Sometimes we want icons to do a little more for us, to be something a little extra. And we desire these things whilst at the same time asking that their core nature doesn’t change too much. Or not at all. Icons in our niche world of horology rarely change because we do indeed expect them to remain as close to what they’ve been as possible, which is why a Rolex Submariner remains a Rolex Submariner even though its dimensions and caliber inside evolve ever so slightly over the course of several decades. And why an Omega Speedmaster Professional remains an Omega Speedmaster Professional even though the brand adds sapphire to replace hesalite on the crystal and refines the bracelet’s clasp. Their core design doesn’t change however because that is what drew us to them in the first place and changing it would steer us away from them. But yet again, sometimes we want more and we expect the brand will understand how to best make that happen. 

Last year I reviewed the Doxa SUB 200T Sharkhunter which to me was, at last, the best version of this iconic diver born in 1968 (the SUB 300T.) The case had been shrunken down to fit a greater variety of wrists but the essence of the watch had been fully preserved. It was a masterpiece, the perfect example of the modernization of an iconic timekeeping device. Once Doxa had done this incredible feat, they thought why not go a step further and integrate a GMT complication to make it the perfect explorer/diver tool watch. So that those who dive all around the world could keep track of home time where they aren’t, or so that non-divers would know what time it is in their next exotic holiday location. Thus Doxa released the SUB 250T GMT in no less than nine versions, and as it is customary, I opted to look at the Sharkhunter ref. 855.10.101.10 so that I could do a fair comparison with the SUB 200T. 

P.S. The press unit I borrowed apparently has been reviewed by many and it showed.

Specifications 

If you are familiar with Doxa’s nomenclature, then you already know of a technical difference between the two models: the SUB 250T GMT comes with 50 extra meters of water resistance for a total of 250 compared to the SUB 200T, which the brand achieved whilst adding a fourth hand and without significantly increasing the case’s dimensions. The SUB 250T GMT measures 40mm in diameter, 42.90mm lug-to-lug, 10.85mm thick and comes with a lug width of 18mm; the SUB 200T measures 39mm in diameter, 41.50mm lug-to-lug, 10.70mm thick, and comes also with an 18mm lug width. This means the new model is 1mm larger, 1.40mm longer, and 0.15mm thicker than the older model, which is to me incredible given the extra water resistance and added complication which requires additional vertical space to fit inside the case. That is a good example of how better technology can help in squeezing in more good stuff within a relatively modestly sized case. The SUB 250T GMT wears incredibly well on my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist. 

The extra complication is ensured by the Sellita SW330-2 élaboré caliber which beats at 4Hz, comes with 56 hours of power reserve, and is adjusted in four positions to run at ± 5 seconds per day with a maximum daily deviation of ± 20 seconds. For an unknown reason, Doxa doesn’t specify which caliber beats inside the SUB 250T GMT but simply indicates “Swiss movement” on its website. What the brand does tell us however is that the crystal is made of sapphire, the bezel is unidirectional but doesn’t indicate it has 120 clicks (and I would add 120 gently precise clicks,) nor does it indicate the nature of the luminescent compounds applied on the hands, markers, and bezel pip, which I assume is SuperLuminova C1 on the former two elements and an orange colored version of it on the latter. The brand does tell us however that the bracelet is of the Beads of Rice design and equipped with a ratcheting diver’s extension, and I would add the links are screwed in.

Design

The design of the Doxa SUB 250T GMT hasn’t really changed from the SUB 200T which I find to be a very good thing but which I imagine will upset some folks. The beauty of this new iteration of the iconic diver is the seamless integration of the GMT complication which the brand managed to do by subtly resizing some core elements of the dial’s layout. For example, the GMT scale is printed on a steeply angled rehaut and to make the latter fit, the brand shrunk the iconic hour markers and minute track so that the dial opening diameter (I suppose) wasn’t changed. (And what I loved about the SUB 200T compared to the SUB 300T is the denser nature of the dial layout.) Doxa also split the GMT track into two sections, highlighting the AM hours with orange numerals printed on a black background and the PM hours with black numerals printed on an orange background*. Given that the dial opening didn’t change, and so the fact that the rehaut is narrow, Doxa opted to spell out each hour of the GMT scale with numerals so that they are easier to read. 

*The PM hours are more legible than the AM hours which is fine since we’re supposed to be diving during the former time slots and sleeping during the latter. 

The GMT hand for its part is skeletonized and larger than the already large orange painted minute hand and in fact frames it perfectly when both are stacked vertically. (The white border of the GMT hand sticks out from the orange border of the minute hand.) So all four hands found on the dial are of very different dimensions and designs so that none can be mistaken for another, and even though the SUB 250T GMT has a fourth hand, reading the local time, timing a dive, or checking the time in a different time zone ain’t hard. I would say it is actually neat to see so many hands because it makes this model look extra tactical and utilitarian which is a look I adore. So indeed the printed hour markers are shorter and so appear wider, the minute hash-marks were shortened too, but the framed date aperture is still here so are the tails shooting out from the markers at the cardinal points. In good Doxa fashion the hour hand is small, the minute hand extra large, and the seconds hand complemented by a lumed rectangular element. 

From a pure functional standpoint, and something I loved about the SUB 200T and any Doxa’s for that matter, is how close the minute hand is to the bezel so that timing an event (dive) is extremely easy to do, so it is to calculate the decompression stops thanks to the second scale incised and painted on the outer portion of the bezel insert. Actually, if you look at the photos of the SUB 200T in my previous review, you will notice that the minute hand on the SUB 250T GMT is much closer to the bezel than it was on the previous model, and it appears to me that the hand was elongated and narrowed down to more easily differentiate it from the new GMT hand. So whether or not Doxa intended to make the minute hand closer to the bezel and easier to read or not, by changing its shape they managed to hit two birds with one stone and that is one small detail which goes a long way in making the SUB 250T GMT more functional and easier to use than the  SUB 200T. 

My eyes saw these details before that my brain could compute them. 

The Heart of the Matter

I didn’t talk about the case design of the new as it doesn’t appear to have actually changed from the old except that it is a tad larger, making it actually more comfortable to wear on my puny wrist. Because what is at the heart of the matter is the fact that Doxa doubled-down on making the SUB 300T more approachable to more folks as I believe many of us watch nerds had been asking the brand to give us a smaller version of its iconic diver. So in 2024 it gave us a smaller version of it, sizing down the case from 42.50mm to 39mm, and now in 2025, giving us more functionality in a better proportioned case and better designed dial. It’s a win-win for us and for the brand. However its price has increased: from $1,590 for the SUB 200T in 2024 (now $1,848 USD at the time of writing this article) on the bracelet to about $3,010 USD for the SUB 250T GMT on a bracelet as well, that is adding $1,162 USD roughly for the extra complication and redesigned dial. 

Alas, I have to say that is a bit of a hard pill to swallow given that the SW330-2 élaboré caliber seems to cost around $350 USD which only makes up about 30% of the total value of the price increase. And so we have a second heart of the matter today: price. Shit keeps getting more and more expensive each day, that is true, however the SUB 250T GMT costs 62% more than the SUB 200T for an additional complication—to keep things simple. I’m sure there is much more that went into engineering the new case so that it can fit a taller movement, boasts more water resistance, whilst remaining aesthetically unchanged, but that is a story I cannot tell you today and which I hope Doxa will be able to tell us one day. 

Conclusion 

So here we are. As mentioned earlier, the new Doxa SUB 250T GMT comes in nine versions: Sharkunter (black, ref. 855.10.101.10,) Professional (orange, ref. 855.10.351.10,) Searambler (silver gray, ref. 855.10.021.10,) Caribbean (nautical blue, ref. 855.10.201.10,) Divingstar (yelllow, ref. 855.10.361.10,) Aquamarine (Tiffany blue, ref. 855.10.241.10,) Whitepearl (white, ref. 855.10.011.10,) Sea Emerald (stone green, ref. 855.10.131.10,) and Sharkhunter Vintage (black with fumé effect, ref. 855.10.101V.10,) the latter being the only version where the GMT hand is thin, solid, and equipped with a red triangular lumed element. All versions cost the same, so $3,010 USD on the bracelet and $2,965 USD on the fitted rubber strap. (I recommend getting the version on the bracelet though Doxa charges $534 USD for the rubber!) 

I do still love the watch as it represents a logical and neat next step for Doxa, offering us watch enthusiasts, divers, and desk divers an opportunity to wear a GMT diver from an iconic brand,  but I would have been thrilled to be able to explain the noticeable price increase. That’s it. 

Thanks for reading.