DOXA Sub 200, After Action Review [vol.2]

Foreword: you've probably come across my Citizen Promaster After Action Review before. If you haven't, please have a quick look ! Thx

In the Swiss army, there's a sort of tradition that determines when a non-commissioned officer becomes an officer [OF-1 for the connoisseur].  Of course, you'll have to attend Officer training school, which lasts around 15 weeks and is designed to prepare you for your future role. Whether in troop management, leadership, technique and tactics or, above all, your mind.

In the last week of school, in my case Air Force Officer School, candidates have to survive what's known as a DHU, (Durchhalten Übung) an endurance test which lasts 5 to 6 days, followed by the final test : the 100km (62 miles)march in less than 24 hours. It was hellish, but I loved it.

I opened up to you dear crunchers about how my Citizen Promaster had accompanied me on this journey, and in the following lines I'll deal with its replacement, or at least my personal trophy of the now so called "Herr Leutnant".

In the "Choppa", during an exercice.

Why the Sub 200 :

Now let's talk about the specific reason for this model.  In context, I was still a watchmaking newbie, but I already had a fascination for the DOXA brand (I'm a self-proclaimed fanboy). Obviously, turning to the 300 or 300t models would show a more thoughtful approach. However, I tend to limit myself too much financially, not to mention the fact that my VISA didn't allow me to make purchases exceeding CHF 1,000 at the time [Swiss Banks lol].

The role of officer is associated with various collective imaginaries and norms embedded within different military cultures. But let's agree that he inspires a certain stature and confidence in his troops and in his leadership. At the time, I wanted a watch that reflected my perception of my role and what I was going to emanate. In addition to the fact that I wanted to treat myself to a timepiece with a certain price tag and entry prestige.

(At least, make me believe that this purchase was going to be like that & 1000 CHF for a watch was something for me.)

But on top of that, DOXA doesn't have any resale outlets in my home canton (Geneva). I wasn't about to rush headlong into a deal and blow almost 2000 chf on a whim. ( I've seen more Doxas abroad )

The Sub 200 is inspired by the Doxa - Eberhard Sharkhunter and was 300m resistant

Specs :

Original picture from GPHG 2019 of the Sub 200

The watch features 20 atm case having a diameter of 42mm x 46mm and a height of 15mm (due to the domed glass). It runs on a ETA 2824-2 movement with a PR of 38 hours. The watch comes with a BoR bracelet with 19mm lug to lug. And of course the traditional unidirectional bezel with a saphire inlay.

But growing up in the wathchosphere, I now consider the proposed 19mm to be an aberration for anyone looking to replace their bracelet. It also affects me in a way, since you can't just stick with a "standard" 20mm bracelet. I wont comment on the bracelet as it is more of a subjective perspective.

Will discuss later on these feature in a more critical wording.

If all my  fellow officers opted for these "Swiss Military" watches, that after a few "intense" efforts on a chair, no longer worked.

My Doxa sub 200 is an investment that combines class and elegance, with specs that I recommend for militia contexts in a neutral country :)

Lume :

I’ll get Straight to the point, for all enthusiasts and regulars of a normal, functional lume, you'll be disappointed by the performance of this DOXA. All the more so as there seems to be some controversy surrounding this bezel.

As far as I'm concerned, my Promaster is certainly better, but for the uses I put it to and for having spent a few nights with it on my wrist. I have to admit that at night or in a low-light environment, the lume is just meh, it's not exceptional and it does its job ( It tries verry hard).

DOXA vs Citizen Promaster

Accuracy :

The ETA 2824-2 is a reference in the industry. Your favorite Lieutenant was always on time, despite the motto here that "the boss is never late, he's just busy and he arrives on time" as my Staff Sergeant always said. With this Doxa on my wrist, I've never noticed any major differences or problems with the movement's ability to remain accurate.

Although Doxa indicates that the movement is decorated by the brand, it does not suggest what grade the movement is. In my humble opinion, it's all about the standard, but at maximum I've noticed a 5-second difference. For the time being, this is my most precise timepiece and the one I trust the most. On this point I am extremely pleased !

Hardware :

The First scratch :

During my experience as a Platoon Leader, I never liked being in an office doing admin , planning concepts and exercises is not the 70% of on job. I was mainly responsible for instructing my guys, training them in tactics and technique to make them competent soldiers.

I was often out with them, and I gave a lot of myself to set a good example. The DOXA showed this kind of presenteeism and paid the price for my devotion.

I have a scratch on the sapphire glass, unfortunately I don't know how to handle light properly to let you know about it. But this scratch creates a bipolar feeling in me. I can't even completely decide whether to be proud of it, or to call myself an idiot. I may be right-handed, but whether it's boxing or showing off, I behave like a lefty, you see the problem.

During the first exercise I concocted to strengthen my boys, I came to the aid of one of my soldiers during preparation for engagement. The guy in question was dragging his feet and lacked grip. In the process of helping him, I damaged the top of the curved sapphire glass, which really pissed me off. I had to use my strength in a fairly confined area, where rubbing and damaging beautiful objects is a beginner's mistake.

This is what the underside of my bracelet looks like, I don't know what I did, but I like the way it looks. These are MY scratches.

S/o to @Watchme1 @CitizenKale who both posted about scratches on watches.

Quality :

Hum hum hum.

Ok the watch is worth 1000 CHF, the lume is an annoyance, what else do we have.

First of all, every time I press on the bezel at precisely 0800 / 2000. This makes a very nice clicking sound that is distinct from the sound made by rotating the bezel.

Speaking of which, I have to tell you that it's a solid performer, with a total of 120 clicks. But I've been known to move the bezel unintentionally. In my eyes, these are the exceptional cases , for example taking my rifle off your shoulder or just cramped spaces.

Secondly, this bezel, which has a sapphire inlay, has two small depigmentation. It seems that underneath the indicator you orientate it either at noon or to mark the time having a triangle in shape. I also own one located around 0400 or the "20" marker on the black sapphire. I must point out that these markers have appeared over time. I'm a bit disappointed by these, in all honesty, because I have no idea how the hell it's possible to do that. I do, however, have an idea that comes to mind : everyday accidental shocks.

See that thing ? It scares me.

Thirdly, I have to part with the orange Jenny family fish on the crown. So for the curious, it's glued in two parts: body tail / head. Fun fact: this happened when I was drinking coffee with my girlfriend before joining some friends at Watches & Wonders.

I prefer it this way, it's more "mature".

Getting back to the crown, for those of you familiar with the Vostok brand, this Doxa has an extremely lightly sweeping crown. Once again, this is a factor that could cast doubt on the quality of the product. Of course, it's not design on purpose like on the Vostok, but it's still weird. In all confidence, I used to shower with it during my military service (trust no one). After all I was one of the idiots who brought back a pretty watch in an environment where pretty is a desired goal only when professional personnel are inspecting rows or equipment storage (in my case it was always good_storage).

Well, again, I wore this watch in the army and I wasn't always in an office, so when I had to get my hands dirty and it was a foreseeable event I'd pull my Promaster out of the closet. But when it came to the real thing, well, the Doxa was there and went well with me.

Versatility:

The Doxa Sub 200, in a reasonable color or for people who don't have the balls for bright colors (I'm only referring to myself here), is a watch that can be worn every day. Its BoR bracelet and vintage style make it quite a classy watch. And I'm satisfied with my purchase, as much as in the army I received positive feedback, whether from the troops, my sergeants, comrades or superiors. Except for the time someone didn't like the fish on the deployment buckle. Which is not in theme with the Air Force .. In my civilian life, I like to wear it for all kinds of events, and it goes everywhere. To this day, I'm still looking for someone to ask me: is it a DOXA? But the Sub 200 is neither as iconic as its big sisters, nor as recognizable from afar.

Final thoughts :

For me, this Doxa sub 200 is a first familiarization with the brand I fantasize about, but also a symbol of my accomplishment. This watch makes me feel confident and reminds me of my greatest achievement to date in my short life. I'm proud of the military experience I've completed. In particular, it is extremely correlated with my passion for watchmaking, which became a major focus of interest during my service and right up to the end. I've told you objectively about the limitations of this product, but don't forget the context in which I used it.

Whether I'll trust DOXA again, only time will tell. But the desire is still there.

Thx for reading, only regular reviews without military references will come.

After Action Review, over

Bad_Storage