The Doxa brand continues to slice the proverbial pie pieces of its SUB series of watches thinner and thinner. Its SUB 300 Beta series, launched in late 2023, sits between the SUB 300 and SUB 300T, but adds a few modern updates.
Like Porsche, with its 911 range, casual observers probably wouldn't notice differences between the variants, but to die-hard Doxa fans, these differences are critical. Some purists will only accept the orange SUB 300 Professional as the Doxa to get (think of this as the brand's Speedmaster Professional). While I would love to own one of those, I'm not a Doxa purist. To put it simply, I liked the way the Sub 300 Beta looks. I found one at a great price, so I bought it.
First Impressions of the Doxa SUB 300 Beta
The SUB 300 Beta, especially this silver-dial Searambler version, is very photogenic. Photos on an Instagram account that I follow were what turned me on to it originally. The black bezel and orange accents create such a contrast against the bright silver dial that I found it very striking. In person, it matched the photos, making it fun to look at.
Doxa SUB 300 Beta Details
My review of the SUB 300T explains the differences in greater detail, but the SUB 300 has a vintage look, with a slimmer case and a boxed crystal. The SUB 300T is beefed up, with a flat crystal, a helium escape valve, and a whopping 1200m of water resistance. The newer Beta splits the difference. It has the same 300m of water resistance as the SUB 300 (non-T), but packs the HEV and the T's flat crystal design. It is the same width, but 1.7mm thinner than that watch too.
The modern touches include a black ceramic bezel and crown (rather than stainless steel) and a stamped wave-patterned sunburst-finished dial. The decompression scale and the crown's fish logo are filled in orange, while the dive timing marks are black.
I've seen photos of this watch with two different handsets. Some photos show a handset like that of the SUB 300 and 300T, the Doxa website currently shows the SUB 300 Beta with the hands from the Doxa Army (or the Synchron Military). My watch arrived with the earlier traditional Doxa hands. I prefer these hands on a non-Army Doxa.
If you're a Doxa fan, the barrel-shaped case design will look familiar. The tops have circular brushing, with a sharp edge, and the sides are polished.
Wearing the Doxa SUB 300 Beta Searambler
The 42.5mm case sits wide on the wrist. Because the lugs are compact, and the black bezel is 38.6mm, it won't appear overpowering on most wrists.
It's also under 12mm thick, with the black bezel again providing a visual slimming effect.
A large, orange minute hand and small, black hour hand make a lot of sense on a dive watch, as you'd mostly be concerned with tracking minutes. It also offers great legibility in everyday use, as the hands are easy to distinguish and provide a strong contrast to the silver-but-almost-white dial.
Doxa watches are not known for their lume, and the SUB 300 Beta follows in that tradition. The lume appears to be blue Super-LumiNova BGW9. It does the job adequately, but it is not as bright as some other watches.
The Strap and replacement straps for Doxa SUB 300 Beta Searambler
Most Doxa models, like the SUB 300 Beta, are available with a Beads of Rice bracelet or a white or black FKM rubber strap, both of which use 20mm quick-adjust clasps.
Normally, I advise people to choose the bracelet option when buying a new watch. At MSRP, this Doxa costs only $40 more with a bracelet, making it a much better value. I got this one with a white strap at a significant discount, however. Plus, I will wear it on StrapHabit straps anyway.
The strap is fitted to the case, with Cut-to-Size ends. This allows the use of the aforementioned clasp, creating a seamless fit. The 20mm lug width and classic dive style mean that a ton of straps will look good on it. I'm thinking I'll wear it on an orange Pro Diver strap in the pool on an upcoming vacation.
A Divecore strap is also a no-brainer.
Here is a list of other straps that would look great with this watch. At the end of the article, you'll also find photos of some of my favorite combinations. You can also view our Guide to Choosing a Watch Strap.
-Deployant Rubber
-Deployant Sailcloth
-Ribbed FKM Pass-Through
-Ridge Rubber
-Extra Long
-Hook and Loop Elastic
-Hook and Loop Single Pass
-Horween Leather
-Premium Sailcloth
-Smooth Rubber
-Rubber and Sailcloth Hybrid Straps
-Vented Rubber
-Waffle Rubber
Doxa SUB 300 Beta Movement
The Doxa doesn't mention which movement is used in the Sub 300 Beta, but I believe Doxa has shifted entirely to using Sellita calibers. Based on the specs, the Sub 300 Beta uses a Sellita SW200-1.
A brushed steel caseback protects it, and features a sailboat over a blackened wave pattern. While the specs are not overwhelming, it's a workhorse movement that will be reliable in this tool watch. It has a 38-hour power reserve and beats at 28,800vph.
DOXA SUB 300 Beta Searambler Conclusion
While the ceramic bezel and crown, and the wave dial are attractive additions to the Doxa SUB 300, there isn't much that is groundbreaking about this watch. I would love to see Doxa evolve its core dive watch rather than continue making iterations on it to try to keep it fresh. There are also nicer dive watches available for less than the Doxa's MSRP.
That said, the watch still packs the Doxa cool factor, and I love how this version looks. The contrast between the silver dial, black bezel, and orange accents is really fun (and photogenic). It's gotten a positive response from other collectors, too. While it's not as significant as an orange SUB 300, it's a fun watch to add to the collection, and I look forward to wearing it at the pool this summer.
Specifications
Name: Doxa SUB 300 Beta Searambler
Reference Number: 830.10.021.23
MSRP: $2,450 (strap), $2.490 (bracelet)
Diameter: 42.5mm
Height: 44.5mm
Thickness: 11.95mm
Lug Width: 20mm
Movement: Sellita SW200-1
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Water Resistance: 300m
Crystal: Sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Crown: Screw-down plus automatic HEV
Bezel: Ceramic, 120-click Uni-directional
Strap: Rubber, folding clasp with ratcheting extension
Our Favorite Straps for the Doxa SUB 300 Beta Searambler
Pro Diver Strap
Divecore
Divecore WFL
Hook and Loop Single Pass
Tropical FKM Rubber
Ribbed FKM Rubber Pass-Through
Premium Beads of Rice
