Doxa Resurrects Its Rare Army Dive Watch with Help from Hodinkee

It’s the most compact Doxa Army yet.

Close-up of a DOXA automatic watch with textured beige dial, orange and gray hands, and black bezel showing 40 and 50 markings.Doxa

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Doxa is best known for its bright orange-dialed Sub 300T, launched in the late 1960s as a professional dive watch and considered one of the most iconic dive watches ever made.

But it’s not the Swiss brand’s only legendary diver from the era. In 1969, Doxa was enlisted by the Swiss Army (yes, that’s a real fighting force and not just a type of multifunctional pocket knife) to develop a watch for its combat divers.

The result was the Doxa Army, an exceedingly rare military dive watch that swapped the Sub 300T’s “pick me” orange for a more subtle tan dial with a black “checkerboard” minute track and a matte-black case whose color was created by literally dipping the case in oil and then heating it.

A rare watch to begin with, very few examples of the legendary Doxa Army survive today. However, Doxa has returned to the style with a 100-piece limited edition in black ceramic in 2022 and an ongoing series in stainless steel since 2023.

Silver Doxa Army automatic watch with gray bezel and strap resting on wooden surface and white equipment.
The Doxa Army returns once more, this time in a more compact form with Hodinkee’s stylish touch.
Doxa

Now, with some help from Hodinkee, Doxa has brought back the Army once more, this time in the more compact Sub 200T case for the first time.

Lean, mean, fightin’ machine

The Doxa Sub Army 200T for Hodinkee features a 39mm case in 316L stainless steel with a raw finish, inspired by the surviving vintage examples of the original Doxa Army, whose oil-dipped coatings wore off over time.

The dial, while still featuring the iconic checkerboard minute track and Army logo at 5:00, has been given a thorough makeover. The sand-colored dial now features a grained texture for more visual interest, while the traditionally black parts of the checkerboard pattern (including the date disc) have been softened with “Hodinkee Grey,” again giving the watch a bit of a faded vintage character.

Close-up of a DOXA automatic watch face with textured beige dial, orange and gray hands, and date window showing 16.
A grain-textured dial and Hodinkee Grey accents give the new Doxa Army a unique character.
Doxa

This gentle fade effect continues on the aluminum bezel insert, which is also finished in gray with fully graduated markings that include luminous Arabic numerals every ten minutes. The lume used is Super-LumiNova’s “Old Radium” formula, and the non-lumed bezel markings appear with the same raw finish as the steel case. Both features add to the vintage-like charm of the watch.

Back of a stainless steel wristwatch case with engraved text and a gray textured rubber strap.
The classic Army logo appears on the caseback in relief.
Doxa

Doxa’s classic orange color still makes an appearance on the highly visible handset, just like on the original Doxa Army. More modern is the inclusion of a tan rubber strap featuring a stainless steel clasp with a built-in diver’s extension. For mil-spec purists, the watch also includes a gray NATO strap.

Water resistance is set at 200m, the same as other Sub 200T models, and the watch is quite thin at 10.7mm and compact on the wrist with a lug-to-lug measurement of just 41.5mm. It all adds up to a highly capable tool watch that’s the most comfortable and wearable Doxa Army yet.

Close-up of a wristwatch with a white textured dial, gray bezel, and orange hands on a gray strap worn on a wrist.
From the raw finish of the case to the faded bezel to the Old Radium lume, Hodinkee made sure to give the watch plenty of vintage vibes.
Doxa

Availability and pricing

The watch is priced very competitively at just $2,000, which is $450 less than a standard modern 42.5mm Doxa Army on rubber, and is available exclusively through Hodinkee’s parent company, Watches of Switzerland.

As usual, Hodinkee has done an excellent job at reinterpreting a rare vintage style popular with collectors through a modern-day lens. I’m not the only one who thinks so, either, as all 250 examples sold out within minutes of the watch going live.

Doxa Army automatic wristwatch with textured beige dial, orange hands, black bezel, and gray strap.Doxa

Doxa Sub Army 200T for Hodinkee Limited Edition

Specs

Case Size 39mm
Movement Sellita Cal. SW200-1 automatic
Water Resistance 200m

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