The Hourstriker Verdict
The newest SUB 200 from DOXA is done in collaboration with Italian retailer Gioielleria. This edition, called the Grande Roma, takes inspiration from Rome and even features the Colosseum on it. The SUB 200 Grande Roma is still a serious dive tool with 200 meters of water resistance while being powered by a solid Sellita SW200 automatic movement. I personally love the black to brown gradient dial as well.
— Peter, Editor-in-Chief
DOXA has announced the release of the SUB 200 Grande Roma, a highly constrained limited edition produced in partnership with the Roman retailer Gioielleria GRANDE. This marks the brand's first special series specifically localized for the Italian market. The release is limited to exactly fifty individually numbered units. The base architecture utilizes the standard production DOXA SUB 200, a model that deviates from the brand’s historically significant cushion-cased SUB 300 series in favor of a traditional skin-diver silhouette. By executing a strict fifty-piece production run, the manufacturer employs a highly targeted retail strategy, isolating the distribution entirely to a single regional partner. The strategic focus remains on localized market penetration rather than global catalog expansion.
The collaboration centers on localized aesthetic modifications rather than technical alterations to the base caliber or case geometry. The Italian watch market has historically operated as a crucial testing ground for Swiss tool watches, often driving trends in the wider secondary and vintage sectors. Partnering with a recognized retailer like Gioielleria GRANDE allows DOXA to leverage established local distribution channels without diluting the primary catalog. The watch sector frequently utilizes these hyper-regional limited editions to stimulate regional engagement while maintaining standard production output at the corporate level. The SUB 200 Grande Roma will be sold concurrently through the retailer's physical locations and their dedicated e-commerce platform. This localized distribution model guarantees that the physical inventory remains concentrated within the target demographic.
Courtesy of DOXA
The Case and Dial
The case of the SUB 200 Grande Roma is machined from a solid block of 316L stainless steel, measuring 42 millimeters in diameter. Despite the stated diameter, the visual presence on the wrist is mitigated by the 19-millimeter lug width and the sharply twisted lug profile, which pulls the strap closer to the case center. The finishing consists of heavily polished upper lug surfaces contrasting with horizontally brushed case flanks, a standard treatment for mid-century skin diver reissues. A screw-down crown with deep knurling is positioned at the conventional three o'clock location, contributing to the verified 200-meter water resistance rating. The rotating bezel features a glossy black insert with a standard sixty-minute dive scale, utilizing applied Super-LumiNova for the primary markers. The dial is protected by a domed sapphire crystal, manufactured in a "glass box" profile to replicate the optical distortion of vintage acrylic crystals without the associated vulnerability to impact and surface scratching.
The dial exhibits a pronounced radial sunburst finish that transitions through a distinct color gradient. The center of the dial presents a warm, metallic taupe or bronze tone, which gradually darkens to an opaque black at the outer minute track. This specific finishing requires multiple applications of translucent lacquer over a brushed brass base plate to achieve the correct index of refraction and color depth. The time is indicated by a set of faceted, silver-toned hands; the hour hand utilizes a standard baton shape, while the minute hand features a wider pencil profile for rapid acquisition during timing operations. The sweep seconds hand is painted black near the pinion, transitioning to white, and terminates in a bright red tip featuring a square lumed block. Rectangular applied indices with polished surrounds are heavily filled with white Super-LumiNova, matching the luminescence of the handset. The dial also features a customized tampograph print at six o'clock, displaying a stylized outline of the Roman Colosseum positioned directly above the standard SUB 200 text.
The reverse side of the watch features a solid, screw-down stainless steel caseback. The use of a solid caseback rather than an exhibition window is a standard structural requirement for achieving significant pressure resistance without unnecessarily increasing the overall case thickness. The surface is finished with a coarse concentric circular brushing pattern. A deep engraving of the Colosseum dominates the center, surrounded by the text "GRANDE" and "GIOIELLERIA GRANDE" along the lower arc. The perimeter of the caseback carries standard specifications regarding material and water resistance, along with the specific limited edition serialization formatted as "00 / 50". This localized engraving physically differentiates the case from standard production models, as the base components are otherwise identical to the standard catalog variants.
Courtesy of DOXA
The Movement
Powering the SUB 200 Grande Roma is the Sellita SW200, a ubiquitous Swiss automatic mechanical caliber utilized heavily throughout the independent tool watch sector. The movement operates at a frequency of 4 Hertz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour, which yields a smooth, eight-tick-per-second sweep of the seconds hand. The architecture utilizes twenty-six jewels to reduce friction at critical pivot points within the gear train. The mainspring barrel stores a maximum power reserve of approximately thirty-eight hours when fully wound by the bidirectional rotor. While current industry standards are shifting toward modern calibers offering reserves of seventy hours or more, the SW200 remains a standard choice due to its proven industrial reliability and absolute serviceability. The movement fits securely within the 42mm case architecture, utilizing a standard spacer ring to absorb lateral shocks.
The SW200 incorporates several standard functional capabilities necessary for modern horological applications. The movement features a hacking seconds mechanism, which halts the balance wheel when the crown is pulled to the final position, allowing the user to synchronize the time precisely against a reference clock. A quickset date mechanism is integrated into the first crown position, enabling rapid advancement of the date disc without cycling the primary hour hands through full twenty-four-hour rotations. The date is displayed through a stepped, white-framed window located at the three o'clock position on the dial. The decision to utilize this caliber aligns directly with the brand's stated strategy of offering robust, easily maintained mechanical dive watches at competitive retail price points. Independent watchmakers globally stock the necessary replacement components for the SW200, effectively guaranteeing the long-term operational viability of the watch well beyond the manufacturer's warranty period.
Courtesy of DOXA
The Bracelet and Strap
The watch is delivered on DOXA’s recognized stainless steel "beads-of-rice" bracelet. This specific bracelet architecture utilizes small, highly polished central links arranged in multiple rows, flanked by larger, vertically brushed outer links. The multi-link construction provides superior articulation compared to rigid three-link designs, allowing the metal to conform closely to the curvature of the wrist. The bracelet tapers from the nineteen-millimeter solid end links down to a machined stainless steel folding clasp. This clasp incorporates a mechanical diving extension, a specialized deployant mechanism designed to instantly increase the circumference of the bracelet so the watch can be secured over a thick neoprene exposure suit.
Included within the primary packaging is a secondary textile NATO-style strap. The strap is manufactured from a woven brown nylon material, selected specifically to coordinate with the central taupe tones of the gradient dial. The hardware consists of standard stainless steel keepers and a traditional pin buckle. The NATO strap design features a continuous, single-piece construction that passes behind the watch case and threads through both spring bars. This specific configuration ensures that the watch head remains attached to the wrist even in the event of a catastrophic failure of a single spring bar during active use.
Courtesy of DOXA
Pricing and Availability
The DOXA x Gioielleria SUB 200 Grande Roma carries an official retail price of EUR 1,590.00. This pricing structure represents a minor premium over the standard production SUB 200 models, accounting for the specialized dial finishing, the custom caseback engraving, and the severely restricted production volume. The financial delta is typical for regional retail collaborations within this specific market tier.
Availability is strictly limited to the fifty produced units. The distribution model bypasses DOXA’s standard global retail network entirely. The inventory is allocated exclusively to the Italian market through the Gioielleria GRANDE retail ecosystem. Consumers can purchase the watch directly at the physical boutiques located in Rome or through the retailer's official e-commerce website.
Courtesy of DOXA
Technical Specifications
Case: 42mm diameter, 316L stainless steel, 19mm lug width, unidirectional rotating bezel, domed "glass box" sapphire crystal, screw-down caseback, 200m water resistance.
Movement: Sellita SW200, Swiss automatic mechanical, 26 jewels, 28,800 vph (4Hz), approximately 38-hour power reserve.
Dial: Black to brown gradient, applied indices with Super-LumiNova, printed Colosseum motif, date window at 3 o'clock.
Strap: Stainless steel beads-of-rice bracelet with folding clasp and diving extension; additional brown textile NATO strap with stainless steel pin buckle.
Price: EUR 1,590.00
Reference Number: 799.10.321.10-SE16
Notes: Limited to 50 individually numbered pieces, exclusively available through Gioielleria GRANDE in Italy.