Doxa SUB300 Sharkhunter Black Lung – the Second and Final Batch

An icon among icons… This is how we would sum up the Doxa SUB300. Recently, the brand has revived its most legendary model in multiple editions, starting with an almost 1-to-1 re-edition for the 50th anniversary, followed by specific “Aqualung” branded models in orange, silver or black – the so-called “Sharkhunter”. However, there was one major problem with them: they were all highly limited and quickly sold out. Today, Doxa announces the second and final batch of 100 pieces for the SUB300 Sharkhunter Black Lung… So you’d better be fast!

The Doxa SUB300

The concept of dive watches, as a professional tool, only appeared in the early 1950s, with the launch of the 1953 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and the 1953 Rolex Submariner later followed by Omega with the 1957 Seamaster 300 and Seiko with the 62Mas. Doxa came on the market later though, although when it did, it was with a watch that would make quite an impression.

Urs Eschle, one of the heads of Doxa back then, decided that the brand had to develop its own vision of a dive watch, a piece that would soon be known as the SUB-300. He decided to start from scratch rather than copying other manufactures, so he set up a research team with several professional divers and experienced watchmakers. The Doxa Sub was introduced to the public at Baselworld, in spring 1966 – see our article Historical Perspective – The Doxa Sub 300, The Dive Watch Personified.

The 1966 Doxa SUB-300 introduced a new case design, a stainless steel tonneau case with enhanced protection. The second innovative feature was the bezel. Doxa came up with a sawtooth-edge design for optimum grip with gloves or wet hands, and a unidirectional rotating bezel that resembled the US Navy No-decompression dive table. In such a way, the diver could see at a glance not only time markings but also the related depths at which he could stay before having to decompress.

Then came the “Aqua-Lung” connection. “Aqua-Lung” refers to a commercial name created in 1943, when two Frenchmen, engineer Émile Gagnan and Naval Lieutenant Jacques Cousteau, developed the first system to make underwater exploration possible. This device, a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (or “SCUBA”) is now commonly referred to as a diving regulator or demand valve. After Doxa launched its first dive watch, it teamed up with Aqua-Lung to create a special prototype, the Doxa SUB-300 “Black Lung”. This watch, bearing all the attributes of the SUB-300, differed from the normal edition by its yellow and black Aqua-Lung logo printed in the lower left quadrant of the dial.

The 2nd and final batch of SUB300 Sharkhunter Black Lung

After the successful 2016 sold-out 50th Anniversary SUB 300 Professional, Doxa re-introduced the “Aqua-Lung” watches, first with the iconic orange dial, followed by the Silver Lung watch and the black, professional “Sharkhunter” model. The first batch of watches was sold out faster than you could imagine, but today there’s one last chance to get your hands on one.

The SUB300 Sharkhunter Black Lung takes all the attributes of the 50th-anniversary model, meaning a historically relevant 42mm case in steel with the signature unidirectional rotating bezel with ‘No Deco’ engravings. The case is topped by a plexi-like double domed sapphire crystal and features a solid steel caseback for 300m water-resistance.

The dial is also a re-edition of the historic models, with similar marking and hands, as well as the iconic black and yellow Aqualung logo printed at 7 o’clock. For this specific model, the Sharkhunter Black Lung, the dial is black with white hands and indexes. Inside the case is a COSC-certified automatic ETA 2824-2 movement. The watch is worn on the cool and comfortable BOR “Bead of Rice” bracelet (again a reissue of past models) with diving extension.

The Doxa SUB300 Sharkhunter Black Lung is now offered in a second and final batch of 100 pieces, priced at USD 2,490. Shipping will start as of July 28th, 2019. This is your last chance to acquire this cool, superbly designed modern watch inspired by a historically important watch. You can secure your example here.