News from Tempus Fugit!

The Executive Publisher is very pleased to announce the promotion of Sabrina Macintosh to the position of Executive Editor.

Sabrina joined the crew of Tempus Fugit last Autumn.  First as an intern, and spending the last several months as our intrepid Cub Reporter.  

Part of Sabrina's brief will be to expand the scope of coverage to include cashmere (particularly sweaters), and the woolen blankets of Pendleton, Hudson's Bay Company and LL Bean.

When she is not hard at work at Tempus Fugit, Sabrina enjoys ornithology (that's bird watching to you), napping and chasing catnip mice around the house with the Executive Publisher.

There Can Be Only One - The Dark Jack

From Montfort -

Courtesy of Montfort

Some exciting news from Montfort - five unique pieces that will be made once, and only once!  We'll be rolling them out, one at a time.  Up first is the Dark Jack.  For the lucky customer out there who snaps this up, they will have the one and only version in the world.

Here are the pertinents, straight from the source -

LIMITED TO 1 PIECE

Case: 4 Piece Case In Hardened "Super Stainless Steel” 

Size: 44 Mm 

Water Resistance: 100m/330ft (10atm) 

Crystal: Sapphire Crystal Glass (Top And Bottom) With Blue Anti-Reflective Coating 

Dial: Black 3d Printed Stainless Steel Dial "The Skull" 

Hands: Hour & Minute : Skeleton Ruthenium Microbead With ‘Cool Grey’ Luminova, Second: Grey Galvanised 

Movement: Swissmade Sellita Sw200 Automatic Movement In Black Galvanic Coating, Blued Screws, "Côtes De Genève" On Oscillating Mass And 26 Rubies 

Strap: Black, Semi Matte Italian Leather Strap With Black Stitching 22/20mm

Available direct from Montfort -

Montfort Dark Jack

DOXA, DOXA, DOXA...

They say that you can't put a price on heritage, but it is nice to see that the folks who now have control of the DOXA SUB feel that they can - and it's the type of money that is usually negotiated with the aid of a loaded pistol and a get away car.

Courtesy of DOXA

Ladies and Gentlemen, behold - a watch that could have been brought to market and sold for a competitive price is now on offer for the low, low price of...

$4,900 US

So, let's do some comparison shopping, shall we?  The Tudor Black Bay Chrono has a manufacture movement, and sorry DOXA, has a bit more "whats-it".  

Courtesy of Tudor

And it comes in at $5,100.  

Now the argument certainly could be made that the DOXA is going to be more unique, exciting for collectors, etc.  But let's consider the whole picture.

DOXA, in their wisdom, decided that what would make this super-duper would be to put in a vintage movement.  Now in fairness, I have no doubt that the movements will be restored, etc.  But let's
try to imagine what fun servicing that movement is going to be as an ongoing maintenance project.

More curious is that the press release from DOXA mentions that the Valjoux 7734 is Automatic, manual-winding.  Curious, because most of what I have read and understood about this caliber is that it is a hand-winding (i.e. not automatic) movement.  IMPORTANT - if I have the wrong end of the stick on this one and this is an automatic movement?  Please let me know!

So riddle me this Batman, how much are you going to enjoy unscrewing the crown every day to wind the watch, so that you can screw it down again, so that you can unscrew it again tomorrow, so that you can hand-wind it again...  I think you get the idea.

Now we can make the argument that wow, it's a historic movement, etc.  We can argue that it's a limited edition of 300 pieces.  And in fairness, even when I worked for them, I didn't always "get" what DOXA was doing.  There was a gold piece limited to 13 pieces released not so long ago for a price tag that was called, well as this is a "family" publication, to call it usurious might be more gentle than some of the words bandied about.  I have no idea how many of that particular watch actually sold, and who knows?  Maybe they all were.  

But at the heart of it, what the lates T-Graph offering and the steep price tag attached to it leads me to believe, is that the newly minted shot callers at DOXA HQ are somewhat disconnected from who the DOXA SUB customer really is.

But I will let you judge for yourself, here is the press release just as it arrived this morning to Tempus Fugit HQ -
(quick note, the grammar is a little dodgy, but I'm giving it to you straight, no chaser)

Courtesy of DOXA

An iconic model, reinterpreted: DOXA SUB 200 T.GRAPH in Stainless Steel
After the success of the 130th Anniversary series in 18K gold presented at Baselworld 2019 and limited to only 13 pieces, DOXA launches the SUB 200 T.GRAPH in steel in a limited edition of 300 pieces

This limited edition is powered by historical movements: original VALJOUX 7734 calibers which had been conserved in pristine condition for over 30 years at DOXA.

It was at Baselworld 1967 that DOXA launched the revolutionary SUB concept, considered to be the first purpose-designed diver's watch intended for the general public. The radical innovations it presented quickly made it a reference for professionals as well. Water-resistant to a depth of 300 meters, it was the first to feature a patented rotating bezel with the official no-decompression dive table. This watch would also become an easily recognizable legend due to its orange dial – a first for a diving watch, and a brash contrast with the traditional black or white background.

In 1969, the SUB concept is further refined in the form of the DOXA SUB 200 T.GRAPH, which even today still counts as a reference in the field of the most emblematic diving watches in watchmaking history. And the legend continues.

50 years later, DOXA presents a reinterpretation of its iconic model. Following a first limited edition in 18K gold, DOXA unveils the SUB 200 T.GRAPH in a new stainless steel limited series.

With a diameter of 43 mm, the SUB 200 T.GRAPH is topped by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating. In addition to being water-resistant to 20 ATM, equivalent to a depth of about 200 meters, the watch also features the famous patented unidirectional rotating bezel with the dual indication of dive time in minutes and depth in meters to calculate the dive time without decompression stops. The finishing touch: a SuperLuminova® pearl at 12 o'clock.

Just like the original model, the legendary face finished in semi-matte orange features two counters, one at 9 o'clock indicating the seconds, and the other at 3 o'clock indicating the chronograph's 30 minutes. The baton-type hands and the insert on the chronograph’s seconds hand are all filled with SuperLuminova® beige “Light Old Radium.” The SUB 200 T.GRAPH's characteristic indices, painted in black, are filled with SuperLuminova® beige “Light Old Radium” as well.

This limited steel edition, as was the case with the 18K gold version, is also equipped with historical 7734 VALJOUX movements. These original calibers, dating back 30 years, have been carefully preserved by the Swiss family Jenny, who took over ownership of the DOXA brand two decades ago. Each movement has of course been completely revised and made absolutely reliable prior to fitting.

The famous DOXA “grains of rice” bracelet, also crafted from 316L steel and featuring a folding clasp with diving extension and the DOXA fish symbol, rounds off this purpose-designed classic.

Technical Specifications – SUB 200 T.GRAPH steel

Movement
7734 Valjoux
Automatic, manual-winding 45 hours Power ReserveFrequency 18’000 vph (2.5 hz) 17 Jewels
Decorated by Doxa

Case
Stainless steel case
Diameter 43.00 x 46.00 mm
Height 15.00 mm
Screw in crown
Water resistance 20 bar / 200 meters / 656 ft Screw down case back with sailboat engraved

Indications
Hours, minutes, seconds Chronograph
12-hour and 30-minute counters Date

Features
Sapphire glass
Unidirectional turning bezel
Numbering in orange (depth) and black (time), light point at 
12 o'clock Limited Edition of 300 timepieces

Dial
Orange dial with black painted index with white luminescent material Black painted hands with white luminescent material
Black painted minute-tracks

Strap
Stainless steel strap "separate Beads of Rice" style attached by screws to ensure a secure fit Deployant buckle with wetsuit extension, DOXA fish insignia

Suggested retail price
4'900.- $

This watch will be available for order as of 2 September 2019 on the official DOXA website
https://www.doxawatches.com/