It was in the 1960s when DOXA saw an opportunity to create affordable diver’s watches. By 1967, it successfully launched the DOXA Sub 300, its first diver’s watch that was priced in such a way so as to attract a wide set of people; by 1969, the Swiss Army's elite divers unit was already sporting these watches. In 1968 though, inspired by what they created for the Swiss Army, DOXA crafted a new diver's watch called 'Army', and marketed it so: 'The ideal watch for military divers', they called it. The watch had a black case, black bezel with black insert, a sand-beige dial, and excellent readability underwater. Over time, this model became a collector favourite. This Geneva Watch Days 2022, the brand has re-issued this model with certain updates.
The new DOXA Army models have been launched in stainless steel, in a non-limited line-up. The first of the 42.5mm 316L stainless steel DOXA Army watches come with a sand-coloured dial and a black ceramic bezel insert, while the second pairs a bronze bezel—DOXA’s first time using the material—with a hunter green ceramic insert.
Beating inside the watch is the super reliable and hardy ETA 2824, which has powered countless timepieces made by some of the finest names in horology, including Tudor Black Bay 41, Hamilton Khaki Field Auto, Tag Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300, Breitling Superocean Automatic 48, and MeisterSinger New Vintage Neo Plus. A behemoth amongst movements, ETA 2824 is a typical workhorse movement, and when serviced perfectly, a robust, precision calibre. The ETA 2824 automatic movement has a 38 hours power reserve.
The anti-clockwise, unidirectional 60-minute diving bezels of the new DOXA Army come with Super-LumiNova® for underwater readability, and the dial gets rectangular two-tone markings, coupled with sword-shaped, orange-coloured hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova®, and an orange-tipped triangle second hand. There is a white painted minute track on the outer periphery.
The watch has a screw-down crown at 3 o’clock, and a water resistance of 300 metres. Turning the watch over reveals a threaded stainless-steel caseback, with an engraving of the army logo at the centre, surrounded by the words ‘Helium Valve’, ‘Made-Doxa Sub Army’.
The watch gets a ‘beads of rice’ bracelet finished with screws and a folding clasp with a ‘DOXA fish’ symbol. The other options are FKM rubber straps in black or hunter green with a folding clasp and adjustable wetsuit extensions, also with the ‘DOXA fish’ symbol. The box contains an additional NATO camouflage strap and will be available from October 2022.
Images: Courtesy DOXA
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