The Doxa SUB 300β Sharkhunter is a mean-looking diver with a plenty of street cred
Fergus NashEditor’s note: Since publishing this article, Doxa has announced an update to the SUB 300β Sharkhunter as a result of community feedback. The watch will now be offered in both date and no-date variants, with a rectangular marker replacing the date window in the latter.
- The Doxa SUB 300β Sharkhunter explores a streetwear aesthetic in a high-tech package
- The case is made of ceramic with an 18k yellow gold bezel and crown
- The SUB 300 case has been slimmed down to 11.95mm, maintaining its 300m water resistance
After many years of restoring the Doxa legend through diver reissues, the revived Swiss brand has recently decided to branch out in a big way. The SUB 200 was a neat concoction of Doxa flavour in a more contemporary package, but releases like the SUB 300T Clive Cussler are in a completely different league of creativity. It’s incredibly rare for an established brand to have so much fun with designs, especially when they go hard on a theme rather than just slapping on a bright dial colour. The new Doxa SUB 300β Sharkhunter opens up a new avenue of design for them yet again, branching into a svelte kind of streetwear.
The phrase ‘murdered-out’ is borrowed from the automotive world, referring to a car that’s had every surface covered in black. The Doxa SUB 300β Sharkhunter takes a fairly similar approach, but the yellow gold accents add a level of style that’s somewhere between sophistication and bling. The case is made from a matte black ceramic, keeping a lightweight feel that’s also been slimmed down from the regular SUB 300 model. The bezel and crown are solid 18k 3N gold, while the shining applied indices on the dial are plated. The black dial has a super-rough texture which echoes the stippled nature of the FKM rubber strap – almost like fresh asphalt. The dial printing and the date display have been totally blacked out, making them quite hard to read, but that’s the price you pay for fashion.
At its core, the Doxa SUB 300β Sharkhunter is still a SUB 300. That means the 42.5mm cushion case is still a comfortable wear with its 44.5mm lug-to-lug length, and it’s still capable of deep dives to 300m. The bezel insert, although too dark to be entirely practical, is still engraved with Doxa’s patented depth and time design which allows divers to surface without the need for decompression stops. The main change which affects the feel of the watch is the 11.95mm thickness, down from the 13.4mm of the SUB 300. The Super-LumiNova is aged to better match the tone of the gold details, and maintains some after-dark legibility.
Doxa are known to be a little bit coy with their choice of movements, though with ETA’s well-publicised refusal to supply movements outside of the Swatch Group, the 300β sports a COSC-certified Sellita SW200. Essentially a clone of its ETA counterpart, the Sellita provides a 38-hour power reserve with a smooth, 4Hz beat rate. The version used for the Doxa SUB 300β Sharkhunter is COSC-certified for accuracy within -4/+6 per day, and is easily serviced by any reputable watchmaker. The winding rotor has been decorated, however you won’t get to see it behind the solid titanium caseback. It will be interesting to see what new avenues Doxa will explore in future, and if any of their other models will receive the ‘β’ treatment.
The Doxa SUB 300β Sharkhunter pricing and availability:
The Doxa SUB 300β Sharkhunter will be available from October 2023 at any Doxa retailer and online, including the Time+Tide shop. Price: CHF 6,950, US$6,950, €7,250
| Brand | Doxa |
| Model | SUB 300β Sharkhunter |
| Reference Number | 830.20.101.20 (date) 830.20.101ND.20 (no-date) |
| Case Dimensions | 42.5mm (D) x 11.95mm (T) x 44.5mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Ceramic, titanium, and 18k 3N yellow gold |
| Water Resistance | 300 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Black |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Black FKM rubber with PVD-coated clasp and wetsuit extension |
| Movement | Sellita SW200, COSC-certified |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Starting from October 2023 |
| Price | CHF 6,950, US$6,950, €7,250 |