Doxa SUB 250T GMT | HANDS ON

Jamie Weiss

If you’re diving on the backside of the ocean, you’re most likely not serious about what time it’s midway throughout the globe – however, dive watches with GMT features are extraordinarily common, one thing Doxa has addressed with their newest launch, an ultra-legible GMT tackle their ever-popular SUB dive watch. There hasn’t been a GMT watch in Doxa’s catalogue for fairly some time now – nearly 20 years, in reality – and the final Doxa GMT, the SUB 750T from 2006, was a really completely different beast, measuring up at a hefty 45mm in diameter and that includes each a technically and visually advanced development, with a compressor-style inside GMT bezel and a busy dial. As compared, the brand new SUB 250T GMT is a way more refined and wearable prospect.

The case

Usually talking, GMT watch variants of common software watches go considered one of two routes: they both radically reinterpret the design to facilitate the complication, or they preserve issues easy, not doing an excessive amount of greater than including one other hour hand or a second time zone subdial. The Doxa SUB 250T GMT falls into the latter camp. It options Doxa’s signature stainless-steel tonneau-shaped case, imagined right here in a 40mm diameter, which is a Goldilocks dimension for a software watch: it’s not too large, however not too small. It’s additionally solely 10.85mm thick. That may be thought-about skinny for a time-only dive watch, so it’s spectacular that it stays that svelte, contemplating its GMT complication.

For context, this lands the SUB 250T GMT proper within the center between the SUB 200T, which is 39mm by 10.7mm and the SUB 300T, which is 42.5mm by 13.4mm. Humorous how that works. Additionally, you get no prizes for guessing its water resistance ranking, which is 250 metres – way more than most GMT watches, by the best way. Doxa followers may even be happy to know that Doxa hasn’t accomplished away with the SUB’s signature unidirectional metal dive bezel for this GMT watch, sustaining its core performance as a diver’s software.

The dial

At first look, the dial of the Doxa SUB 250T GMT is nearly indistinguishable from the usual SUB 200T or 300T. Nevertheless, a better look will reveal a two-tone 24-hour scale across the chapter ring, in addition to a big, skeletonised GMT hand that’s designed to minimally intervene with native time-telling and gained’t obscure the date window at 3 o’clock. It’s intelligent, refined and maintains the Doxa SUB’s utilitarian design language.

Doxa is understood for its eye-catching, vibrant dials, and Doxa followers will likely be happy to listen to that the SUB 250T GMT is available in all of the signature Doxa colors: Skilled Orange, which is the basic Doxa shade; Searambler silver; Sharkhunter Black; Caribbean, which is a Navy Blue; Divingstar Yellow; Aquamarine; Whitepearl, which is a pure white; and Sea Emerald, a inexperienced sunburst. Sea Emerald was solely added to the Doxa lineup final yr, and has rapidly confirmed to be one of many model’s hottest dial colors.

Nevertheless, the massive information with the SUB 250T GMT is that it additionally arrives with an extra classic Sharkhunter dial possibility, which represents Doxa’s first-ever gradient dial. A homage to Doxa’s earliest Sharkhunter fashions, it has a luscious, nearly tobacco-like sunburst fumé, complemented by aged lume. Talking of arms, this mannequin additionally encompasses a completely different GMT hand to the opposite fashions within the vary, which has a extra conventional pointer fashion with a pink, lume-filled tip.

In the case of lume, all fashions utilise Tremendous-LumiNova throughout their hour markers, arms and bezel pips, with two tiny dots of lume demarcating the hemispheres of the 24-hour scale. The hour markers are painted straight onto the dial slightly than being utilized or crammed plots, which is a extra retro look.

The straps

All 9 fashions include both a dial-colour-matched FKM rubber strap or a stainless-steel “beads of rice” bracelet, each of which function security clasps with a diver’s extension. Apparently, the bracelet attracts solely a US$40 worth premium over the rubber strap, so for my part at the least, choosing the bracelet is a no brainer.

The motion

This Doxa’s GMT complication comes courtesy of the Sellita SW330-2, which right here on this watch encompasses a 50-hour energy reserve and beats at 4 Hz. It encompasses a quick-set date and GMT hand, in addition to hacking seconds. This motion is simply 4.1mm thick, which helps contribute to the SUB 250T GMT’s thin-ness, as does the closed screw-down caseback.

The decision

While that is maybe not essentially the most groundbreaking Doxa launch of all time, I feel it ranks as probably the greatest SUBs but. Not solely is it a correct Doxa dive watch, able to strong underwater adventures, however its affordable proportions and helpful complication make it a flexible every day wearer. In some methods, its proportions slightly than its complication are what makes it so engaging – the addition of a useful GMT perform (and full disclosure, I’m a giant fan of GMT watches; it’s my favorite complication, so possibly I’m a bit biased right here) simply sweetens the deal. In any case, it’s nice to see one other complication be part of Doxa’s present vary.

Doxa SUB 250T GMT pricing and availability

The Doxa SUB 250T GMT is obtainable now from the Time+Tide Store, each in-store and on-line. Worth: US$2,450