Doxa Finally Made A Polished Steel Bezel Version Of Their Most Affordable Dive Watch

The word “icon” gets tossed around in the watch world a lot but when it comes to Doxa’s SUB divers, the term has almost never been more appropriate. With endorsements by actual explorers such as Jacques Cousteau and Clive Cussler, the SUB 300 is one of the longest-tenured divers in the game. And in 2019, the Swiss firm presented a slightly less chunky, entry-level version with a still-serviceable 200m of water resistance. Dubbed the SUB 200, it’s since come with a sapphire inlay for the unidirectional bezel, until now.

Doxa has now unveiled a polished steel bezel variant of the SUB 200, and it’s about time. While the watchmaker has made a name for itself with professional-grade divers sporting utilitarian tool aesthetics, this new offering brings an even more refined look.

COLOR US IMPRESSED

Across the entire SUB 200 line in eight colorways, polished steel bezels have been swapped in for the sapphire inserts (although you can still purchase the sapphire versions too). This means that variants from the classic orange Professional to the black-dial Sharkhunter have been framed in the metal.

For the silver-dial Searambler, the steel bezel creates a stunning monochromatic look for those wanting to stretch their diver beyond use at the beach. Meanwhile, the green Sea Emerald variant is particularly striking with its sunburst finish, as opposed to the matte finishes of the other seven dial options.

Compared to the sapphire insert, the polished steel gives the watch a more elevated wrist presence while also bringing more versatility in conjunction with your wardrobe. Still featuring the black diving scale markings with either a white or gold triangle at the top (depending on the variant), the new steel bezel now toes the line between utilitarian tool watch and stylish desk diver, while also bringing it closer in look to the more aggressive SUB 300.

Our sole complaint is the 3 o’clock date window that offsets the symmetry on every colorway except for the Whitepearl, which happens to integrate much better into the dial color. We do wish that Doxa had perhaps color-matched the date window backgrounds with the rest of the dials in the lineup.

TECHNICAL TEETH

Luckily, the rest of the specs for the SUB 200 remain unchanged from the previously existing iterations. This includes the 42mm stainless steel case with a very wearable 46mm lug-to-lug, 200m water resistance, and a screw-down crown featuring Doxa’s signature fish emblem. The watch also keeps its box sapphire crystal, offering the vintage aesthetics we all love from the SUB series.

Powering the watch is the reliable Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement (a clone of the ETA 2824-2). While its 38-hour power reserve could serve to be bolstered a bit, the caliber’s proven track record and serviceability make it a solid choice at this price point.

Each model comes with your choice of a steel beads-of-rice bracelet or a matching FKM rubber strap, while the Sea Emerald exclusively offers a NATO option as well. The bracelet deserves special mention since it includes a wetsuit extension, proving Doxa still hasn’t forgotten the watch’s underwater origins.

SPEC SHEET

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

Available now through Doxa’s website, the new SUB 200 collection with steel bezel options are priced starting at $920 for the Sea Emerald on NATO, $1,050 for models on the FKM rubber strap, and $1,090 for the bracelet versions. The price tags still position it as a fantastic value in today’s increasingly expensive dive watch market.

Recap

Doxa SUB 200 with Steel Bezel

Doxa swaps out its sapphire bezel inserts for a more refined steel bezel across all 8 dial colorways in the collection.

Learn More: Doxa