Doxa, Sub 200 T-Graph Prototype Case, 1968
Category: Proof of Concept
Description: Stainless steel case. Screwed case back, outside covered by blue, protective lacquer and marked ‘2758’, inside stamped HF (Huguenin Frères). Steel bidirectionally, smooth rotating bezel with acrylic insert. Bezel insert backed with grey foil, printed in black with minute scale and 10-minute Roman numerals. Black painted, brass internal bezel with white printed tachymeter scale. Acrylic crystal. Steel pushers and anonymous steel crown.
Dimensions: 42mm, lug – lug: 48.5mm, lug width: 20mm
Movement: No movement (case is made to house a Valjoux 773x movement)
Additional Info: After the release of the Doxa ‘Sub 300’ divers watch in 1967, it was time to enlarge Doxa’s model line by introducing a chronograph. It was not clear which caliber should be used and as one of the options, it was considered to use the sturdy and already widely popular Valjoux 7734 movement (3).
The design of the prototype case and the bezel shown here is derived from Doxa’s first divers watch. Launched 1963/64, the ‘Sharkhunter’ (ref.: 11804-4), was issued 3 years before the successful ‘Sub 300’. This early ‘Sharkhunter’ features the same DNA as Omega’s contemporary ‘Seamaster 300’ or Eberhardt’s ‘Scafograph 300’, all issued in the same year and it is thus no surprise, that the cases for all these models of different manufacturers were made by Huguenin Frères (HF) in Le Locle (2).
To the contrary to the older ref.: 11804-4 design reference, the future chronograph was planned to be issued in different colours, as the successful ‘Sub 300’ (grey/silver, black, orange and yellow). In this prototype case study HF realised this, by alternating the color underneath the acrylic bezel insert. The version shown here has the mostly encountered grey bezel insert, but also versions with yellow, black or orange inserts are known. It is conceivable, that the dials would have been of the same colour as the bezel insert.
However, there is no complete prototype known of this concept, only cases, this might mean, that this concept has been abandoned at the level of the case design. One reason might have been the obvious similarity with the Omega ‘Speedmaster’, not only concerning the case design and dimensions (which are pretty close), but especially because of the overall look including the very similar tachymeter scale. Further, the success of the ‘Sub 300’ featuring an unique case and bezel, might have motivated Doxa to remain within the same design language. It would have been counterproductive to return towards a design, which could have been misunderstood as copying the already very successful and iconic Omega ‘Speedmaster’. Lastly Doxa decided not to use the Valjoux 7734 movement for its first chronograph, it used Eberhardt’s cal.: 310-82 (movement is marked as cal.: 287) instead, which is of better quality. The movement was finally housed it into a similar case as used for the ‘Sub 300′(3, 4).
It is difficult to know how many of these concept cases were made. It can be estimated, that several hundred of these cases were made. These cases were not distributed when produced, most if not all of them retain the internal HF numbering (2xxx) and even the blue protective lacquer on the case back. It is not uncommon, that complex pieces ordered from external suppliers are subject to a minimum order amount. Depending on the brand, the project and/ or the prototyping stage, up to several hundred prototypes were made, in case of a zero-series, this can even get to the low thousands.
The original purpose of these cases was a Doxa chronograph, but as these remained unused, they were sold on later during the quartz crisis. Two types of watches were made starting from then: local retailers sold a very small amount each with their name on the dial (Zurbuchen and others), then there is a big amount of assembled watches from loose parts. The compatibility with the ubiquitous and cheap Valjoux 77xx movements and unrelated dials and hands gave rise to many of these ‘unique’ watches. Most of these pieces retain the HF prototype code ‘2xxx’ engraved on the case back.
Ref.:
- Analogshift
- Fratello
- McClean Millar P.; Doxa Sub – Fourty Years 1967 – 2007
- Doxa300t
Omega Prototypes 