This article explores how watches, specifically Doxa dive watches, can act as social connectors, facilitating friendships and shared experiences among enthusiasts. The author recounts a trip to the Gulf of Mexico with a group of watch collectors who are also divers, highlighting how the shared passion for timepieces and underwater exploration fostered a strong sense of camaraderie.
The author describes a trip to Panama City Beach, Florida, for shipwreck diving, organized by Doxa and The Watch Preserve, which brought together a group of watch enthusiasts who are also divers.
The group, known as SHIPS (Subaquatic Historical Interest and Preservation Society), formed friendships through online watch communities and then met in person for diving trips.
Attendees had the opportunity to wear and test various Doxa models, including the SUB 300, SUB 300T, SUB 200T, Army, SUB 200 T-Graph II chronograph, and the SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler limited edition.
The SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler, a titanium limited edition, was a personal favorite of the author due to its matte grey dial with a hint of OD green.
The trip included wreck diving and a visit to the Man in the Sea Museum, which focuses on the history of underwater exploration.
The author purchased the Clive Cussler Ti5 after the trip, finding that wearing it evokes memories of the shared experience and friendships formed.
The Watch Preserve plans to make this type of trip a recurring event, offering opportunities for divers and watch enthusiasts to connect.