Doxa S.A. was founded in 1889 by Georges Ducommun as a maker of dress watches and other timepieces. In the late 1960s, Doxa decided to dedicate resources to produce a timepiece to be used exclusively for diving. Doxa consulted with various Navy dive teams and divers including Jacques Cousteau who was then chairman of "U.S. Divers." Doxa's innovative watches were quickly adopted by both commercial and military divers.

Jacques Cousteau, who at the time was the head of U.S. Divers, was so impressed by the Doxa Sub300 that he became a distributor of the reference in the United States and co-branded the dial of the Sub300 and Sub300T with the U.S. Divers logo on select models. 

The Doxa company was aimed to be the watch of choice for the emerging recreational diving community. With sturdy cases, high visibility dials, and smart bezel design, the Doxa Subs quickly became the watch of choice for recreational divers in both America and Europe. Doxa S.A. went through many acquisitions and changed ownership a few times over the years. Synchron bought Doxa in the late 1960s and added the brand to a group that also included Ernest Borel and Cyma, and was purchase again in 1978 by the Aubry Freres Company.

The "no T" or "thin case" Doxa Sub 300's were the very first iteration of the Doxa diving series of watches and was actually only produced for one year in 1967. This original design differentiates itself from the later Sub 300T's with a domed acrylic crystal, a thinner case, and of course no "T" next to "SUB300" on the dial. The Doxa Sub 300's are truly collector's pieces as it's believed about 100 examples remain today and mark a generational shift for the Doxa brand as a strong contender in the sporting watch arena. 

SPECS

CASE & BRACELET

The unpolished "thin case" is simply exceptional, showing crisp factory angles, dimensions, and finishing with only minimal signs of previous use. The original unidirectional bezel is in impressive condition with only the "20" slightly missing its original factory enamel. The screw-down crown is believed to be an early replacement. The classic sailboat medallion case back is in excellent condition. The watch will come supplied on a 2pc black canvas strap.

DIAL & HANDS

The highly visible Doxa Professional orange dial is stunning. The dial has a slight chip in the lacquer on the very outer edge of the dial above the 2 o'clock marker but otherwise remains in remarkable condition. The tritium lume plots have aged to a vibrant golden coloration and display no degradation under U.V. light inspection. The original tritium hands have taken on a slightly darker patina and coordinate nicely with the dial, under U.V. light inspection the hands exhibit no degradation.

ACCESSORIES 

None. The watch was recently serviced and is keeping time perfectly, previous service history is unknown.