One of the rarest dive watches in the world

[Flying Doctor]

Guys apologies for posting this in the wrong place. I just don't know where to put it so most people can see it.

We all know that vintage Doxa watches are rare and there are certain ones which are “grail” watches. The HRV Conquistador, Gene Cernan’s T-Graph and Clive Cussler’s 300T. Well here’s another one to add to that list. The image below is of Philippe Cousteau Senior. Philippe and his brother Jean-Michel are the sons of Jacques Yves Cousteau. Tragically Philippe died in 1979 while landing a Catalina flying boat. If you look at the image you will see a photo of a Doxa SUB 300T Sharkhunter on his wrist.

The image below is in the Doxa Book and you can easily see the Synchron and US Divers logos.

I was fortunate enough for Philippe’s son, also called Philippe, to send me images of the actual watch. Philippe his sister Alexandra and mother Jan are founders of EarthEcho International www.earthecho.org , a Washington based nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental causes. Philippe wants to carry on the legacy left to him by his father and grandfather by educating the public about environmental and conservation issues and inspiring individuals to become better stewards of our oceans and the life within them. He is also chief ocean correspondent for Animal Planet, as well as a correspondent for National Public Radio and was filming with Steve Irwin when he did.

I feel honoured that Philippe would send me photos of the watch and has said he would happy to send me other photos of his father and his Doxas and the Coralline his mother still wears. The SUB 300T below is arguably more significant than any Doxa other than maybe the one Jacques Cousteau himself wore. It is a piece of history on many levels and is a link back to a time when scuba diving and exploration of the deep were in their infancy and the oceans of the world were a much cleaner place.

I hope you enjoy looking at this little piece of history.

Pete

 

[El Orans]

Guys apologies for posting this in the wrong place. I just don't know where to put it so most people can see it.

That's easy to fix.

 

[Flying Doctor]

Thanks. Appreciate it.

Pete

 

[jsmharley]

that is cool watch

 

[do it easy]

Am I correct to assume that the outer bezel was a "dive table" to indicate "no-deco" times?

 

[Flying Doctor]

Am I correct to assume that the outer bezel was a "dive table" to indicate "no-deco" times?

Absolutely correct. Doxa patented it in April 1968.

pete

 

[Bob Vincent]

Cool thanks for sharing.

Back in about 1977 are 78 I purchased my first dive watch. Anyone remember seeing a digital watch in L.E.D.? The steel watch was coated in some type of flat black coating on the top and sides and the bottom was non coated steel. To see the time you had to press on a button. Then a black rubber strap that I switched top a hook and loop band.

I thaught I was High Tech with that thing strapped to my wrist. I don't even know what happened to it but remember back then it was expensive. Boy, it's amazing what we think is so cool at that instant and laugh at it, at a later time.

 

[rcontrera]

That was a great watch! On the band, there were two compensating spring mechanisms that would pull it tight when the wet suit compressed. Plus, the buckle was a squeeze to tighten design that made it fit almost everybody in seconds.USD wasn't the only company to market the Doxa. Princeton Tectonics did as well in the early 80s. That is where I got mine. My spring finally wore out after wearing it for 20 years and I was heart sick to find out that the jeweler that I took it to for cleaning bent the main spring. After 20 years of never losing a minute, it now loses 5 minutes per hour.

Doxa is going again but doesn't have the original SharkHunter watchband. It isn't a cheap watch ... $1,250! but very cool!

 

[rigdiver]

I have a couple of those. My first was in 1976. Heck of a watch.