A Brief History of Doxa (courtesy of ChatGPT)
Here is the second potted history created by ChatGPT. This time it is for one of our favorites...Doxa.
Some minor editing again by me, but as before the authorship of this potted history is entirely OpenAI's ChatGPT AI tool.
Enjoy!
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Doxa is a Swiss watch company with a rich history that dates back to 1889. The company was founded by Georges Ducommun in the town of Le Locle, Switzerland. Ducommun was a watchmaker who had a passion for creating high-quality timepieces that were both durable and accurate.
Doxa began by producing pocket watches, which were popular at the time. In the early 1900s, the company began to produce wristwatches, which were still a relatively new invention. Doxa quickly gained a reputation for its high-quality watches, and the company became known for its innovative designs and precision timekeeping.
During World War I, Doxa supplied watches to the Swiss military. The company's watches were popular with soldiers, as they were rugged and reliable, and they could withstand the harsh conditions of war.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Doxa continued to innovate, developing new wristwatch designs and introducing new complications. In 1929, the company introduced the Grafic, a wristwatch with a rectangular case and an innovative dial design. The Grafic was an instant success, and it became a favorite of watch collectors and enthusiasts.
During World War II, Doxa again supplied watches to the military. The company's watches were used by both the Swiss and German armies, and they were prized for their accuracy and durability.
In the post-war years, Doxa continued to innovate, introducing new wristwatch designs and complications. In 1967, the company introduced the Doxa Sub, a dive watch that quickly became a favorite of professional divers. The Doxa Sub was known for its ruggedness, reliability, and legibility, and it quickly became a cult classic among watch enthusiasts.
Over the years, Doxa has continued to produce high-quality watches, including dress watches, sports watches, and dive watches. The company has remained true to its roots, producing watches that are both durable and accurate, and that combine innovative designs with precision timekeeping.
Today, Doxa is still a favorite of watch collectors and enthusiasts. The company's watches are prized for their ruggedness, reliability, and innovation, and they continue to be a testament to the company's commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Whether you're a professional diver, a sports enthusiast, or a watch collector, there's a Doxa watch that's perfect for you.
I really like chronographs especially vintage ones.
Cue Paul Harvey. "The Rest of the Story"
Make of it what you will.
https://watchlords.com/viewtopic.php?t=6914
Cue Paul Harvey. "The Rest of the Story"
Make of it what you will.
https://watchlords.com/viewtopic.php?t=6914
I've read similar posts about Squale, that's why I wrote the post previously on Squale.
Let's face it...any heritage brand these days was likely resurrected from the flames of the 1970s. There are very few that can claim continuous production with the original owners or owners who pre-dated the 1970s crisis. Let's face it, Omega did a face plant in the 1970s and was resurrected by Swatch. Without those little plastic watches, there would have been a serious dearth of heritage brands that only survived because of the success of the Swatch (Breguet, Certina, Longines, Mido, and Omega to name just a few).
Even my favorite brand of dive watch...Blancpain...was dead and buried until the old hornswoggler himself, Jean-Clause Biver, was at the heart of its resurrection.
But like Squale, Doxa has had continuous relevant ownership. It is still owned by the Jenny family.
So if some want to claim all manner of conspiracies about the watches...I say let them. As long as the quality is there, then they are worth the price being asked. If not, don't buy them.
Interesting that ChatGPT really candy coats things and you’d never know that Doxa doesn’t make its own watches anymore and the company had disappeared for a while before resurrecting
from a you tube watch review:
“…confronted with requests for build process and location of builds, Doxa corporate gave an asperated “look, we don’t make watches..”
Which to me translates as: case, parts, and build are all Chinese, excepting the movement shipped from Switzerland (thus, more than 50% of value is Swiss!).
But kind of fits with my understanding on the company. Too bad, I like the 300, despite the poor lume and lack of applied indices 🙄
Yes, this is pretty common but I think Doxa tries hard to hide and prices way higher than typical micro brands
Interesting that ChatGPT really candy coats things and you’d never know that Doxa doesn’t make its own watches anymore and the company had disappeared for a while before resurrecting
from a you tube watch review:
“…confronted with requests for build process and location of builds, Doxa corporate gave an asperated “look, we don’t make watches..”
Which to me translates as: case, parts, and build are all Chinese, excepting the movement shipped from Switzerland (thus, more than 50% of value is Swiss!).
But kind of fits with my understanding on the company. Too bad, I like the 300, despite the poor lume and lack of applied indices 🙄
Yes, this is pretty common but I think Doxa tries hard to hide and prices way higher than typical micro brands
I think you may have heard that from TheWatchGuys YT video on Doxa...
https://youtu.be/HanbRlqLzp0
Fair enough, but not really a definitive conclusion on what is made in Switzerland and what is not. It obviously is assembled, tested and checked in Switzerland, and the movement is a Swiss movement for sure, or it would not be able to use the Swiss Made on the dial.
The reality is that much of the sub-$5,000 watches even from the largest brand names have components that are made in China or somewhere in Asia usually the case. This also includes Seiko and other non-European brands.
I have the Sub300 and it is a fantastic watch. Don't get sucked into the conspiracy pirates who are out to slag off brands. It's all about the ultimate quality in the end. All of the current Doxas in my collection are demonstrative of Swiss Made quality.
Interesting that ChatGPT really candy coats things and you’d never know that Doxa doesn’t make its own watches anymore and the company had disappeared for a while before resurrecting
from a you tube watch review:
“…confronted with requests for build process and location of builds, Doxa corporate gave an asperated “look, we don’t make watches..”
Which to me translates as: case, parts, and build are all Chinese, excepting the movement shipped from Switzerland (thus, more than 50% of value is Swiss!).
But kind of fits with my understanding on the company. Too bad, I like the 300, despite the poor lume and lack of applied indices 🙄
Yes, this is pretty common but I think Doxa tries hard to hide and prices way higher than typical micro brands
From the Super Moderator on the WatchForum UK on another recent Doxa thread rehashing this same tired misguided conspiracy theory about where Doxa watches are manufactured.
In his words...
"Oh no not this old nutmeg!
It's been doing the rounds since the early noughties. Doxa are made by Walca S.A. which has the same address as Doxa S.A. and both are owned by the Jenny family (yes that "Jenny"). Walca S.A. are one of the largest, if not the largest, private label manufacturers in Switzerland and own Swiss facilities for manufacturing cases, hands and dials. They also have a factory in Hong Kong which manufactures low cost parts for entry level brands.
Doxa are a member of Fédération de l'industrie horlogère suisse FH and complies with the "Swiss Made" which is legislated under Federal Law. In essence for a watch to be "Swiss Made" it has to fulfil the following four criteria:
Swiss movement
The movement has been encased in Switzerland
Final inspection carried out in Switzerland
Minimum of 60% of manufacturing costs are generated in Switzerland
Doxa maintain that they exceed these requirements and they also say that the cases are made in Walca's Swiss facility and not made in the Hong Kong facility. Could there be some Chinese sourced parts? Yes there could be but it is certainly not a Chinese made watch."
I actually have written several times about Jenny and one of their famous watch designs the "Caribbean". Jenny are the family behind the brands Doxa, Jenny and Synchron and all of the watches are made in Switzerland. They have been white labeling wacthes for numerous brands for many many years. Those classic O&W watches...made by Jenny. There is no O&W factory. Same for quite a few other brand names. No different for Doxa.
Here is the link for the address where the Doxa watches are manufactured in Switzerland...
Home | Walca
"Our factory is located in Biel/Bienne in one of Switzerland's foremost watchmaking centers, home to many other prestigious manufacturers and the best suppliers.
Biel (in Swiss-German) or Bienne (French) is a can-do, open-minded and bilingual city that straddles German- and French-speaking Switzerland. Here, in this dynamic setting, Walca listens, creates, innovates and manufactures new products."
From the Super Moderator on the WatchForum UK on another recent Doxa thread rehashing this same tired misguided conspiracy theory about where Doxa watches are manufactured.
In his words...
"Oh no not this old nutmeg!
It's been doing the rounds since the early noughties. Doxa are made by Walca S.A. which has the same address as Doxa S.A. and both are owned by the Jenny family (yes that "Jenny"). Walca S.A. are one of the largest, if not the largest, private label manufacturers in Switzerland and own Swiss facilities for manufacturing cases, hands and dials. They also have a factory in Hong Kong which manufactures low cost parts for entry level brands.
Doxa are a member of Fédération de l'industrie horlogère suisse FH and complies with the "Swiss Made" which is legislated under Federal Law. In essence for a watch to be "Swiss Made" it has to fulfil the following four criteria:
Swiss movement
The movement has been encased in Switzerland
Final inspection carried out in Switzerland
Minimum of 60% of manufacturing costs are generated in Switzerland
Doxa maintain that they exceed these requirements and they also say that the cases are made in Walca's Swiss facility and not made in the Hong Kong facility. Could there be some Chinese sourced parts? Yes there could be but it is certainly not a Chinese made watch."
I actually have written several times about Jenny and one of their famous watch designs the "Caribbean". Jenny are the family behind the brands Doxa, Jenny and Synchron and all of the watches are made in Switzerland. They have been white labeling wacthes for numerous brands for many many years. Those classic O&W watches...made by Jenny. There is no O&W factory. Same for quite a few other brand names. No different for Doxa.
Here is the link for the address where the Doxa watches are manufactured in Switzerland...
Home | Walca
"Our factory is located in Biel/Bienne in one of Switzerland's foremost watchmaking centers, home to many other prestigious manufacturers and the best suppliers.
Biel (in Swiss-German) or Bienne (French) is a can-do, open-minded and bilingual city that straddles German- and French-speaking Switzerland. Here, in this dynamic setting, Walca listens, creates, innovates and manufactures new products."
Yes - that was so the review I remembered! That he’s an also a fan and collector of Doxa gave it more weight.
I felt put off by the response he got from Doxa:
Sorry, awkward screen grab - ‘Doxa is not a watch manufacturer and never claimed to be..”
I guess it would bug me less if there was just more honesty about how and where it’s made. Doxa …and all other watches.
I think you may have heard that from TheWatchGuys YT video on Doxa...
https://youtu.be/HanbRlqLzp0
Fair enough, but not really a definitive conclusion on what is made in Switzerland and what is not. It obviously is assembled, tested and checked in Switzerland, and the movement is a Swiss movement for sure, or it would not be able to use the Swiss Made on the dial.
The reality is that much of the sub-$5,000 watches even from the largest brand names have components that are made in China or somewhere in Asia usually the case. This also includes Seiko and other non-European brands.
I have the Sub300 and it is a fantastic watch. Don't get sucked into the conspiracy pirates who are out to slag off brands. It's all about the ultimate quality in the end. All of the current Doxas in my collection are demonstrative of Swiss Made quality.
Cheers 🍻
I’ve still never seen one in person, sadly. I’m in Tokyo in a couple weeks though so will definitely keep eyes open and try to get hands on the real thing.
Interesting with the ChatGPT. How many % do you have to edit of the suggested text?
Interesting with the ChatGPT. How many % do you have to edit of the suggested text?
Thanks for the question. I only edited in the images. All of the text is pure ChatGPT. I felt I needed to include that since the ChatGPT article was without images.
Thanks for the question. I only edited in the images. All of the text is pure ChatGPT. I felt I needed to include that since the ChatGPT article was without images.
Ok, thanks! That is pretty amazing. We have just had our first case of ChatGPT cheating on a home exame in one of our Universities. Powerful tool indeed.
Appreciate the history lesson to entertain me while feeding babies. I didn’t know all of the details but love your collection… as always.
Appreciate the history lesson to entertain me while feeding babies. I didn’t know all of the details but love your collection… as always.
Thank you!!
For what it's worth, the allegedly WW2 "pilot" watch in the original post is a fake. It's a pocket watch, either recased or lugs were welded on, the neck was cut, and the stem clipped. These frankens or total fakes roll out of Eastern Europe by the ton.
While it's not a legit Doxa pilot watch, Doxa did supply the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe. Here's a D/DH-spec German military Doxa, the "D" indicating issue to the Luftwaffe:
For what it's worth, the allegedly WW2 "pilot" watch in the original post is a fake. It's a pocket watch, either recased or lugs were welded on, the neck was cut, and the stem clipped. These frankens or total fakes roll out of Eastern Europe by the ton.
While it's not a legit Doxa pilot watch, Doxa did supply the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe. Here's a D/DH-spec German military Doxa, the "D" indicating issue to the Luftwaffe:
I wouldn't consider watch casing that had lugs welded on to be turned into a wrist watch a franken watch as long as the movement is genuine its the real deal .And nice Doxa stop time , I have one myself