There are brands that are universally known, whether you’re a watch collector or a just casual watch wearer. Then there are those that live in the space that only watch collectors, aka watch nerds, occupy. The Doxa Sub 300T is definitely a watch nerd watch.

Doxa is a brand that you’re not going to see at the local jeweller, nor are many civilians going to be able to identify the brand, let alone any references. And that’s just perfect, why?, because it leaves Doxa with one clear goal, build a purpose built watch! And that they have done that with the Doxa Sub 300T.

Doxa’s history is long and illustrious within the dive watch world. It’s graced the wrists of many a diver on their quest for exploration. Their divers are unapologetic in their looks. Born for a task, not a fashion runway or some Instagram flexing.

Built on the success of the well known reference, the Sub 300, the Doxa Sub 300T addresses a common complaint and adds some steroids to the mix. The biggest complaint of the Sub 300 from many is that the dial size is too small, and I gotta admit I have the same problem with it. The double bezel does take up realestate. To keep the bezel within the confines of the case, it comes at the expense of the dial. The other thing that comes into play is the boxed sapphire crystal, that manages to close in on the dial. The 300T shares the same dimensions, but the omission of the box sapphire for a flat sapphire crystal, opens up the dial to give it a larger appearance. Optical illusions are a wonderful thing!

Like the 300, the Doxa Sub 300T has a width of 42.5, with a lug to lug coming in at 44.5. These dimensions, with a cushion case, make this wearable on a multiple wrist sizes. It’s the same magic employed by the Seiko Turtle.

The 300, with its boxed sapphire, has a height of 13.4mm. The 300T, with its flat sapphire, comes in at 14mm. Wait what? What gives? The extra thickness comes with its extra water resistance. Whilst the 300 lives up to its name with a water resistance of 300m, the 300T ups the ante to 1200 metres. Add to that the built in helium escape valve. This bad boy is ready for the dark corners of any ocean. Or in my case, the dark reaches of a desk! Yup, it’s over built for what most of us will ever need. Regardless, it’s reassuring to know you have a tank on the wrist!

In the engine room, the Doxa Sub 300T has the workhorse ETA 2824, operating at 28800 for a power reserve of 38 hours. Nothing groundbreaking but it gets the job done in a reliable way. Curiously the 300, whilst sharing the same movement, has one up on the 300T, it’s 2824 has COSC Chronometer certification.

Like the so many of Doxa’s offerings, the 300T comes in a few coloured variants, all identified with unique names. The one I have is the Caribbean dial.

The case on the Doxa Sub 300T is very solidly built and feels like a tank. Lines are sharp on the case but it does lack the sexiness and finesse of the Seiko Turtle, which just melts on the wrist. One of the stars of the show is the beads of rice bracelet. It’s the only watch that I’ve owned and never taken off the bracelet. It just works, suits the case and wears really well. There is no play between the case and lug ends, nice and snug! The ratcheting dive extension takes care of those daily variations in the wrist.

Negatives? As brilliant as the bracelet is, the end links do drape over and therefore extending the lug to lug, from 44.5mm to 50mm. Still wearable but can be a challenge for some wrists.

The polished portion of the bezel is also a scratch magnet and it won’t take long to show signs of wear. Whether that’s a negative is of course subjective!

So if you’re in the market for a purpose built, do it all tank, that has a rich horological history, the Doxa Sub 300T would have to be on your radar. I do admit though, aesthetically, it can be a marmite watch. You either like the look or you don’t, there is no maybe!