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INTRODUCING: The Time+Tide x Doxa SUB 600T ‘pacific’ Limited Edition of 200 pieces, available to buy here now

Luke Benedictus

Founder’s note: Today is a milestone for me, and the Time+Tide Team, as we announce a limited edition release with a brand our team has so much fondness for. None other than Doxa. Together, we are reviving a watch we consider to be ripe for reinvention: The SUB 600T, a model from the 1980s that squared up the fluid tonneau case lines the brand had become known for, without losing any of the deep-diving specifications explorers of the deep like Jacques Cousteau counted on. Eagle-eyed watch lovers will note this is a different shade of blue to the core Doxa range. This is where the watch gets its name. The ‘pacific’ refers to the shade of blue of Australian oceans. Its other big claim to fame is that it is in titanium – the only model in the current Doxa range to be offered in the handy material, which is tougher and lighter on the wrist than steel. The watch is limited to 200 pieces, and is available to buy online here. Over to Luke B now, for the longer story. Sorry to jump in, couldn’t help myself…

By the 1970s, Doxa had established themselves as a purveyor of iconic divers, their orange dialled watches worn by everyone from Jacques Cousteau to Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt. But in 1978, everything changed. Doxa was bought by the Aubry Freres Company in a move that would have a radical impact for the Doxa SUB range.

Presumably keen to make an immediate mark, the new owners imposed a host of fresh designs including the SUB 600T that was released in 1982. That context is significant as this was a time when angularity held sway, from flat-top hair-cuts to oversized shoulder pads. Following that lead, the SUB 600T jettisoned Doxa’s distinctive tonneau cases in favour of sharp lines and hard edges. Aesthetically, it was very much a watch of its period.

Now, more than 40 years later, we join forces with Doxa to pay tribute to this milestone model with the Time+Tide x Doxa SUB 600T ‘pacific’ Limited Edition.

Two things strike you immediately about this watch. The first is that vivid colour, a gorgeous cobalt blue that’s as inviting as the ocean itself. Pick up the watch and you’re then alerted to its deceptive lightness thanks to the titanium case. This is not a material that Doxa uses regularly, with the limited edition Doxa SUB Mission 31 Professional and the Doxa Sub 800Ti the brand’s only previous titanium forays.

But here it makes perfect sense. Titanium is always a great material for divers due to its corrosion resistance and ability to make a hefty tool watch feel less cumbersome. It feels particularly apt here as the cheery visage of the Sub 600T positively screams “summer watch” with its lightweight build offering extra comfort in the heat.

In terms of sizing, the Sub 600T is hardly a sea-monster with a diameter of 40mm and 47.6mm lug-to-lug. Yet it still packs plenty of wrist presence due to its height of 14.15mm, ensuring that it wears fairly tall. That thickness can be explained by the simple fact that the ‘pacific’ is water-resistant to 600m, more than twice the depths of a Rolex Submariner.

Offset by a crown offset at 4 o’clock, the case is sharp and blocky with a chiselled flat top and bevelled edges. Suffice to say, if this watch was an action hero then it would have a preposterous jawline.

Edge inwards and you’re confronted with the saw-tooth edge of the unidirectional bezel to offer extra grippability. The ceramic inlay of the bezel offers the diving scale with the fresh orange and white popping out of the blue. The bezel is presented in a matte complexion – a wise choice, in my opinion, as the perky colour scheme is bold enough not to need any extra attention.

Encircling the dial is a painted outer minute track and then come the indices that are edged in orange and liberally filled with white Super-LumiNova. The hands are similarly illuminated and arrive in that distinctive blocky style of Doxa’s while the second hand wields a square ‘lollipop’ lumed tip. From the saw-tooth bezel to the indices there’s a merry-go-round of stimuli here. But it’s balanced out by the calming expanse of blue at the dial’s centre, the text arranged either side at a diagonal slant.

That deep blue is extended into the rubber strap that’s integrated flush to the case. A further sign of quality comes in the clasp that’s also made of titanium and bears the Doxa fish insignia.

Flip the watch over and the screw-down case protects the Sellita SW 200-1, a trusty movement with a power reserve of 38 hours. The caseback is embossed with the Doxa fish, while around the perimeter the engraving reads: “Time+Tide Pacific Limited Edition” and the watch’s individual number out of 200.

Speaking to Andrew I asked if there wasn’t perhaps a temptation to make Time+Tide’s involvement a little more conspicuous. But his answer to the question was frank: “Why would you want to mess with a dial as good as this?”