Heroes And Villains 2021 - Villains Who Rewrite History

BBC - Credit Fourandsix.com

Regular readers will note, I worked (albeit indirectly) for DOXA from 2007 - 2010.

At that time, Synchron was, essentially, a licensee who had successfully negotiated the rights to design, order, market and sell a revived DOXA SUB collection from the Jenny family who owned the brand. It is worth noting that this essentially meant that Synchron footed the bill. The watches were manufactured by Walca, a white label company owned and operated by... the Jenny family! Marketing, promotion, after sales service? That was all handled by Synchron, who if we're being honest about things, paid for that privilege.

So with next to no money, we had to find any way we could to make sales and get coverage. 

Spoiler Alert -

We did! 

This was helped greatly by partnerships like the one with Project AWARE -

Which led to later partnerships with Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures -

After 3 years, it became clear to me that despite the amount of effort I put in, the number of watches sold, and the partnerships I created Synchron wasn't really that bothered whether I stayed or went. 

So I went. 

History was revised, others painted their own images into the three year picture, and in truth? It was disappointing, but as that other great commentator on the watch business, Napoleon Bonaparte once opined -

Men are moved by two levers only: fear and self interest.

But then, what had "gone around came around". A new CEO was brought into DOXA/Walca, and he believed (and I think rightly) that there was much more money to be made on the DOXA SUB if the company did not license the name to a third party, and did it themselves. While not nearly the scale of value, it is not unlike when Gucci bought Gucci Watches back from Severin Wundermann. 

Photo credit Fourandsix.com

And that would have been fair play all around, but then DOXA served it up cold, with a recreation myth that would have made Thierry Nataf blush. Now don't get me wrong, I can honestly say that the Jenny family were well within their rights to make the change and take back control of the DOXA SUB. But to offer up a narrative that they (the current management team) are solely responsible for reintroducing the SUB, and DOXA to the general public and retail outlets is patently false. 

Am I a fan of Synchron? 

No, not really. But credit should be given where credit is due. Without Synchron, the DOXA SUB would never have surfaced. All of the people at Synchron (not just one despite what he may say or think) made it possible for there to be something for the Jenny's to hand off to a new CEO. 

So just what changed between Synchron and the new owner-backed management? 

Simple.  Money. If you plenty of money to spend on prototyping, production, media buys and the engagement of press agencies? Let's just say that money makes a lot of things possible. 

I am glad that the Jenny family finally decided to put some money into the brand, and hopefully DOXA is not solely existing on memo at Watches of Switzerland here in the US. And I sincerely hope that this latest iteration of the DOXA SUB continues to be supported by the brand's owners. 

With that said, in my own humble way, I would like to encourage the current regime at DOXA and their press agency representatives to stop painting all of the people who contributed to the DOXA SUB out of the picture. We were there, putting in the hours, and making something out of next to nothing for not a whole lot of money.  And no press release will change that fact.

"I want to say one word to you, Benjamin. Just one word."

The older members of the peanut gallery out there will recognize today's title from the 1967 film - The Graduate. Here's the quoted piece in context to today's topic:

Mr. Maguire: I want to say one word to you, Benjamin. Just one word.
Benjamin Braddock: Yes, sir.
Mr. Maguire: Are you listening?
Benjamin Braddock: Yes, I am.

Courtesy of DOXA

Mr. Maguire: Plastics.

Okay, in fairness, carbon fiber, but visit various DOXA and dive watch discussion forums, and you will find that the word plastic is being bandied about more than a little bit.

Well pals and gals, there's a fair bit to unpack here. In all honesty, this product release was, to be kind, not handled particularly well. As of 7:21in the AM (NYC) today, a visit to the DOXA online web store you would have seen that a lot of the product details had not been uploaded yet to the site. Apparently the SUB 300 carbon (apparently not a proper name designation, hence not capitalized) DIVINGSTAR has a movement, albeit one with ZERO description. But not to worry! There is an abundance of information on the strap -
FKM rubber strap, folding clasp, black PVD coating, with ratcheting dive suit extension, exclusive DOXA fish logo Lug width: 20 mm
And it's all yours for the low, low price of $3,890!

But wait!  According to A Blog To Watch, the price is -  3,790 CHF.  As I write this at 7:30 AM (NYC), that equates to $4,097.89 per XE Currency's conversion.

You may remember DOXA's run-away success with carbon fiber with their limited edition SUB 300 Sharkhunter -

Courtesy of DOXA

That SUB set sail a year ago, limited to 300 pieces. Let's say that this one sold more like the hotcake's sexier cousin, the waffle, as in not so hot. If the DOXA website is anything to go on, 300 pieces have not sold yet.

Courtesy of DOXA

Now once again, to be fair, DOXA is being managed with a vision of what they feel DOXA could be (a big time, popular in retail watch), and how they think they can get there. They have invested in advertising, and the more "malleable" members of the Fourth and Fifth Estate are more than happy to keep barking like seals so long as the fish keep getting tossed their way.

If the new SUBs turn your crank as a watch you want to own, you should not let ANYONE (yes, that includes me) dissuade you.

Shamelessly Borrowed

But I do want to hop in the WABAC Machine and take you back to the thrilling days of yesteryear when I worked for DOXA's North American license holder. The recipe for successful DOXA sales was actually a lot more simple than you might think -

• Launch either an Orange (Professional) or Black (Sharkhunter) first. 
• Remember that a HUGE number of your potential customers do not care one bit about watches, but have a visceral connection to Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt.
• Conduct a "we want your opinion" poll on the forum that would artfully (albeit not so subtly) direct participants to choose the details that had  already finalized months before.
• Keep it relatively within the range of what people continually buy - which if I am being brutally honest in retrospect was the 1000, 1200 and 300.
• Build up anticipation - the majority of folks often flip their previous DOXA watches to pay for the new DOXA offering.
• Price it at something in the range of $2,300 BUT pull a Ron Popeil - 

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide info-web

• Use language like "special introductory price" and "pre-order" price.

I don't claim to know or really understand what motivated this latest offering from the folks in Biel/Bienne. And to be abundantly clear, I am neither on Team Jenny or Team Marei in the DOXA wars - I am a conscientious objector firmly on the side of Team Henki ; )

It is indeed possible that the other DOXA SUB watches are selling well. It may well be that retail in the UK is big, bold and beautiful! And in truth, it might be that DOXA is playing the long game, and willing (and able) to wait out the nay-sayers on the forums and win them over in the end.

We will wait, and we will see. But I don't think that this is the SUB that's gonna' move the needle.

The DOXA SUB Has a New Captain

Now inevitably, some of this is going to sound a bit personal.  DOXA is where I started my true tenure in the watch business after working for Tourneau, and although it has been nearly ten years since I moved on, I have followed the ups and downs since.  I got to set up some partnerships and be involved in some particularly cool projects.

And I still treasure my 1/92 Project AWARE.  This was my first partnership project, and it still holds a place in my stony heart ; )


Today news officially dropped that many of us already knew.  The Jenny family will now fully control the DOXA SUB.  And if I am being honest, this is for many of us not so much a beginning, but rather an ending.  

So hop into the "way-back" machine with me.  The DOXA SUB was, at its peak in the late 60s and 70s, super hot.  And then for various reasons that impacted all of the Swiss watch industry... it wasn't.  In fact, the SUB ceased production until a collector and, dare I say it, DOXA SUB fanatic paid a visit to the DOXA owners and convinced them to start manufacturing the SUB again.  Rick Marei was an industry outsider.  But in truth, that is the only way that the SUB could have been re-launched.  It took someone who was willing to think about what the customer actually wanted and would buy, rather than simply try to force the customer to buy what the brand wanted to sell.  This was a pretty radical concept at the time.

Time passed, the SUB's popularity grew, and a true cult was born.  When I think of my time at DOXA, Rick was the proud father, and I found myself often to be in the roll of the American uncle.  I handled press, retail (to the 2 store owners in California, you still owe me $), and direct sales and service in the US and Canada.  In the end, I moved on, but still did some contract work for the DOXA SUB and felt like sort of a "friend" of the brand. 

Now word had actually leaked during BaselWorld this past March that a change would be taking place.  The main DOXA brand would be taking back the SUB after approximately 20 years.  It was 1999 when Rick Marei started the conversation, and the first re-edition pieces came to market in 2002.  All direct, no retail.  And the SUB grew steadily to become a big player in the dive watch collector market.

Change is inevitable.  And this is going to be a pretty big change.  If DOXA's intention is to continue as a direct business with the SUB, then I certainly wish them the best of luck.  Should they be now thinking of distributing through retail channels (particularly here in the US), I will double the sentiment, because they are going to need a fair bit of luck, and staffing.  And if they are going to jump in bed with an official distribution partner?   Well, that promises to be an interesting story to cover as well.

Life moves forward, and the SUB will sail on in one form or another.  As someone who spent some time aboard, let's hope the next chapter is as successful.

For those of you who are interested, here is the official (and I have to be honest, slightly clunky) press release -

PRESS RELEASE - OFFICIAL STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Biel / Bienne, Switzerland, August 13, 2019 - On August 1, Swiss National Day, Doxa Watches headquarters in Switzerland officially regained 100% authority over the name and website http://www.doxawatches.com/
http://www.doxawatches.com/ is now directly handled by the headquarters of Doxa Watches Switzerland, which now manages all activities.

Now with a centralized management in Switzerland, and still 100% owned by the Jenny family in its second generation, DOXA Watches has been consolidating its positions and business activities around the world since 1 August 2019 to offer the best service to its customers.
In the meantime, for transactions and sales made by third parties and/or independent companies before August 1st, 2019, and in the event of a dispute, Doxa Watches HQ Switzerland will do everything in its power to help and assist customers.
You can contact Doxa Watches by writing to: customer.assistance@doxawatches.com
The current Doxa Watches website is currently in transition for a few days.

Very soon, the new http://www.doxawatches.com/ website, completely redeveloped by Doxa Watches HQ in Switzerland, will be online – with the brand's new graphic identity and many new features.
Doxa Watches very much values its end-customers, and is working diligently to finally have a direct contact with them.

With the launch of the new www.doxawatches.com website, customers will also be able to learn more about the new Doxa organization and discover the new collections of Doxa Watches for the next quarter of this year. Our dedicated team in the United States under the direct management of HQ in Switzerland will be happy to help and answer any queries.

Wrapping Up the JENNY Caribbean

So after more than 5 days (thank you JENNY for not hitting me with a "late fee"), it is time to wrap-up the JENNY Caribbean 300.

For many of you, JENNY might be a somewhat unknown quantity, but I suspect that this will not be the case for too much longer.

JENNY, JENNY, Who Can I Turn To?

Okay, sorry, I just couldn't resist. But the first thing you need to know and understand is that JENNY, is actually pronounced YENNY. And by JENNY, yes we mean the same JENNY family that owns DOXA.  

DOXA as you know introduced a singularly, historic, ground-breaking dive watch with the DOXA Professional and its patented "US Navy maximum no decompression limit times in feet" bezel.  And bezels, at least "functional" ones, are turned to help indicate time/timing functions.

DOXA DECO

This is the DOXA DECO.  I had the good fortune to meet the designer of this watch at BaselWorld 2008.  In the "re-edition" era of DOXA (i.e. 2001 - NOW) this was the most successful non-diving watch that DOXA ever released for sale via DOXA Direct.  Beautiful stainless steel, black dial with roman markers - this is a fantastic watch.  They are no longer available, but I have mine!

Something to hang on to

A watch strap is, for many of us, an afterthought. It holds the watch to your wrist, every few years you change it. You see signs in town and at the mall saying "watch straps and battery replacement while you wait". But sometimes a watch strap is more - much more. Back in the 1960s scuba diving was becoming much more of a true recreational activity. No longer the pursuit of the rich, or of the professional or military. But with this new surge in popularity came a refusal to accept the "standard issue". When ISOfrane was introduced back in the 1960s it truly revolutionized the dive watch. I realize that this is a big statement for a strap and not the watch itself, but it really did. Prior to the ISOfrane, dive straps solid chunks of rubber. No ventilation, hard and unforgiving. The ISOfrane was designed with ventilation to ensure that the skin could breath.

You can read more about ISOfrane here - they also sell direct!
www.isofrane.com

Karl Shreeve's Aquadive

This is the first of what I hope will be a recurring section of the Tempus Fugit blog - a sort of "guest blog".

A bit about the contributor - Karl Shreeves has travelled around the world, participated in some of the world's most challenging dives, gets paid to do what he loves as an underwater photographer, is rated a "Legend of Diving" and contributed to Peter Millar's Diving With Legends book.

I met Karl back in 2007, before I started working for DOXA Watches. It seems fitting that he is the first contributor here. He is generous to a fault, thoughtful, intelligent and in all honesty looks a lot better than me. Despite all of this I am proud to call him a friend! In all seriousness, I am very pleased that Karl is sharing his story here.



Thank Goodness for Mothers

A few years ago, my mother surprised me with the pocket watch on the left. Manufactured in 1900 (about), it is a gold plated Centra Lanco, inscribed on the interior with Metal Plaque Lamine Garanti 10 Ans, Centra Lanco 1399. She’d had it restored and it runs (well, sort of – I don’t push my luck.)
The watch on the right is a dive watch I’d bought in1975 or 1976 and used until it flooded on a dive in the Bahamas, in the mid 1980s. At that point, I tossed it in a drawer and forgot about it -- until 2008, when I was online and landed on a picture of a Jenny that looked identical to it. I had to check with the one person I know who knows way too much about watches – James – and sure enough, he confirmed what I suspected: Jenny released watches in the US under the name “Aquadive.” Could have some collector value – if I could find it and get it restored.

As far as I knew, it was long gone. But, an email to my mother with the picture proved otherwise. Moms don’t throw away anything that relates to their kids, and a few days later it showed up. With James help, technicians at Jenny restored it – astoundingly, they still had parts after 30+ years (I guess watch technicians don’t throw anything away either).
In truth, both watches only exist because of my mother, and they have a scuba-related connection for me. The Aquadive is obviously a watch I used to use diving (I wear it but I don’t dive with it today.) The Centra Lanco? Today, the Dutch ABC islands are among the Caribbean’s top travel and scuba destinations; I had the pleasure of visiting Curacao in connection with an article I wrote for Skin Diver magazine. When my great grandfather carried the watch, he owned a plantation and landhouse called Savonet, on Curacao. The island’s tallest mountain, Mt. Christoffel, was on the property. After he passed away in the 1960s, the plantation eventually became the center of today’s Christoffel national park – a popular stopover for visiting divers and nondivers.


An editor's note - as some of you know, DOXA is owned by the Jenny family. Karl sent his watch to me and I took it with me to BaselWorld in 2008. Mr. Jenny senior and his son, Romeo Jenny both recognized it immediately, and were pleased to help Karl with his watch.

For those of you divers out there, I urge you to check out Peter Millar's book.