DOXA diver dials ... is it a virus or just an obsession ?

[manodeoro]

Hello to you all Doxa lovers,

It's been a really long time since I posted here ... too much personnal problems to take care and solve.
2025 is starting much better than 2024 and I hope it'll keep going this way.
Since early January I focused on projects I had started last year and needed to be finished ... and I thank again members involved in those projects for their patience and understanding.

Nevertheless ...
Last week I found some time to work on an old personnal project I posted here on June 2022.
When I first posted about that dial I really had no idea on how I would make it or if I could ever do it.
But time has past and I learned some new tricks
So today I'm happy to tell you that the ELEUTHERA now really doest exist and ... if I may say so ... it was worth the wait

Someday I'll probably redo the lume with light blue glow on dial and handset to match the blue lume on the datewheel.
But all in all I'm happy with that watch and I hope you'll like it.

 

[WatchN3RD]

Hello to you all Doxa lovers,

It's been a really long time since I posted here ... too much personnal problems to take care and solve.
2025 is starting much better than 2024 and I hope it'll keep going this way.
Since early January I focused on projects I had started last year and needed to be finished ... and I thank again members involved in those projects for their patience and understanding.

Nevertheless ...
Last week I found some time to work on an old personnal project I posted here on June 2022.
When I first posted about that dial I really had no idea on how I would make it or if I could ever do it.
But time has past and I learned some new tricks
So today I'm happy to tell you that the ELEUTHERA now really doest exist and ... if I may say so ... it was worth the wait

Someday I'll probably redo the lume with light blue glow on dial and handset to match the blue lume on the datewheel.
But all in all I'm happy with that watch and I hope you'll like it.

It looks awesome, and also pretty complicated. Anything you can share about how you made something that technical, or the tricks you've learned since you originally started on it?

Really curious, but I certainly understand if you don't want to share your trade secrets. It looks like it was a difficult task, and you still completed it with borderline perfection.

 

[manodeoro]

It looks awesome, and also pretty complicated. Anything you can share about how you made something that technical, or the tricks you've learned since you originally started on it?

Really curious, but I certainly understand if you don't want to share your trade secrets. It looks like it was a difficult task, and you still completed it with borderline perfection.

Indeed ... making that one was a bit difficult and time-consuming
To make a long story short it's a 9 steps process :
- 3 steps to paint the dial plate (1 step for each color using paint masks)
- 2 steps for the white print (to get a clean white)
- 1 step for the black print
- 3 steps for the final varnish (varnish / matte sanding / semi-gloss polish)
I had to make tens of tests (trials and fails) until I got satisfactory results

 

[manodeoro]

I forgot to share pics of another dial I first posted about late December 2021.
At the time, I had already done the drawing and it took me several years to complete it.
But today I'm happy to share the BLACKLUNG SEARAMBLER

 

[fink]

Manodeoro could you PM me a price for one of your fantastic dials?

 

[danconio]

Manodeoro could you pm me the price and how to place an order for your dials? I am interested in a synchron Divingstar Poseidon, a 300T Caribbean, and your new Eleuthera dial all for seestern sub300t v3’s

 

[repdoc3]

Got this Seestern Doxa back together with Charles’ beautiful dial on a genuine Isofrane strap. Really have to see to appreciate the dial. Look I even have a gen-like non-aligned pip on this Seastern - haha.

 

[dallas]

manodeoro,​

Could you PM me with the info on how to order an orange ETA Doxa dial.

Thanks

 

[djscott1]

Manodeoro,

Can you please PM me which dials and prices you do?

 

[manodeoro]

@fink @danconio @dallas @djscott1
Sorry for answering lately ... the "watch" button was "without email notifications" but now it's solved

I would be happy to make dials for you but unfortunately I can't send PMs nor receive new PMs because of the "do not trade with me" badge
I got that badge early January after not connecting nor answering PMs for 2 months because of huge family and health problems. ... I habe explained evrything here.
All problems have been solved for months ... PMs answered and products shipped and received ... but it seems that badge will stay there for some time and I have no idea of when it will be removed.

So for the moment I'm blocked with no way of responding to your requests, contacting you or being contacted.
I could share my email address but that would be against the rules of the forum and, whatever some may think, I want to respect these rules as I always have.
So we'll have to wait until the moderators decide to release me from this "do not trade with me" badge.
In the meantime I'll continue to post some of my work, which at the moment is mainly on gen watches and, unfortunately, outside this forum.

 

[manodeoro]

Got this Seestern Doxa back together with Charles’ beautiful dial on a genuine Isofrane strap. Really have to see to appreciate the dial. Look I even have a gen-like non-aligned pip on this Seastern - haha.

Happy you like it that dial was not the easiest to print and a bit challenging but but in the end we made it

 

[newest dude on the forum]

I'll confirm that manodeoro is a good guy who had a rough situation. He made things more than good with me, and I'm certain everyone else he dealt with. It's a bummer for me to see that badge next to the name of such a good guy.

 

[manodeoro]

I'll confirm that manodeoro is a good guy who had a rough situation. He made things more than good with me, and I'm certain everyone else he dealt with. It's a bummer for me to see that badge next to the name of such a good guy.

Thank you for your testimony and your support
For the time being, I'll be patient and hope that things will settle down.

 

[drleospaceman]

These are amazing dials, @manodeoro! I am sorry to hear about your health problems but am glad you’re on the mend. As soon as your status is resolved, I would love to buy an aqua-lung dial for my Seestern

 

[drleospaceman]

And regardless of the dial swap, can anyone recommend a dome crystal that will fit my Seestern? Really prefer the 300 look over the 300T. Thanks

 

[manodeoro]

And regardless of the dial swap, can anyone recommend a dome crystal that will fit my Seestern? Really prefer the 300 look over the 300T. Thanks

No idea
However... I may try to pop the bezel of and remove the sapphire on one of those Seesterns to check the exact diameter and thickness.
I'll probably end up destroying it, but nothing ventured, nothing gained

 

[mtrain]

Hi Charles,

Thanks again for the completed Proplof - it's super.

I've recently been reading the doxa books and seen your amazing doxa dial work - including the famous irish star for your friend Dr Millar!

Would you be prepared to do a doxa orange aqua lung dial for me ? As you know, I'm pretty hopeless with taking watches apart.
I could send you a V3 Seestern - and I'm hoping you could swap the dials when completed. Ideally with a domed sapphire crystal - but I appreciate that might not be possible.

I also have the titanium turquoise (NUMA!) Marinez which I like as it is.

Let me know if that's something you'd be interested in.
I've PM'd you - but you probably still wont be able to receive the message.

 

[manodeoro]

Hello to you all Doxa lovers,

It's been a really long time since I posted here ... too much personnal problems to take care and solve.
2025 is starting much better than 2024 and I hope it'll keep going this way.
Since early January I focused on projects I had started last year and needed to be finished ... and I thank again members involved in those projects for their patience and understanding.

Nevertheless ...
Last week I found some time to work on an old personnal project I posted here on June 2022.
When I first posted about that dial I really had no idea on how I would make it or if I could ever do it.
But time has past and I learned some new tricks
So today I'm happy to tell you that the ELEUTHERA now really doest exist and ... if I may say so ... it was worth the wait

Someday I'll probably redo the lume with light blue glow on dial and handset to match the blue lume on the datewheel.
But all in all I'm happy with that watch and I hope you'll like it.

Recently I took a different route with my Eleuthera project.
Rather than do a Doxa tribute, I decided to make a watch in my own name ... more precisely in the name of my brand new company "Polaire WatchMakers".
I'm planning to produce a limited edition of 50, which I'll put up on Kickstarter before the summer for production in the autumn, or sooner if everything goes well.

The dial, which I'm still working on, will remain virtually the same except for 2 differences :
- PWM (for Polaire WatchMakers) will replace DOXA above the "professionnal".
- SWISS at 6:00 will be replaced by a unique number (01/50 to 50/50).
As usual, each dial will be made by hand, but this time each dial will be unique, as it will be numbered from 01/50 to 50/50.

Both caseback and clasp will be engraved.
The clasp will bear the name POLAIRE and the name of the model.
The caseback will be engraved with the Eleuthera silhouette, the name of my company and the model, as well as the inscription "limited edition" followed by the number of the watch in the serie.
I've also added the latitude and longitude coordinates of the "glass window bridge", the geographical point on which I've centred the dial design.

I hope to be able to complete the prototype (00/50) and the first example (01/50) by the end of this month.
For the moment I can show you the case back and the clasp of the prototype.

I hope you like these pics ... don't hesitate to let me know what you think !

 

[manodeoro]

and 01/50 caseback and clasp done

 

[manodeoro]

Many members are wondering whether it would be possible to modify a SUB 300T Seestern case with a thicker domed glass... and to be honest, I've been wondering the same thing for months/years.
So today I decided to check by myself

I disassembled one of my SUB 300T cases and popped out the sapphire to measure its dimensions:
- Diameter: 27.56 mm
- Thickness: 2.86 mm

After some research, I ordered two lenses that might work :
- 27.5 mm diameter curved mineral glass ... 3 mm thick at the edges and approximately 4 mm thick in the centre
- 27.6 mm diameter curved hollow acrylic glass ... 2 mm thick at the edges and approximately 3.5 mm thick in the centre
I'll post an update here as soon as I receive them and try them out.
But the hunt is on, so feel free to look for yourself and reply to this post.

Since I was taking a risk, I might as well take two.
So I decided to remove the rotating bezel as well.
It turns out to be solid (no insert) and is held in place with a paperclip spring.

After searching for 20 minutes for the click spring (the one that fits into the inner grooves of the bezel) I managed to put it back in and then take it out again.
My watch will remain in this state, safely stored in its box, until I have tested the glasses I ordered.