Jump to content
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
  • Current Donation Goals

Doxa is in da house!


Nanuq

Recommended Posts

The postman was very very good to me today. :tu: For your viewing pleasure, a Doxa Sub 300, the first series and the original orange dive watch. This particular model is known as the "Black Lung", arguably the rarest Doxa in the world. One expert suggests there are 7 examples of this watch in existence. Other experts claim there are 3 or perhaps 4. I personally know of 2 others. Each one is engraved with an identifying number. They were made as an exploratory project between US Divers and Doxa. This one is triple signed with the original crown and fully adjustable and working Beads of Rice bracelet. Enjoy!

a1.jpg

a2.jpg

a3.jpg

a4.jpg

a5.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nanuq,

Wow - great watch. Here is mine. Not as rare as yours - but not bad. I have a working beads of rice band as well - but I took it off and affixed a modern Doxa bracelet to it (so as not to ruin the antique one). Mine is Doxa Sycron era. I still have to send to Rob to have the bezel re-painted.

Great to find another Doxa lover.

P1010239.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys! I have a lot of polishing up still to do, but you should have seen this poor thing when she first arrived! Ouch!

So far keeping good time and she's waterproof to boot. Boy this is exciting!

@cskent69 That's a great 300T you have there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nanug,

An interesting difference between your watch and cskent's, is the variance in the "no deco" limits on the outer bezel.

(Which is what I take these numbers to be)

My guess is that yours are developed from US Navy tables, which were developed for fit navy divers, operating only when there was a deco chamber on board; whereas the 2nd watch has limits more closely aligned to sport diver type

limits.(probably from Royal Navy tables)

Will drag out my old US Navy and Royal Navy manuals later, and check 'em.

FWIW, anyone who undertook a "no deco" dive of 5 minutes @ 195, would be seriously at risk of a bend... fit navy diver or not.

Offshore

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As always, an excellent observation! :tu: the story behind it is, his bezel (for, as you guessed, Royal Navy no-deco dive times) is graduated in meters where mine is in USN feet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I do not own a Doxa (at least not yet), it is the only other diver's watch I have ever wanted. They are VERY cool-looking watches with a great history & that Black Lung of yours tops them all. Great find. Amid a year with a number of great finds (the recent Tudor Rose Sub acquisition comes immediately to mind), I have to agree with Cornerstone in that this 1 definitely tops them all.

How much restorative work are you planning to do on it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you sir! Coming from you experts that means a lot.

The watch is keeping COSC time, having lost 1 second overnight. The crystal is polishing up very nicely, and all seems tight and well. At this point I'm considering having her serviced and *maybe* repainting the bezel numbers. Other than that I'm leaving her as-is.

I couldn't be more pleased! :tu:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The watch is keeping COSC time, having lost 1 second overnight. The crystal is polishing up very nicely, and all seems tight and well. At this point I'm considering having her serviced and *maybe* repainting the bezel numbers. Other than that I'm leaving her as-is.

I would definitely service her, but you might also consider a new gen crystal (if it is available). I think that would look better than polishing the original (you can usually replace an original crystal (with a similar gen) without adversely affecting the collectibility or value of a vintage watch). That beautiful orange dial would really come alive through a fresh, new lens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice 'black lung', Nanuq !! I have been looking for an aqualung version of the sharky for a long time, but with no success yet... and i miss my old 600T sharky... i was so dumb to trade it for a 750T Sharky but that was not my kind of watch. I should have kept the 600T.

Anyways... enjoy that beautiful piece!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you all, gents! So far so good, she's still keeping COSC time, having gained 4 seconds in two days. I've got almost all the gouges out of the crystal now, and in case nobody noticed from my original photos, I have removed and reinstalled the bracelet the *right* way... it was on backwards. The beauty seems pretty robust too, having been on a few snauxbike rides with me, and participating as I fixed the clutch on my boy's truck.

Hey ... if the things can live through Dirk Pitt, then certainly they can survive Nanuq of the North. :tu:

COSC Standards, Mechanical

* Average daily rate: -4/+6

* Mean variation in rates: 2

* Greatest variation in rates: 5

* Difference between rates in H & V positions: -6/+8

* Largest variation in rates: 10

* Thermal variation:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So you snagged that one up, that was a great pickup. But surely not your last??

Of course not! There can never be your "last" watch, only your "next."

:tu:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

great to see you that happy, that's not just a great find but also a real investment, besides Doxa's only been catching more and more fans around the globe everyday. I've been after a 600t for some time now and hope to take one when the time is right.

I like the policy of refreshing the watch looks but mantaining the vintage look, those aren't scuffs and dings around, those are scars. And if not in the face, they surely will add more character to the piece.

congrats man, I see you're already enjoying.

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As you can see from my original photos, the Black Lung's bezel was in pretty rough shape, missing most of its paint. Well, I did a lot of reading and tried a bunch of different paints and techniques... and I think it came out pretty well. Check it out! :tu:

newbezel2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...
Please Sign In or Sign Up