Hands-On The Doxa Sub 200T

So, as I covered when the model was initially released earlier this month, the Sub 200T measures 39 x 10.7 x 41.5mm. For context and reference, the core of this design language is represented by the Sub 300 (we'll get to the Sub 300T in a moment), which measures 42.5 x 13.1 x 45mm (that thickness includes the Sub 300's prominent bubble crystal, and you can see both compared in photos later in this story). What I would underline here, while we consider the Sub 200T's sizing, is that I consider the Sub 300 to wear much smaller than the 42.5mm sizing might suggest. Its short lug-to-lug, small dial ratio, and stacked case keep much of the visual weight of the watch low and snug to your wrist. 

As Doxa sits at the core of my own personal taste for dive and sports watches, I am always keen to get a chance to experience anything new the brand has announced. Be it the refreshed Sub 300 of 2020, the 600T or Army of 2022, or the Clive Cussler 300T of 2023. As something of a purist for the "thin-case" design of the Sub 300 (including the 50th-anniversary models from 2017), I think that the Sub 200T is easily one of the most notable new releases from the brand in several years. The 300 refresh was largely informed by the 50th Anniversary models – the carbon Sub 300, too. And where the Army and the 600T extended the Doxa format into design derivations, the 200T does not deviate from the brand's core – and often cultish – appeal. 

I'm going to assume that you: 1) are at least casually interested in Doxa; and 2) you read my original intro post when the Sub 200T was first announced. As such, I'll keep recaps to a minimum. Beyond the new proportions, the Sub 200T effectively ports the 300 and 300T. The crystal is a flat sapphire, the lugs are 18mm wide, you can choose from a bracelet or a fitted rubber, and the movement inside is a Swiss-made Sellita SW200-1 automatic. It has a power reserve of 38 hours, ticks at 4 Hz, and offers the time and a date display at three o'clock. 

What is expressly new about the Sub 200T and unique to it within the Doxa lineup is the available colorways. All told, you can pick from 14 dial colors for the Sub 200T, with Doxa's core offerings (aka the "iconic" dials) sitting alongside an array of new "sunray" versions for many of the colors ways and a special Seafoam green version that is exclusive to Watches of Switzerland. Please see the captions for each example, but for clarity, there are a pair of dial versions for each color aside from Searambler (silver), Whitepearl (white), and Seaemerald (green). 

When it comes to a classic like the Professional (that's Doxa's name for the orange dial), the "iconic" is a flat matte orange, while the "sunray" is a shinier effect with a brushed radial finish for the dial. For some versions, like the yellow-dialed Divingstar, the difference between the two finishes is night and day; for others, it's much more subtle (I'm not sure I could quickly determine one version of the Sharkhunter from another unless I saw it in bright sunlight).

So that's the basics sorted, and given that the watch is VERY Doxa, one main question remains – how is it on wrist? And to a lesser (smaller?) extent, is 39mm too small for a Doxa Sub? 

After having a chance to play around with close to every example of the Sub 200T, on both the steel "beads of rice" bracelet and the shaped rubber, I think it wears beautifully and is not at all too small. If anything, the decidedly non-vintage Sub 200T feels like a more vintage-inspired take on the Doxa design language (this despite the fact that the Sub 300 is a nearly 1:1 recreation of the original Sub 300 from 1967). 

While certainly more compact than the Sub 300 and the slightly larger Sub 300T, the 200T doesn't feel nearly 4mm smaller in terms of case width. Like its sibling, the 200T sits low on your wrist, and the case shape helps keep the watch right where you want it. While I'm long on record as not specifically caring for either the bracelet or the rubber strap from Doxa, both were comfortable matches for the 200T, and I think the bracelet adds some welcome heft to the wrist presence. Personally, I'd likely opt for a shark mesh.

And even if, like me, you have strong feelings about the battle between the iconic and sunray dials, there's not exactly a loser here as the brand continues to offer the classics (Sharkhunter, Pro, Searambler, Divingstar, and Caribbean) while expanding for the hopes of a broader appeal and more choice for the end buyer. Personally, just as I predicted in my previous story, I couldn't help but fall for the bright and cheery vibe of the Divingstar. Yellow is a tough color to get right on a watch dial, but Doxa has it dialed for the Divingstar with the iconic dial. By contrast, I found the sunray-dial Divingstar much less to my tastes. This is the value of having so many colorways – there's something for everyone (even if you go Sharkhunter). 

To be clear, I like a lot of Doxa models. I've owned a few, and I will certainly pick up a Sub 200T sometime in the near future. Part of that is the sizing; part of it is the array of colors, but the other part that can't be ignored is the price point, as Doxa released the new Sub 200T at $1,550 on the rubber or $1,590 on the steel bracelet. This makes the Sub 200T essentially the entry point for the core Doxa look and feel, and you can have it for $300 less than the 300T and a full $900 less than the Sub 300. This is worth stating outright because when it comes to a unique design like that of the Sub 300, the most crucial competition often comes from within the family, and that's certainly the case with the Sub 200T. 

So, while the idea of a smaller take on the core Doxa model is not novel – just google past models like the Coraline – the 200T design is relevant because it shows that modern Doxa is willing to keep up with demand (~39mm is very hot now) and offers a modern and entirely adventure-ready alternative to the comparatively more chunky Sub 300T.

Below, you can see the new Sub 200t (a silver Searambler example) compared directly against the already thin and very wearable Sub 300. Yes, a Sub 300T would make a more direct comparison, but they had a 300 on the table at my meeting in Geneva, so that's what I got. The case is thinner, sure, but look at how much shorter it is lug-to-lug while not sacrificing the bulk that helps to cement a dress watch on your wrist.

Between the 200T and the 300T, it's a no-brainer for me. The 200T is simply better on wrist, costs less, and comes in more colors. Compared to the 300, that's a bit more tricky as the price delta is wider (the ~$900 mentioned above), but the Sub 300 offers a more vintage-inspired aesthetic, with the bubble crystal and other small tweaks to the design to align the model with the original Sub 300. 

Looking beyond the competition from within Doxa, it's hard to ignore that the Sub 200T is just $300 more than one of Seiko's latest divers like the SPB453 ($1,300) or the Bulova Oceanographer GMT (which I mention because it's one of the few watches with an aesthetic similarity to that of the doxa). While $300 is a good chunk of cash when it comes to a $1,300 watch, Doxa fans are used to spending a much larger premium when it comes to getting a proper Sub, and you get a well-known Swiss automatic movement, too. 

Like I mentioned at the onset of this story, I think that the 200T may seem like a subtle evolution but it also represents a major move for the brand. From a commercial product standpoint, it's my favorite watch released this year, and it has been presented with minimal hype, is already shipping, and it's just in time for the best kind of summer – a Doxa summer. 

For more information, visit Doxa online.