Panerai's 300 Pre-t Bezels are here !

[panerai153]

Nanug,

I'm going to help Lani out a little here with a couple of hints!

1. When did US Divers logos start appearing on Subs? 300 or 300T

2. Look at the hands then look at the indicies,different? colors

You have a really nice watch, too bad someone did what they did. The problem as every Doxa collector has encountered is the total unavailability of parts. Doxa obviously didn't plan for their watches to have the survival rate that they have. Actually, I believe that Doxa got caught in that terrible time in the Swiss Watch industry when Cheap Japanese quartz watches almost killed the mechanical watch industry in Switzerland. Doxa sought the protection of the Synchron Group that was formed to try to save some of the Swiss brands. Synchron Struggled during the Quartz revolution and was finally bought by Aubrey Freres. During that time, Doxas were redesigned and upgraded, but often with the result that all of the spare parts were used up in making watches. Thus by the early 1980's parts were beginnning to get scarce. Remember Doxa and many small companies like them never had the financial or sales base to do things like Rolex and Omega for instance. If you own a Rolex 1680 that is within a particular serial number range, you know that the corresponding bezel, insert, crown, etc. will fit. All of the parts are serialized, and one only has to look in a catalog to find the correct part number. Doxa was constantly changing, making subtle changes, but nevertheless changes. That's why trying to find the correct bezel is such a crapshoot. A bezel that fits a 300T produced in 1967, probably won't fit one from 1969.They look the same from the top, but the diameter may be a few thousands off, or the lower ring that snaps on may be too wide. Very Frustrating!

Because of all the above problems, when watches were sent in for repairs, the watchmaker was often forced to use what parts are available. So today we see obvious 300 series with 300T dials, wrong color hands, non screw in crowns on models that clearly were made originally with screw in crowns, etc. Doxa basically created a situation that forced "Frankenwatches" as a result of the lack of parts. I had two 300T Divingstars that were French Navy issue watches. The French Navy used lots of different brands as they bought on contract and as long as a watch brand met the specs, they bought. When I got the Divingstars, both of them came with genuine Tudor Snoflake hands! They were both repaired at some time by a watchmaker on contract to the Fench Navy, who didn't have access to Doxa parts, but did have Tudor parts that fit. Interesting watches, but definitely not "correct"

Trying to find parts for Doxas is a very frustrating and time consuming quest. Most Doxa collectors become parts "Hoarders". If you can buy parts, you never know when you can use them or trade them to someone else for something you can use.

Good Luck on your restoration Nanug, great watch.

Arthur

[Nanuq]

Thanks, Arthur! But that's not my 300T, it belongs to someone else...

I think because of parts scarceness, it's perfectly acceptable in the Doxa world to see frankens. Rolex purists would curl up and die at an unsigned crown replacement, whereas a Doxaholic just says "Cool, you found something to fit".

If I was King of the World and found my case/bezel fit was off by a few thou, I'd hustle that bad boy down to the nearest machine shop and say "make 'em fit". Easy squeasy, and likely the only solution.

My current Doxa stable has a "Black Lung" 300 Pro and a Sharkie 300. The BL is completely original and everything's there... even the serial numbers on the lugs. Triple signed too. The Sharkie is another story, it's 99% right but it's got a pathetic little button crown. However, in the vein of "if it fits, use it" I've found the crown/tube from a LeJour Superman 990 will work. So my next trip to Ziggy will entail getting those parts off the donor and onto the Sharkie. I suspect that means drilling and tapping the case, but I'm fine with that. Then it will be waterproof too.

[Nanuq]

Hey Lani, that's my little toy axe. I use it for cutting kindling and splitting firewood for starting fires. This is a public forum so I can't post my Big Axe. We can't have women screaming and men leaping from windows.

[lanikai]

I'm not just saying this for the sake of saying.. but

this forum is a lot more fun and informative with Nanuq and Arthur's info..

bigger AX..... .. I keep thinking of medieval times and the mallets they use in war...especially that iron ball with the spikes welded by a chain...

Back on point.. in some respect it's nice to know that Doxa frankens don't make the watch any less of a genuine..

R

[Nanuq]

You got it, Lani. It seems that as long as certain parts are there, it's perfectly acceptable to franken-ize it. For whatever reason that seems to be the case, bezel and hands. I've seen green dialed Doxas, the infamous IrishStar for example, and the boys "over there" hoisted drinks all around. I've seen original 300T dials in Synchron cases, and vice versa... no biggie because the bezel and caseback were correct for the Synchron. Put an Oyster bracelet on an Aubrey? No problem. It's still a Doxa.

Can you imagine any of this on the VRF? Heeheeee, didn't think so. "Oh, I took my meters-first gilt dial and painted it red, and ground down the edge to fit, and put it in my Milgauss case... now I have a Bloodmariner! Cool!" Ain't never gonna happen.

So you use whatever means are necessary to make that bezel stick on that case, then you wear that watch with pride ... just because you can. And be proud of what you've got. It's a Doxa through and through.