Article: Is the Dive Watch Dead?

[Akimbo]

Doxa watches were unique when introduced because the O-ring sealed crown (stem) unscrewed and either didn't have a shaft seal or the seal leaked Helium like a sieve. Rolex held the patent for the Helium relief valve so the Doxa was the only other dive watch the Navy could find that could be used for saturation diving. Unscrewing the stem seal was on the pre-decompression checklist.

The sea story about the watch crystal blowing out during HeO2 saturation decompression actually happened. The guy it happened to had the scar to prove it. It happened at EDU (the US Navy's Experimental Diving Unit) when it was in Washington DC.

 

[Erich S]

Is it true that Doxa watches are now Chinese?

 

[Sam Miller III]

Akimbo.. Yep ! I recall that as a New development

Eric - I don't know and don't care ...I have one of the very first US Diver logo watches-- I am currently very Why don't you check it out and post your finding Or inquire of the OP...

John - I now question how many have knowledge of the DOXA watch or have read any of Cusslers 40 or so dive related books that always feature an Orange faced DOXA worn by Dirk Pitt

SDM

 

[Boiler_81]

Is it true that Doxa watches are now Chinese?

No, Swiss
DOXA WATCHES | SWISS MADE WATCHES since 1889 | Clive Cussler Edition | doxawatches.com

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Akimbo.. Yep ! I recall that as a New development

Eric - I don't know and don't care ...I have one of the very first US Diver logo watches-- I am currently very Why don't you check it out and post your finding Or inquire of the OP...

John - I now question how many have knowledge of the DOXA watch or have read any of Cusslers 40 or so dive related books that always feature an Orange faced DOXA worn by Dirk Pitt

SDM

Dr. Sam Miller,

I did not know much about the Rolex watches, as I stayed with a very cheap Citizen's watch before I "graduated" to the Seiko dive watches. I was soured on Rolex watches in the USAF when my fellow pararescueman and I dove in Okinawa, and he had his issued Rolex watch from the USAF and I was diving the cheap one. His leaked so badly that it had sand inside the watch! Apparently, the O-ring seal was completely missing. So I never got an issued USAF dive watch in the entire 9 years and 5 months I was in as a pararescueman.

SeaRat

 

[Sam Miller III]

No, Swiss
DOXA WATCHES | SWISS MADE WATCHES since 1889 | Clive Cussler Edition | doxawatches.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you Mr. Boiler 81 !
"If it can not be found on the electronic highway then it never happened was never built or never occurred "
This time it did happened, was built and occurred--and furthermore the information was accurate except Clive's
recollection of the Orange faced DOXA and Orange County (Orange faced) vs LA County (Silver faced) DOXAs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You Avatar is interesting ... I assume you are a grad of that great school in Lafayette Indiana ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FYI
SDM-- March 1958--- Page 18
Article by the late great Gene Parker- east coast "Father of the dive flag"

Dive flag proportions 5 units wide, 4 units high by 1 unit stripe
Accepted by the diving world but later changed to 4 X 4 being acceptable for ease of manufacture

Now just about anything white with a red stripe is a divers flag - except in a court of law

Some more trivia - the dive flag was proposed by Ted Nixon in the September 1957 SDM -- Ted was from Michigan
And that is how it began

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks again for your prompt research of the DOXA

SAM

 

[Boiler_81]

As a matter of fact I am, Purdue class of 81. My son graduates from Purdue in May as a fourth generation engineer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you Mr. Boiler 81 !
"If it can not be found on the electronic highway then it never happened was never built or never occurred "
This time it did happened, was built and occurred--and furthermore the information was accurate except Clive's
recollection of the Orange faced DOXA and Orange County (Orange faced) vs LA County (Silver faced) DOXAs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You Avatar is interesting ... I assume you are a grad of that great school in Lafayette Indiana ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FYI
SDM-- March 1958--- Page 18
Article by the late great Gene Parker- east coast "Father of the dive flag"

Dive flag proportions 5 units wide, 4 units high by 1 unit stripe
Accepted by the diving world but later changed to 4 X 4 being acceptable for ease of manufacture

Now just about anything white with a red stripe is a divers flag - except in a court of law

Some more trivia - the dive flag was proposed by Ted Nixon in the September 1957 SDM -- Ted was from Michigan
And that is how it began

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks again for your prompt research of the DOXA

SAM

 

[Blasto]

Used to have a dive watch, with all the stuff.
Then it flooded. Wasn't even diving, the crown just felt tightened for about a quarter turn before it was really tight. Didn't push it all the way throughAll it took.

Bought a watch-sized PDC for the quoted repairs price, never looked back. For normal people it's just a watch, divers recognize it (most dive watches have never been below 10 ft, no one wears a PDC for show), and one less piece of gear to worry about stowing. That's the real modern dive watch AFAIC.

 

[Ducky44]

I wear my Citizen Aqualand Duplex dive watch on every dive to back up my dive computer. It has a depth gauge, automatic timer, temp gauge, depth time and rapid ascend alarms and a dive log. The only thing it doesnt do is compute. I've been diving since 1987 and have only had a dive computer since 2012, so I'm just not ready to let go of my trusty watch (which has saved a dive). I'm the only diver I know that uses one though. I think these days you're either a watch guy or you're not.

 

[Saniflush]

I have worn a Tag dive watch since 1990. Mainly because they were good watches and I figured if they were good enough for diving then they could handle whatever punishment I put them through. That one lasted until two years ago and even the Tag headquarters couldn't find any replacement seals for it. So I bought another one figuring it to be the last watch I would buy in my lifetime. I don't dive with it and what's funny is that's the only time I ever take it off.