of the previous editions, as it does away with the distressed finishing and compass motifs for something much more in line with what Cussler’s literary creation Dirk Pitt would have worn. I know there are some intense Doxa fans probably reading, so I won’t bury the lede here—this watch is limited to only 300 pieces, and you can get one through Doxa’s online shop or select authorized retailers.
While past editions were produced in editions numbered to align with Cussler’s age, Doxa knew that 95 pieces were simply not going to cut it this year, hence the much larger—yet most certainly not large enough—production size. The silhouette of the watch remains extremely familiar. It is still a Sub 300 after all, with a 42.5mm case and a 45mm lug-to-lug distance. The compact lug-to-lug, paired with the extreme lightness of grade 5 titanium for the case, screw-down caseback, and crown, means that this should be an extremely easy-wearing watch. Sadly, there is no accompanying grade 5 titanium bracelet, only a tropical-style black rubber strap. The caseback features the individual numbering out of the 300 pieces, as well as the emblem of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering and preserving historic shipwrecks and maritime heritage. Behind that closed caseback is the COSC-certified Sellita SW200-2, with automatic winding, a beat rate of 28,800 VpH (4 Hz), and 38 hours of power reserve.
What’s quite novel is the dual-plane dial, which is also made from matching grade 5 titanium. It is, in its sleek sandblasted execution, a sandwich dial, with two titanium discs sitting superimposed. The cutouts on the top disc are laser-engraved, allowing for a depth in the negative space and the resulting shadows that form the hour markers, the minutes track, and the framing for the date window. Super-LumiNova is applied on that lower disc for those hour markers, which show up through the cutouts. The date window, probably my favorite implementation of one in recent times, utilizes a color-matched date disc and prints the 7, 15, and 31 in orange as an homage to Cussler’s birth date. The handset is rendered in a glossy lacquer, with the distinctive oversized minutes hand rendered in a bright orange.
The Doxa Sub 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler is limited to 300 pieces and priced at $3,390. A percentage of proceeds are donated to the NUMA foundation.
What We Think
Save for last year’s Doxa SUB 750T Clive Cussler edition, the first two Cussler editions have always felt a bit on the nose, with a very literal homage to shipwreck artifacts with the worn-out compass rose motif on the dials. While that may be a fitting tribute from a storytelling perspective, the final product was a quirky Doxa that would be hard to imagine taking on any dive. The new Sub 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler, however, feels like an incredible breath of fresh air here and I think stands out both in context of the Cussler editions and also within Doxa’s comeback as a modern brand with a lot of seriously cool heritage. It’s seriously one of my favorite Doxa designs yet, and that dual-plane dial is a clever twist on the classic Doxa design while giving a bit of extra visual interest and making this edition feel really special. I do think that this might lead towards a standard production titanium Sub 300 in the future, which could also then warrant the production of a grade 5 titanium bracelet to accompany said watch. It’s the only thing I can hope for, as I know these 300 pieces will absolutely fly.
The Basics
Brand: Doxa
Model: Sub 300
Diameter: 42.5m (45mm lug-to-lug)
Thickness: 13.4mm
Case Material: Grade 5 titanium
Dial Color: Titanium
Indexes: Sandwich-style
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 300 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Black Dive Flex rubber strap with pin buckle
The Movement
Caliber: Sellita SW200-2
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 VpH
Jewels: 26
Chronometer Certified: Yes, COSC-certified
Additional Details: Doxa decorations
Pricing & Availability
Price: $3,390
Availability: Doxa online and authorized retailers
Limited Edition: Yes, 300 individually numbered pieces.
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