# Doxa Sub 1200T Sharkhunter: An honest review of strengths and weaknesses



## Drez (May 17, 2008)

A good review is an honest one. Often in the zeal of a new prize we are guilty of overstating the good and glossing over the bad, other times we fail notice some of these nuances till later in ownership when the honeymoon is over or when flaws become noticed or after we've compared build quality with something else. In this review I hoped to have avoided this type of bias as I will remark on both the good and the bad experiences I've had with the Doxa line of watches.

I feel the Doxa line is a fabulous option for those hunting for a true dive watch, well deserving of their following. This said, upon close examination of their timepieces we do them no justice without showcasing both desirable attributes and shortcomings. In doing this we let enthusiasts know what to expect, why they should consider this option for thier own collections and what might prevent disappointment. In doing this we also help manufactures know what improvements might keep their flocks growing in this ever competitive market.

Without further ado, I present my conclusions on the Doxa Sub 1200T Sharkhunter










*PROS:*

-Vintage Design Elements, its no secret the Doxa lines are drawn from the original 60's design. The endearing characteristic cushion case along with numerous similar design elements like the quartered dial with offset text give us something different from the run of the mill and we (most often) love them for it. This blend of modern meets vintage I find extremely desirable.










-Heritage, in the same vein as the above Doxa really shows its colours here. A picture of Jaque Yves Coustou, perhaps the best known father of scuba and deep sea exploration, wearing a Sharkie is a priceless endorsement and endows the piece with something special akin to a McQueen Monaco.










-Tool design elements. Argue with me if you will but "Professional" Dive watches should have these kinds of features. Helium escape value (HEV) and preferably automatic rather than crown based, 1000m+ water resistance and/or other unique dive specific elements such as the no decompression dive limits on the bezel break away from the crowd and make for interesting conversation pieces in a world of 300m "dive" watches. If not for these features there is nothing "professional" about the dive watch.










-The Bezel. This requires its own column of praise. The integrated NDL table in the bezel is rather handy for diving, quite unique and interesting to say the least. Alone this would not be enough but the build quality in this respect is superb. Few watch pet peeves bother me more than a supposed "diver" having a sub par bezel. For example, I found the Planet Ocean to be slightly disappointing in this regard, but alas I digress... The Sub 1200t has excellent grip, this adds to its appearance but more importantly allows for a bezel that is easy to use, with or without dive gloves. I can't stress how critical this is for a dive watch. While I'm biased in that Im a cold water diver and often wear thick gloves, even skin diving one shouldn't have to fumble with a sticky scalloped bezel, manipulating things under water is hard enough. In addition to this the clicks are firm and discrete and turning the bezel oozes build quality. This bezel enjoys 120 unidirectional clicks often seen on divers rather than the standard 60. Bezels are a very tactile experience so I find this an important area of evaluation.










-The Crown. Its also noteworthy to emphasize the nice craftsmanship on this aspect. The crown is well protected into the case, the tooling process is well done to allow this smoothly without any contact in spite of the tight fit. The crown also enjoys a nicely tooled grip to match the bezel, both in function and form. The signature on the crown is also well done. These are things we look for and why we're willing to pay a premium for a nice watch. Good finishing work like this is what separates our luxury pieces from those costing significantly less.

-Sharkhunter. Whats in a name you might say? More than we will often admit. Regardless of how much this actually matters to you it ends up on the dial and given amount of time you stare at it, I say its a good thing to have a great name. Few names are much cooler than this IMO and I've had some otherwise enjoyable divers sullied with a goofy name.

-At a glance readability is almost unparallelled. Sure others compete in this category but the contrast minute hand, stark contrast between min and hour hands, dial minimalism, discrete indices, quarter divisions and asymmetrical dial layout allow for excellent at a glance readability welcomed on any watch and an arguably key element for a diver.

-Eye grabbing and fun, largely in part due to the above and the vintage elements mentioned above, these differences offer a splash of colour and that "Je ne se pa" that makes one piece stand out from the crown.

-Domed AR crystal. Pure quality here. AR is top notch and thus effective. The slight dome to the crystal is excellent and offers distortion only at very steep angles. Excellent clarity speaks of quality, the slight AR tinge makes the black dial very lively and almost blue in some lights.

_Lots to love but what to hate?_



















*CONs:*

-I hate to say it but the deployment is downright crappy...at least for the price point. I can't flower it or say it more delicately. Flame me if you like but its not too the same standard as the rest of the watch and that's a damn shame. This is sadly one of the reasons the Doxa fever burns out for me, both for this 1200t and the 1000t I had before it. If we're supposed watch connoisseurs then the whole presentation needs to be to the same standard and frankly put this deployand could be found on something costing a fraction of the cost. In fact, the Ocean 1 comes to mind as a good example of a superior deployant at a lesser cost. Even this Swiss Invicta's are at very least the same level of quality, possibly even better. Not to belittle them but I think most Doxa owners are expecting something more than that. This may seem like a small note but, like the bezel, the deployant is a very tactile experience and thus very noticeable. Especially when in contrast to superior quality in other aspects, it makes those other achievements stand for less when judging the whole presentation.

I expect this type of folded steel on a Chinese offering. The metal is thin, the Doxa signature is over stamped and fails to show discrete boarders. I find this very noticeable every time the light hits it showing the warped areas around it. Take note of a Breitling or Omega finishing on a clasp or along more even footing a similar boutique brand like Ball and you'll find deployants better by an order of magnitude even in similar price ranges. There is a massive gulf here and this needs to be corrected ASAP in my opinion. The diver extension has the same cheap feel but its at least not overly loose as these types often are. The scissor style internals are thankfully beyond that of folded metal typically found on cheaper deployants but upon closer inspection we find extra play in the joint, disappointing QC to say the least.










Perhaps the 5000t is better in this regard, and frankly I would hope it is, but I sadly think its beyond disappointing and im not inspired to spend extra money and "test the waters" on a more expensive peice given this issues on the 1000t/1200t offerings.



















-The bracelet is pretty good and but could possibly be improved, I would like to see the links made of more individual parts rather than surface finishing them to make the grain of rice portion look individual (think Tag Heuer "Link" or Breitling "Pilot" or "Pro II"). This may be getting too picky for the price point however. Furthermore, the screw in threads are however quite nice.

-minor QC issues. The overall build quality on these watches is quite good and the quality control isn't bad. That said I have noticed some "misses" that again detract from the overall brand value. Small boutique brands tend to be favoured for unparalleled QC and shortcomings in this regard are disappointing.

Examples include:

-Paint coverage on the minute hand, 
-Solid end piece's with inconsistent finish
-aforementioned play in deployant
-aforementioned over-stamping of the signature ont he deployant

While these are not all "bad" they do detract from the sense of quality and are not characteristic of a watch of this calibre and are inconsistent with the finishing of the crown, bezel and case.



















-Customer care. Again boutique brands are favoured for personal care. Doxa might not be as small as some of these but I would expect more personal care than from a giant like Omega or Tag Heuer. I messaged Doxa thinking it was warranted to share some constructive criticisms with them as this is directly how companies can improve. Having owned multiple Doxa watches among countless others I would also consider myself a good target consumer that Doxa would care about. I asked for nothing but the opportunity to help direct future development and whether my words fell on deaf ears or were simply unwelcomed I can not say and I was not deemed worthy of a response. Too bad as I had heard previously that Doxa was considered to have diligent customer care.

A shame if Doxa lets things like customer care and quality control go only to ride on past laurels, I hope Im an isolated incidence in both cases.

*Take home message:*

What you can expect is a unique watch with diver centered design, pedigree and style like no other. Overall quality is of a very good standard with a few outstanding notes but also a few shortcomings fail to span the gap between good and great in my opinion. These failings include deployment quality shy of the rest of the watch, a few minor QC issues and questionable customer care. Given these issues are well within Doxas ability to improve on, I would hope they are addressed sooner than later, not just on newer or higher end models but on all watches that leave the shop. In doing so Doxa will ensure that this brand rich in history, style and potential does not end up the foot note so many have along the way.

*TO FOLLOW:* Comparative Review of Sinn U1 and Doxa 1200T


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## EHV (Mar 30, 2010)

Absolutely FANTASTIC and honestly correct review. I have a recent 1200 Pro and what you say is spot on. The deployant clasp is SO disappointing.
I understand the clasp and ratcheting bracelet on the 5000 is superior but the clasp is by far the weakest point on the 1200 for me. And yes, I do have a $60 Invicta diver from 1999 that has a better clasp, even after all these years.

The other issues don't bother me as much. The paint on my hands seems evenly applied with no issues from my naked eyes. The stamping, I can live with but if the clasp were replaced, perhaps it would solve this issue. My end pieces, I need to check them again to see your issue. I also wish that the bezel was brushed or blasted. It is the most amazing scratch magnet that I have ever come across. I do know that the bezel is heritage and part of the Sub charm though so it would be tough to change it. 

As far as CS, well I had a major issue with my initial Doxa and the company came through with flying colors and replaced it with a new watch. This was much appreciated and majorly endearing. 

Thank you VERY much for taking your time with this excellent, honest review. IMO, it hits all of the important points of this model. I love my 1200 Pro but I would love it even more if the points you mention were corrected and I would think that these would be an easy fix that would make the watch pretty near perfect!

Eric


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## Paul T (Jan 30, 2012)

Very nice exegesis of the watch. Thanks.


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## nakedjohnny (Nov 21, 2009)

wow, probably one of the best reviews I've ever read. Thanks.


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## Kid_A (Mar 2, 2014)

wow, this is really classic review for a trully classic watch. thank you, Drez!


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## dive_watch_enthusiast (May 23, 2014)

In the spirit of thoroughness, I have a question. Do we know if the DOXA 1200T's AR coating is underside only or double sided. Personally, I would refer undersided only for durability reasons (plus, domed sapphire is inherently less reflective than flat sapphire). Also, the very last bath of 1200T Professionals is released in September! Last chance to get one new!!


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## Nokie (Jul 4, 2011)

Great review and great pictures.


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## Walter Moore (Feb 20, 2012)

Excellent review, it is funny that many watch company's seem to forget the bracelet and clasp. It is the the part that we feel and deal with everyday.


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## Surfrider (Jun 14, 2012)

dive_watch_enthusiast said:


> In the spirit of thoroughness, I have a question. Do we know if the DOXA 1200T's AR coating is underside only or double sided. Personally, I would refer undersided only for durability reasons (plus, domed sapphire is inherently less reflective than flat sapphire). Also, the very last bath of 1200T Professionals is released in September! Last chance to get one new!!


Bump. I'd like to know the answer to this AR question, too.


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## Surfrider (Jun 14, 2012)

Zombie post BUMP

Anyone know? Internal-only AR, or both inner and outer?


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## Drez (May 17, 2008)

Surfrider said:


> Zombie post BUMP
> 
> Anyone know? Internal-only AR, or both inner and outer?


IIRC inner only; thats from memory however.


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## Watch Enthusiast (Apr 14, 2015)

Great review!


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## alund (May 18, 2011)

thanks for the honest review. Well done


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## Foxglove (Apr 15, 2009)

Old thread, but thanks for the review! 

cheers
Ross


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## aaronhiatt (Jan 25, 2010)

Great review. I am curious and I know this is an old post, but I'm curious if the face size on the 1200t is smaller?


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## wctah (Nov 9, 2016)

Even with the pictures it's a lovely read...thanks for sharing.


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