At First Glance
Last time I checked my notes, watches – like most things – aren’t getting any cheaper. The past several years have seen a steady upward cost creep as brands adjust to market pressures, the hype cycle, and the general winds of enthusiast attention. But here we are, mere weeks after the largest and most luxurious trade show in watches, and one of my favorite releases of the entire year is the new Doxa Sub 200T.
The Basics
It’s a dive watch based on the brand’s iconic ’60s-derived design language that shrinks the proportions of the Sub 300-series into a smaller and more wearable package. With a swath of new color options and a price point that puts the 200T within shooting distance of popular options from Seiko and Citizen, the Sub 200T makes the core Doxa appeal as accessible as ever.
Size Matters
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.
A New Core Model
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 Nitty Gritty
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.
Colorful Options
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.
On The Wrist
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).
Value Proposition
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.
Compared To The Rest
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.
The Bottom Line
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.
Key Points:
- The new Doxa Sub 200T is a more compact and affordable take on their iconic dive watch design
- It measures 39mm wide compared to 42.5mm for the Sub 300
- Comes in 14 different colorways including classic “iconic” dials and new sunburst “sunray” dials
- Priced at $1,550 on rubber or $1,590 on bracelet
- Powered by a Sellita SW200 automatic Swiss movement
- Seen as excellent value compared to Sub 300/300T and other dive watch options
While the Sub 200T may seem like just a scaled-down version of Doxa’s famous dive watch, it actually represents a major strategic move for the brand. By making their signature design more compact, affordable and available in a wide array of colorways, Doxa has potentially opened the door for a whole new generation of fans and buyers. The Sub 200T retains the spirit and quality of the larger models, while adapting to current trends and likely attracting many first-time Doxa owners. It’s an awesome summer watch at a great price point.
