Doxa Mission 31 Sub Professional

Records are made to be broken. We are familiar with athletes who shatter the previous record amid chants of “you’re number one” – at least until next year, when someone else will try. Some records, however, have a nostalgia, almost a holiness, so that even the contemplation of approaching them, not to mention surpassing them, is an act of reverence. Doxa and Cousteau, two names historically intertwined, reunite less to make history than to honor it, and in the process, establish a new record.

Doxa joins Fabien Cousteau in celebrating his grandfather Jacques-Yves Coustea’s Conshelf Two underwater 30 day mission by partnering a new submersible mission, which will extend the stay by a record-breaking 1 day – thus its name: Mission 31. A limited edition Doxa Mission 31 SUB Professional dive watch marks the occasion. The mission and the commemorative watch are milestones.

Mission 31 is a long-term submersible mission aboard the Aquarius, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) underwater station and research facility – the only one like it in the world. Limited to 331 pieces, the Mission 31 SUB dive watch will be a part of history when 31 of these watches are part of the trip, and thereafter made available for purchase. Billed as an undertaking of science and discovery, Mission 31 extends into uncharted territory. “Mission 31 will broadcast every second on multiple channels exposing the world to the adventure, risk and mystique of what lies beneath,” says Fabien Cousteau. “Doxa will be instrumental in the support of our scientific endeavors while also helping us keep track of time down below.”

From grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau to father Jean Michel Cousteau, Doxa has been a trusted Cousteau companion. Fabien’s Mission 31 SUB dive watch, not unlike the mission itself, is an update of what has gone before. Doxa’s legendary orange is a dead giveaway. Not just a distinctive color, the orange aids visibility under water; and since Doxa’s 1967 introduction of the first orange dial watch, orange has become a brand identity and is available on its designated “professional” watches.

Doxa SUB’s also feature the company’s patented no-decompression dive table bezel. Given the 44mm bulk of the Mission 31 SUB, the smart choice of titanium, for the case and bracelet, reduces the weight. The dial is Mission 31 specific, marking the occasion, and approximately 25% of the watch sales will go to the mission. It has a depth rating of 1000 meters. Other than its Swiss ETA 2824-2 movement, the Mission 31 SUB is a handmade watch.

The Doxa Mission 31 SUB Professional is an opportunity to celebrate history and to participate in it. Mission 31 is a chance to discover, analyze and protect our life support system, the ocean, and owning Doxa’s Mission 31 watch is a testament not only to fine watchmaking, but also to the Cousteaus’ love of the sea. Such ownership makes a lasting personal statement.