DOXA diving watches and DOXA watch book

[sam miller]

I assume this is the correct place for this thread.......


THE WATCH...DOXA

THE BOOK....The DOXA SUB, forty years. 1967-2007

THE AUTHOR...Dr. Pete Millar


The Swiss made DOXA watch was introduced by US Divers of Santa Ana, California in their 1968 catalog.

It was offered in one model the "Doxa sub" which was offered in 3 faces, black,Silver and bright Orange. The black faced one was listed as part number #7269 aka "Shark Hunter," silver, part number #7270 aka "Sea Rambler," and the popular orange faced model as part number 7268 "The Professional" and retailed for $150.00 hard earned California dollars.

The original Doxa models were followed by other Doxa models such as the Doxa Chronograph, retail $250.00 the smaller mini Doxa retail $170.00 and the Conquistador listed at retail $175.00 in the US Divers commercial catalog of that era.

But it is the original Orange faced Doxa watch that made an immediate impact on the diving world. Prior to its introduction the majority of the diving watches were smaller in size, often the bezel rotated both left and right, most were black faced making them difficult, if not almost impossible to read in low light conditions, therefore most were difficult to use as an effective diving decompression tool, and guaranteed to eventually leak- (Before the Doxa I never owned a dive watch I couldn't flood)

The Orange faced model has been made even more famous by the diving adventure author Clive Cussler whose main fictional character Dirk Pitt, always wears a Doxa as does Clive in the pictures of him and Dirk's autos on the back of his numerous books.

Clive was introduced to the orange faced Doxa while employed at the Aquatic Center on Harbor Boulevard in Santa Ana, California were, between customers, he collected information to do character studies and wrote the his first two of his many diving based novels, "Ice Berg" and "Raise the Titanic." During this era there were only a few active Underwater Instructors for all of Orange county; All certified by LA County; a few had crossed over LA county to NAUI which had just recently been established but no PADI which was no even a dream of the future in the minds of Chicagoans Cronin, Erikson and Chow.

LA Co Instructor and US Diver's PR Tommy Thompson made an offer to the active LA County Certified instructors residing in Orange County for the Oranged faced Doxas Doxas that none could refuse.

It was in this setting that Clive Cussler was exposed to the magic glow of the orange faced Doxa sub; it was the sign the symbol of the OC instructors and on occasion, since diver ranking had been established but rejected by LA Co and NAUI, also the sign of what was then refereed to as a "serious diver."

Clive's first book "Ice berg" received an equally cold reception only 5000 were printed in hard cover and immediately went to soft cover trade paper back. A some time later "Raise the Titanic" was printed and became a run away best seller and Clive was on his way to literary immortality.

As a going away present the owners of the Aquatic Center presented Clive with his very own orange faced US Divers Doxa sub. Clive in turn immortalized the owners in Raise the Titanic, Dick Spencer aka "Spence," Al "O" Woods aka "Woodson" and Sam Merker was a complation of two of Clive's major antagonist as "Sam Merker." (aka SAM Miller and Ron MERKER.) Clive has continued to write to this day with the very same Orange faced Doxa on his and his fictional hero Dirk Pitt's wrist

The book "The DOXA sub, forty years 1967-2007," Was introduced in May 2007 to the diving bibliophile and diving watch collecting world in a hard cover, jacketed edition. Printed on very high grade glossy paper, it measures 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches by 1 inch thick. Between the bright orange covers are 278 information filled pages loaded with photographs and descriptions of the of the various models. The book "DOXA sub" is the first and only book printed to accurately document the origins of a diving watch and has immediately became a diving book classic upon its release. It is the definitive book on this historic watch.

It is predicted that the book "The Doxa sub" will escalate in value many times over in a record time. It will no doubt be as collectable and desirable as Leon Lyons definitive book "Helmets of the deep," It retailed for $300.00 upon release, now 10 years after its printing is selling for in excess of $4000.00 and Torrance Parker's "20,000 Jobs under the sea," which originally sold for $85.00 are currently selling for around $800.00 and is on its way to $1000 a copy. So it will be with the new book on the market "Doxa sub;forty years, 1967-2007."

The author, Dr. Pete Millar, is a well known medical doctor in Chicago, enthusastic diver a world renown expert on Doxa watches and a member of the SCUBA board. Dr Millar spent many years collecting overhauling and cataloging Doxas watches and untold dollars researching and publishing this monumental book.

With its publication DOXA sub-forty years 1967-2007 Dr. Millar has created a great book and a created a lasting tribute to diving world.

Interested in the book? It may be ordered through the Doxa web site for $79.00 +$20.00 Shipping with in the US. But you better hurry, it is a limited edition book and the supply is very limit.

Yes, I have and am currently wearing a 1968 US Divers logo Orange faced Doxa sub
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am off to DEMA...

sdm

[Nemrod]

Doxa Sub here also but still love my Seiko Orange Monster.

N

[sam miller]

You should love your Orange faced Seiko

The current price of a used DOXA you should create a shrine and worship the DOXA.

sdm

[rawls]

It is weird to find this thread. I was just on Doxa's website a couple of days ago. I began reading Cusler about a year ago when a friend gave me "Atlantis Found." I am actually in the process of reading "Shock Wave." The Doxa site has a Dirk Pitt edition of the Sub 750 T Professional which sells for $2049.00 and is on back order. Many of the styles are listed as sold out. AND...Gone are the days of the days of the $150-$250 Doxa watches. I wonder what an original version would sell for now.
This was a very interesting thread...Thanks for the info about the book Sam. I will definitely look for it. No doubt the Doxa is too much for my wallet, but the book sounds affordable...

[sam miller]

is weird to find this thread.
>>Q why?

AND...Gone are the days of the days of the $150-$250 Doxa watches.
>>I certainly paid considerably less; The price of the watch was Keystoned as well as a "professional Instructor" discount. I will allow you to determine what price Tommy/US Divers sold the DOXA.

I wonder what an original version would sell for now.
>>So do I! probably put child through college--I hope!


This was a very interesting thread...Thanks for the info about the book Sam. I will definitely look for it. No doubt the Doxa is too much for my wallet, but the book sounds affordable...

>>The book is the sleeper dive book of 2007-purchase it NOW, sell it in a few years and put a child through college. (hopefully!)

sdm

[fisheyeview]

I dive with the orange face Seiko. I love it.

[Nemrod]

Seiko watches are tough and durable dive watches and cost effective. They still make fully mechanical auto winders like the Monster. My boss just picked up a Seiko auto winder dive watch at Sams Club, not a Monster but still a nice diver.

Here is a review of the real deal Orange Monster:

A review of the Seiko SKX781 - the ORANGE MONSTER

DOXA is an expensive watch, nowadays perhaps to expensive to dive with.

Go to Equation of Time - Equation of Time for a dive watch forum.



N

[sam miller]

Interesting watch--a ersatz DOXA--and a darn good one--but it isn't a DOXA.

Remember DOXA was the first --the original Orange faced diving watch--and it keeps on ticking!

sdm

[Flying Doctor]

Sam,

thank you very much for the kind words about the book. It certainly was a labour of love for me and I was very lucky to get both Clive Cussler and Mike Fletcher to write forewords for the book. Doxa took my original manuscript (which was basically akin to a Haynes car repair manual) and gave it to a graphics guy (Greg) who worked wonders on it and then printed it spectacularly. High quality paper, glossy, embossed hardcover binding and a slip case. I still can't believe it when I see my name on it. They printed 1000 books. I had the luxury of meeting Clive a couple of weeks ago and presenting him and Dirk Cussler with signed copies of the book. It was kind of special for me as I have been collecting signed first editions of his books for years.

I set up a webpage

DOXA SUB by Dr. Peter McClean Millar

which has samples of it if anyone is interested in seeing how it turned it. I'm now writing another book in which I am trying to get the masters of scuba diving to tell me their stories. Stan Waterman has already contributed a superb story about what he calls his most memorable dive. Ralph Wilbanks (who discovered the Hunley) is also working on something for me. Jean Michel Cousteau and Philippe Cousteau have copies of the book and I'm hoping to get contributions from them too. Philipe still has his fathers old Doxa Sharkhunter. Man, the stories it could tell. I want to try to get stories from the greats like Stan, Sam, Mike and others who either pioneered the sport or have interesting stories of discoveries or testing of dive kit from the early days. I was talking to an air hostess (older lady) who was telling me about how her father modified a regulator to provide feeds into makeshift full face dive masks for her and her sister when they were kids so they could go on surface dives with him. This is tremendous stuff and unfortunately many of the people who pioneered the sport are pretty old now and it would be a shame to loose the information they have.

So here's an open invitation to any of you out there, if you have a story to tell, let me know, You don't have to be able to write like Clive Cussler. You tell me the story and I'll write it up. If you have photos even better.

Thanks

Pete

[DA Aquamaster]

I have a Seiko Automatic (SNM037) with a black bezel and orange face and it has become my watch of choice. The price was not bad - $235 on sale at Penny's.