DOXA SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler: adventure goes deeper

To celebrate what would have been the 95th birthday of Clive Cussler, DOXA returns to the watch that founded its underwater world. Reinterpreted in grade 5 titanium and fitted with a brand-new two-level dial, the SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler combines heritage, innovation and a genuine instrument vocation.

There are partnerships that go far beyond a mere commercial arrangement. The one that unites DOXA and Clive Cussler belongs to that category. For decades, the American writer made the DOXA SUB the faithful companion of Dirk Pitt, the hero of his adventure novels. A literary presence that helped etch the famous orange dial into the imagination of generations of readers.

But Clive Cussler was not only a novelist. A passionate maritime explorer, he had founded the NUMA in 1979, an organisation dedicated to researching and preserving historic shipwrecks. His teams identified more than sixty significant underwater sites before entrusting their discoveries to public institutions, universities or museums.

On 15 July 2026, the day Clive Cussler would have celebrated his 95th birthday, DOXA therefore chose to extend this story with a deeply symbolic watch: the SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler, limited to 300 numbered pieces.

Returning to the original SUB 300

The choice of the SUB 300 owes nothing to chance. Introduced in 1967, it marks the starting point of DOXA’s great dive-watch adventure. Designed to meet the demands of professionals while becoming accessible to a wider audience, it already imposed an instantly recognisable silhouette, exemplary legibility and a rotating bezel with a twin scale.

Nearly sixty years later, DOXA takes up its essential lines and gives them a resolutely contemporary interpretation. The case retains proportions characteristic of the collection, with a width of 42.50 mm, a length of 45 mm and a thickness of 13.40 mm.

The real transformation comes from the material used. The case, the screwed crown, the case-back and even the two elements making up the dial are crafted in grade 5 titanium. Light, corrosion-resistant and particularly robust, it gives the watch a weight under 70 grams despite its water resistance to 300 metres. A lightness that should prove just as welcome underwater as in everyday wear.

A dial built like an exploration

The main novelty of this edition reveals itself beneath its “glass box” style sapphire crystal. For the first time at DOXA, the dial rests on an architecture made of two superimposed levels, both shaped from grade 5 titanium.

The lower dial carries the minute track and the indexes coated with Super-LumiNova. Positioned slightly above, a second titanium plate is laser-cut to reveal the luminous markings located beneath. The indexes, the minute markers and the date window thus appear to emerge from the material. The space separating the two surfaces introduces a subtle play of relief, shadow and light. Depending on the angle from which the watch is viewed, the sandblasted dial reveals a different depth. The effect is not achieved by a simple decorative treatment, but by the very construction of the dial.

This added volume nonetheless remains faithful to the functional philosophy of the SUB. Legibility stays immediate, by day as well as in the dark. The dial simply invites you to look more closely, just as the ocean surface reveals only a part of what lies beneath.

DOXA orange as the common thread

The large orange minute hand naturally remains at the centre of the composition. On a dive watch, it is the hand that conveys the essential information: the time spent underwater. Its generous dimensions and its contrast with the grey titanium background make it identifiable in an instant.

The brand’s historic colour also appears on the depth scale placed on the outer edge of the bezel. The dive-time markings, arranged on the inner ring, appear in black. At three o’clock, the date disc holds a more intimate detail. The numbers 15, 7 and 31 are printed in orange, in reference to 15 July 1931, Clive Cussler’s date of birth. A discreet nod, meant to reveal itself only three days a month.

A genuine dive watch

The commemorative dimension of this SUB 300 Ti5 in no way diminishes its status as an instrument. Its case is water-resistant to 300 metres thanks to a screwed crown and case-back. The sapphire crystal benefits from an anti-reflective treatment, while the information needed for diving is coated with luminous material.

The unidirectional rotating bezel reprises the twin-scale system historically associated with DOXA. One indicates depth, the other dive time, to help visualise the no-decompression dive limits originally established from US Navy tables. The watch thus retains the fundamentals that built the collection’s reputation: legibility, safety and ease of use.

A COSC-certified automatic movement

Inside the case sits the Swiss automatic Sellita SW200-1 calibre. Beating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz, it has 26 jewels and delivers about 38 hours of power reserve.

The movement receives decorations specific to DOXA and benefits from a chronometer certification issued by the COSC. This certified precision reinforces the coherence of a watch presented not as a mere commemorative object, but as a genuine piece of equipment meant to accompany adventure. The grade 5 titanium case-back also bears several important pieces of information: the NUMA emblem, the mention of COSC certification and the individual numbering of each piece, from XXX/300.

The spirit of the 1960s on the wrist

The SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler is fitted on a black rubber Dive Flex strap. Its perforations and tropical pattern recall the straps used in the 1960s, when scuba diving was gradually opening up to a public of enthusiasts.

Its pin buckle is also crafted in grade 5 titanium. The whole extends the watch’s impression of lightness while reinforcing its utilitarian and sporty character.

A tribute that continues in the field

The relationship between DOXA, the Cussler family and NUMA is not limited to the use of a famous name. Part of the proceeds generated by this edition will be donated to the organisation founded by the writer to support its missions of research and preservation of maritime heritage.

DOXA had already paid tribute to Clive Cussler through several special editions, including the SUB 300T Sharkhunter introduced in 2024 and the SUB 750T of 2025. This new creation, however, opens a different chapter by returning to the 1967 SUB 300 and introducing a dial construction never before offered by the brand.

A familiar DOXA, yet profoundly renewed

With this SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler, DOXA avoids the pitfall of the commemorative edition resting solely on a few engravings or symbolic references. The tribute is very much present, but here it serves as the starting point for a genuine technical evolution.

Grade 5 titanium transforms comfort on the wrist. The two-level dial adds relief without harming legibility. The COSC certification, the 300-metre water resistance and the functional bezel keep the watch in its role as an instrument. The result remains immediately identifiable as a DOXA SUB while offering a distinctive, almost mineral personality. A watch turned towards the past through its design, towards the future through its construction and towards the depths through its purpose.

Limited to 300 numbered pieces, the DOXA SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler has been available since 15 July 2026 from authorised DOXA retailers and on the brand’s website, at a public price of 3,190 euros.

Technical specifications

Model	DOXA SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler
Edition	300 numbered pieces
Case	grade 5 titanium
Dimensions	42,50 × 45 mm
Thickness	13,40 mm
Crystal	“glass box” sapphire with anti-reflective treatment
Water resistance	300 mètres – 30 ATM
Bezel	unidirectional rotating, twin depth and dive-time scale
Dial	two superimposed grade 5 titanium plates, upper plate laser-cut
Movement	Sellita SW200-1 automatic, COSC-certified
Frequency	28 800 vibrations per hour
Power reserve	about 38 heures
Strap	black Dive Flex rubber
Buckle	pin buckle in grade 5 titanium
Public price	3 190 euros

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