The Doxa Sub300 50th Anniversary – A step back in time to the glory days of the dive watch
At Baselworld 2016, Doxa introduced its 50th Anniversary Sub300 model, a great dive watch with unquestionable pedigree. So we, at Monochrome, eagerly waited for a prototype to arrive at the HQ for a review. Once a black-dial Sharkhunter variant received, we immediately put it to its paces comparing, debating and discussing about it. That is the purpose of this article: make you understand how important and cool this watch is. However, before I proceed with my assessment, I feel that a short overview of the history of the company is needed to put things into a proper perspective.
Once again, Tudor has surprised and tempted us with a brand new release just before Christmas – the Tudor Pelagos LHD. On the whole it’s the same Pelagos we know and love, with just a few tweaks – but these small changes combine to show the watch in a completely new light. First of all, the case. It’s the same 42mm titanium case we’re used to, with one not-so-minor difference – the crown is on the left, a feature that gives the watch its left-hand drive sobriquet. The inspiration for this unusual configuration comes from the brand’s past. In the 1970s, the Tudor Submariner was the watch of choice for French Naval divers. Some of these were delivered in a left-handed format – perhaps for divers who wore the watch on their right hand, or perhaps simply so the prominent crown wouldn’t catch or dig into the wrist. Bear in mind, of course, that just because this is intended to be worn on the right doesn’t mean you can’t wear it on your left hand – I did, and quite enjoyed the lack of interfering crown. An interesting side note is that because the crown is on the left, COSC tested the MT5612-LHD movement in different…
If, at the start of 2016, you’d have told me my favourite Omega of the year would be a two-tone Speedmaster (yellow gold no less!) with a green bezel, I’d have enjoyed a good laugh at your expense. I like a Speedy as much as the next guy, but I like them in the straight-up classical format, a la NASA. Well, fast forward a few months and you’ll have to excuse me as I wipe egg off my face, because here it is, my pick of the Omega 2016 litter – the Speedmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer Moonphase Chronograph in steel and yellow gold. For me, the real lesson here is to never truly judge a watch until it’s on your wrist. The crush I had on this watch was instant, and real. Earlier this year, I’d seen blue and black versions of the model that were the Baselworld centrepieces, and I liked them. But this was different. There was an immediate, almost visceral reaction as I strapped it to my wrist. The grey sunburst dial, emerald green bezel insert, and yellow gold crown, pushers and bezel all work amazingly well together, adding up to a hefty dose of flash on the wrist, without being…
We’re not alone in our love of Longines heritage offerings – the classic designs and smart prices make them consistently instant hits among watch enthusiasts, and every year we get some new treasure from the brand’s seemingly endless archive. We’ve had dive watches, pilot’s watches, even trench watches – but we’ve never seen a train watch, until now… The American railroads ‘General Railroad Timepiece Standards’ specified that timekeeping equipment from then on must “be open faced…use plain Arabic numbers printed bold and black on a white dial, and have bold black hands…” The Longines Railroad takes its name and design from highly precise ‘railroad grade’ mid-twentieth century Longines watches intended for use by railway workers. Before the invention of electronic safety mechanisms, accuracy on the railways wasn’t just a matter of good customer service, it was a matter of life and death. In fact, it was a head-on collision in 1891 caused by a slow pocketwatch that caused the American railroads to put together the General Railroad Timepiece Standards. These guidelines specified that timekeeping equipment from then on must “be open faced… have a minimum of 17 jewels, adjusted to at least 5 positions, keep time accurately to within a gain or loss of only…