DOXA launches in Australia, and our guests drank like sailors at a street party to celebrate

Andrew McUtchen

On Monday night, Melbourne opened its arms – and uncorked many, many bottles of Four Pillars Gin, the best gin in the world – in celebration of the fact that, finally, dive watch kings Doxa have a home in this country.

Fittingly for a brand that is dive watch royalty, the crowd of 120+ drank like sailors and gathered in droves around the treasure chest display of the 2019 collection.

There were SUB 200 models in all six colours, with three released since Baselworld. Six SUB 300T models, again with another three dial colours dropped. And there were a range of large and in charge 1500T models, adding some serious heft and size to the range offering.

The cabinets also contained three Limited Edition models; the discontinued and limited 1200T, the astonishing 200 T.Graph, powered by a historical mid-70s Valjoux 7734 movement, and of course, the Golden Boy itself. The solid gold 200 T.Graph in 18K gold, also rocking a Valjoux 7734 movement which is limited to just 13 pieces. You could practically see people’s faces lit up by it as they gazed through the glass in astonishment (often simply asking, why?) like the faces illuminated by the open suitcase in Pulp Fiction.

This was the largest single display of modern Doxa watches ever assembled on these shores. “We go to a lot of watch events,” said Tom Langlands, recent T+T follower, “but this one has something different.” That difference might just be the novelty of something totally, utterly new.

CEO of Doxa, Jan Edöcs, and I tried to wrangle the crowd into order with a speech that took in a brief history of the brand, an explanation of why 2019 had been such a big comeback year, and some very delicate – deliberately vague – hints about what is to come for a brand that is looking forward as well as back. Yes, the mid-1960s and the development of the Helium Release Valve (a project undertaken with Rolex) gave the brand its icon, the SUB 300. But the future holds some decidedly modern, and of-the-now evolutions of this story.

In attendance also was the extraordinarily lovely and talented Erika op den Kelder, of Erika’s Originals. Erika was there to not only give all guests a quick tour of her work – on display in boxes and on boards – making the ‘world’s most comfortable’ lycra and nylon MN straps.

And honestly, they are the most comfortable. But also to hand out numbered Club straps to Time+Tide Club members. Judging by the fairly ecstatic response on social media from said Club members, it was an experience to remember.

Once again, we welcome Doxa to Australia, and thank our Melbourne guests for properly smashing this bottle on the hull of this exciting new brand. To browse the collection see here, and to join the Club – and pick up a very Doxa-compatible strap – hit www.timeandtide.club

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