DOXA returns to titanium with the limited edition SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler
DOXA has unveiled the SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler, a new $3,390 limited edition piece that celebrates the life of the bestselling author, underwater explorer, and founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA). Released on what would have been Cussler’s 95th birthday, the watch also marks the return of Grade 5 titanium to the DOXA collection.
For fans of adventure novels, Clive Cussler needs little introduction. His fictional hero, Dirk Pitt, rarely appeared without a DOXA SUB on his wrist, helping turn the Swiss dive watch into an icon for a generation of readers. Since Cussler’s death in 2020, his family has remained closely involved with the brand, and this new release continues that relationship.
The watch is based on the SUB 300, the model that launched DOXA’s modern history in 1967. It was one of the first professional-grade dive watches sold to the general public and remains one of the company’s most recognisable designs.
The biggest change is the case material. The 42.5 mm case, screw-down crown, caseback, and even the dial are all made from Grade 5 titanium. The material is lighter than steel, highly resistant to corrosion, and particularly well suited to a tool watch that is expected to spend time in salt water.
Perhaps the most interesting feature is the new dial construction. Instead of using a traditional flat dial, DOXA has created a two-layer design. The lower titanium dial carries the Super-LumiNova hour markers, while a second titanium plate sits above it with precisely cut openings that reveal the luminous markers underneath. The result is a subtle three-dimensional effect that gives the watch far more depth than a standard printed dial without affecting legibility.
Otherwise, the watch stays true to the classic SUB formula. Water resistance is rated to 300 metres, and the watch retains DOXA’s patented unidirectional bezel with both dive time and no-decompression scales based on U.S. Navy dive tables. The oversized orange minute hand remains one of the defining features of the design, making the most important timing information immediately visible underwater.
There are a few details created specifically for this edition. The date wheel highlights the numbers 15, 7, and 31 in orange, marking Clive Cussler’s birthday of July 15, 1931. The titanium caseback carries the NUMA logo, COSC certification, and the individual limited edition number.
Inside is a COSC-certified Swiss automatic movement running at 4 Hz with a power reserve of approximately 38 hours.
The watch is supplied on a black Dive Flex rubber strap inspired by the perforated tropical straps that were popular during the early years of recreational diving. It suits the vintage character of the SUB 300 while keeping the weight remarkably low.
Originally planned as a run of just 95 watches, DOXA increased production to 300 pieces following demand from collectors. Each watch is individually numbered, and part of the proceeds will be donated to NUMA, the marine archaeology organisation founded by Clive Cussler in 1979 to locate and preserve historic shipwrecks.
The SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler succeeds because it does not simply add a commemorative engraving to an existing model. The use of titanium throughout, the new layered dial, and the connection to one of the most recognisable characters in adventure fiction make this one of DOXA’s most interesting limited editions in recent years. It also reminds us why the SUB 300 remains one of the defining dive watches more than half a century after its introduction.