Doxa Chateau des Monts 120th Anniversary model

Although the Doxa Chateau des Monts watch is officially designated as a model celebrating the 120th anniversary of the brand, it is not really so. To be precise, the brand Doxa was registered as a trademark only in 1910, which was 89 years ago. In the year 1889 however, the company’s founding father Georges Ducommun opened his own watch repair workshop after about 8 years of working in a company that was making pocket watches. He was only 20 years old, by the way.

The watch is styled like the Locle series models produced in the 1920s. Although those vintage watches usually had their small seconds dials placed at the 6 o’clock, this particular watch has the dial located at the 9 o’clock.

The Doxa Chateau des Monts is powered by a manually wound Unitas movement. In its press release the Swiss company doesn’t go into details, but judging by the watch’s look, it must be the Unitas 6497 or 6498 pocket watch calibers designed in the 1950s. Also known as the ETA 6497/6498, these movements are usually sold at a wholesale price below €100 and can be found in such models as the Panerai Luminor Marina Militare, Hamilton Khaki Officer, Glycine Incursore Manual and in a great number of cheap mechanical watches.

The Swiss company plans to sell this model in two lots limited to only 120 units each with dials available in black with white hands and indices, white and (my favorite) ivory with blued hands and hour markers.

Doxa Chateau des Monts watch’s specification :

Price range: 2500 CHF
Movement: Unitas, hand-wound
Complications: no
Power reserve: N/A
Case material: Stainless steel, transparent caseback with sapphire crystal
Case dimensions: N/A
Case height: N/A
Dial: Black, white or ivory
Water resistance: N/A
Strap: Black or brown leather with buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, anti-reflective, convex