The Doxa Sub 300 Aquamarine — The Hype is Real

As a wise man once said, there’s way too much money in the world. Talking about the price increase of specific models by certain brands is worth its own article, and I will not get into that here. Nor will I comment on the December 2021 auction by Phillips where a certain-colored, double-signed Nautilus was hammered at over $6.5 million USD. Granted, it was for a good cause, and all of the proceeds went to charity. But it was the pinnacle of this social phenomenon that started earlier last year when one Sean “Jay-Z” Carter, hip-hop mogul, billionaire, and an all-around cool guy was seen wearing another example of the very same watch — the Patek Philippe Nautilus in Tiffany Blue.

This comes as no surprise since Jay-Z and his wife, Beyoncé, were named ambassadors of Tiffany earlier last year. Who could get the Tiffany Blue Nautilus if not the brand ambassador himself? But you don’t have to be the Jigga Man, LeBron James, or Leonardo DiCaprio to own an equally excellent piece. *Casually lifting my wrist into the frame so everyone can see my watch.* Enter the Doxa Sub 300 Aquamarine.

The hype

Clearly, everything that Tiffany touches turns to gold. And, as the craziness around the light blue of a certain brand’s Oyster Perpetual shows, even the stuff Tiffany doesn’t touch does too. Of course, both vintage and modern double-singed watches (with both the brand name and retailer’s name) command a high price on the market due to their exclusivity, and that’s okay. What’s not okay, however, is that the Doxa Sub 300 is still not sold out, or at least sold for three, five, or ten times the actual sales price. Is it not an excellent watch? In fact, it is. Does the color not resemble Tiffany’s signature tone? I believe it does. At least as much as the Oyster Perpetual’s dial does. So why can’t Doxa ride the hype train too? I, as a fan of the brand, personally feel offended.

The others

This leads us to my crusade to shine a light on this particular model or dial color by Doxa. If the Oyster Perpetual or the Nautilus can have the hype, so can my beloved Doxa Sub. Maybe it has nothing to do with Tiffany. It’s just a coincidence that this Nautilus as well as that one specific Oyster Perpetual both get hyped. I mean, I look around, and I see this color everywhere.

If you are a sports fan — insert LeBron and his Nautilus — I’m sure you have seen the Miami Heat’s Vicewave uniforms. Exciting color, but the jersey is not sold out, which is strange because this color is “so Miami”. I’ve been to one of the local perfumeries, and guess what — the shelves were stocked with Bvlgari Aqva colognes (personally, I’m more of a Chanel guy, but still). Furthermore, people were sporting the look all over my tram just the other day on my way home (yes, surgical masks are still mandatory on German public transport). And guess what I watched today — a clip of the long-awaited Avatar 2. Please, don’t get me started.

The Doxa

See? This color is all around us. It’s not new, not unusual, and not particularly rare. This made me think that maybe it’s the watch’s overall design that makes it so irresistible. The Nautilus has a steel case, the Oyster does too. And believe it or not, the Doxa Sub 300 does as well. Well, there’s a steel bracelet on the Patek. And on the Oyster. And the Doxa? Check. Besides, the Doxa has a COSC-certified movement (yes, I know, like the Rolex) and is water-resistant to 300 meters. The Oyster Perpetual only goes to 100 meters. The Aquamarine dial color was the edgiest of the six for me when Doxa initially expanded its model lines and released some new colors. However, the brand is one that’s always one step ahead of the competition. Remember when everyone just made black-dialed divers? Doxa made one in orange… and then one in black, silver, and yellow.

The love

Come to think of it, I’ve always loved what Doxa has done. Our affection for the brand is well documented in numerous articles from the past. My modern Sub 300 Black Lung is easily one of my most comfortable sports watches. I also was one of the first to review the then-new forged-carbon Sub 300 limited edition, and I fell in love with it. And this Aquamarine shares the same case shape as those two models. The steel case feels just right on the bracelet, and it does not wear uncomfortably thanks to its slim profile.

The only “edgy” feature of the watch is the dial. But if you look past that, or are a fan of it like I am, this might just be the perfect summer watch for you. Now, all we need is warm and sunny weather, and you too can feel like one of the chosen few for once. Wouldn’t that be awesome?

The Doxa Sub 300 Aquamarine is available for CHF 2,490 on the beads-of-rice bracelet or CHF 2,450 on a rubber strap. For only CHF 50 more, the bracelet is a no-brainer. Head on over to Doxa’s website to check it out.