The short hike up Mount Royal outside of Frisco, Colo., climbs about 1,600 feet in less than 2 miles. I’ll admit — on its face, kind of a strange testing location for a dive watch.
I looked down at the DOXA SUB 300 Sharkhunter on my wrist, and then at the surrounding mountains. “No,” I thought, “these mountains are as relevant as anywhere for a watch meant to do almost anything.”
While I’ve dabbled as a recreational scuba diver, the last month of life in Colorado hasn’t lent itself to much deep-sea exploration. But that didn’t stop me from strapping on a unique, historically relevant dive watch from the brand Doxa for some long days on the trail in the high mountains. And given the rarity of divers using analog watches in the era of computers, I feel confident that the Sharkhunter’s mountainous trials gave me a good send of this pretty, functional timepiece.
In short: The DOXA SUB 300 Sharkhunter has a unique appearance and rides very nicely on the wrist. It is both very comfortable and visually arresting, a great combination for a watch that, for most, will be worn with dress clothes and T-shirts more often than neoprene. But it does have real dive chops, with a 300m water resistance, good legibility, and a very utilitarian bezel and strap.
Shopping for a new watch? Check out our guide to the best dive watches here.
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Reference number
821.10.101.10 -
Case size
42.5mm -
Lug size
20mm -
Case material
Stainless steel -
Movement
COSC-certified ETA 2824-2 auto movement -
Strap color
Black (other options available) -
Water resistance
30 bar (300 ms/1,000′)
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Unique appearance -
Comfortable, wears smaller than size -
Thin -
Capable dive watch
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Smaller-than average-face -
Complex rotating bezel harder to read
DOXA SUB 300 Sharkhunter Review
The DOXA Sub 300 Sharkhunter is a very cool-looking dive watch. Introduced in 1967 as a purpose-designed diver’s watch, it has a large case back that will lie smoothly over a neoprene wetsuit (or your bare arm).
Part of its visual appeal is that it has a dual scale for depth and dive time to calculate a safe ascent without decompression stops. This looks neat and is potentially functional. But for real-world scuba diving, it’s relatively unrealistic that it would get much use in the modern era.
I’d consider the bezel more of a conversation piece than utilitarian gear, although it will work if you know how to read dive tables.
As the best dive watches these days are largely used on land, I wore a loaner from DOXA for a couple of weeks this summer. It accompanied me into the mountains and to work. I wore it trout fishing, and it went in the water quite a few times, although never full-on scuba diving.
My takeaway is that this is a beautiful, interesting watch. Its appearance, with a large, flat case that will sit comfortably over a wetsuit, is eye-catching. The double-ring rotating bezel is fun and functional. The pops of color on the bezel and minute hand, coupled with the full but not busy face, look classic.
It’s a nice, no-nonsense watch that’s easy on the eyes. It’s not a cheap watch, retailing at $2,590. In the world of Swiss watches, it’s high entry-level, competing with Longines, Tag Heuer, Oris, and some Grand Seikos in a crowded market. It stands out because of its dive-specific focus, legit history, and unique appearance.
On the Wrist
The SUB 300 Sharkhunter wears lighter and smaller than it should. It weighs 4.37 ounces, but seems to be much less. I think that’s because the wide case spreads the weight over a large surface. I’m not really sure. But I have smaller wrists, and I never felt the watch overpowered me.
While this case is large at 42.5mm, the face is not big. I measured it at 25mm, which is rather dainty compared with many dive watches. For context, the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf has a 33mm face on a 40mm case.
This could affect legibility, but I never had much trouble reading the DOXA. Its high-contrast markings and bright orange minute hand made the readability issue rather moot.
On a positive note regarding legibility, the rotating bezel, which turns with crisp clicks and locks firmly into position, is easy to read and has numerical markers every 5 minutes. As a timer, that takes away a lot of guesswork.
The DOXA SUB 300 is beautifully finished and keeps good time. The SUB 300 is a COSC-certified chronometer, meaning that it is accurate within −4/+6 seconds per day. My test model ran slightly fast, gaining about 2 minutes over 3 weeks of testing. I was surprised my test model was not more accurate given the COSC certification. But still, that was entirely within the expectations of a good quality mechanical watch and COSC certification.
It is worth noting that the Sharkhunter has a 38-hour power reserve. Again, this is sufficient but not outstanding for a watch at this price range.
I tested a model with a cut-to-fit rubber strap. It was a little large for me, and I obviously wasn’t going to cut the strap on a loaner watch. But I was still really impressed with the built-in quick adjustability. This allows wearers to size it to be worn over a wetsuit quickly. It adds great utility.
Who Should Buy It
I really enjoyed wearing the DOXA SUB 300 Sharkhunter. It’s a very appealing watch with a unique, eye-catching design. If I owned one, I suspect it would become a constant companion thanks to the thin case and comfortable, curvy caseback.
This is a legit dive watch, but for most shoppers, it’s more likely to be a watch worn every day. I took it hiking, fishing, and through the gamut of everyday life. It told the time reliably and looked good doing it.
Yes, it’s on the higher end of the price range for most people looking at daily-wear watches. But if you are among the many folks who complete their look with a nice timepiece, this one looks good and has the chops to handle real outdoor use. Its unique appearance will stand out with a design as eye-catching as it is functional.
