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Doxa Army 42.5mm Mens Watch Beige
Ref. 785.60.031.20
The Army collection traces its origins to the watches issued to Swiss Army diver units in the late 1960s, and this reference pulls directly from that source: the sand-beige dial, the oversized orange hands, the cushion case are all lifted from the original brief rather than designed around it. The bronze unidirectional bezel with its hunter-green ceramic insert is the one element that will change over time — bronze oxidises with wear and exposure, and no two examples will end up looking the same. That cushion shape does something useful. At 42.5mm the watch sounds substantial, but the lug-to-lug distance is only 44.5mm, which means it sits closer to the wrist than its diameter suggests and fits more readily on shorter wrists than a conventional round case of the same width. At 11.95mm it wears flatter than most watches rated to 300m and will pass under a cuff without difficulty. The FKM rubber strap is the detail an owner comes to appreciate in use: the folding clasp carries a ratcheting wetsuit extension that adjusts on the wrist without removing the watch, which matters when you are actually in the water. The Sellita SW200-1 inside is a movement with a sound serviceability record and behaves as a direct equivalent to the ETA calibre it was built to replace.
- Reference
- 785.60.031.20
- Brand
- Doxa
- Collection
- ArmyCase Size: 42
- Case size
- 42.5mm
- Case thickness
- 11.95mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Cream
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA 2824
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 300m
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 44.5mm
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
Learn more about Doxa
Doxa was founded by Georges Ducommun in Le Locle in 1889, and spent its early decades on pocket watches and, notably, dashboard clocks for the emerging car industry — supplying Bugatti among others.
Its lasting contribution came much later. In 1967 Doxa released the SUB 300, developed in consultation with professional divers, and it introduced several things now taken for granted. The dial was orange, chosen after testing which colour remained visible longest as depth filtered out light. The bezel carried a US Navy no-decompression scale rather than simple minute markers, letting a diver read safe bottom time directly. The beads-of-rice bracelet included an expansion section to fit over a wetsuit.
Jacques Cousteau's organisation distributed the watches, and US Divers sold them in America. The SUB became genuine professional equipment rather than a dive-styled dress watch, and it appears throughout Clive Cussler's novels on the wrist of Dirk Pitt.
Doxa struggled through the quartz era and was largely dormant before being revived by the Jenny family, who reissued the SUB faithfully from 2002 onward.
The modern range remains almost entirely dive watches, with the same cushion case, the same bezel scale, and dial colours named for their depth-rating heritage — Professional orange, Sharkhunter black, Searambler silver, Caribbean blue.
- 1889
- Georges Ducommun founds Doxa in Le Locle.
- 1908
- Supplies dashboard clocks to early car manufacturers.
- 1967
- The SUB 300 debuts with an orange dial and decompression bezel.
- 2002
- The SUB is reissued under new ownership.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,516), Automatic Watches (1,407), Sports Watches (667), Dive Watches (473) and Champagne & Cream Dial Watches (132).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 300m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 44.5mm lug-to-lug keeps the 42.5mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 785.60.031.20 | L37693967 | HBC002J1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,610 | £1,550 | £1,700 |
| Case size | 42.5mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 300m | 300m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | — | 72 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 300m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 38 hours fully wound — so it will usually stop if you leave it off overnight.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 44.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £1,610. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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