Deep Diving Into Conversation with DOXA CEO Jan Edöcs

Appointed CEO of DOXA in 2019, Jan Edöcs and his forward-thinking leadership have often been credited with the brand’s contemporary success. On a recent trip to Singapore, we explored his insights on the Asian market, the makeup of the DOXA DNA, and more.

"DOXA is water." CEO Jan Edöcs has been driving this message loud and clear, and if you're a serious diver with a heartfelt appreciation for mechanical watches, DOXA is no stranger. They are, after all, among the pioneers of the 1960s divers, having even developed a purpose-designed, professional-grade SUB dive watch with diving legend Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1967.

The SUB 300 was the first diving watch with a unidirectional bezel that showcased a dual scale for depth and dive time. The cherry on top, unheard of at the time, was the patented orange dial, which proved to be a key component for better underwater visibility. Better yet, it was accessible to the growing community of sports divers, granting it a reputation for value, quality, and exceptional workmanship.

That point in history redefined DOXA because, prior to revolutionising tool watches for professional divers, founder Georges Ducommun started the business in 1889, namely with high-quality pocket watches, wristwatches and dashboard clocks for automobiles. He chose the name 'DOXA', which means 'glory' in Greek. His attention to detail and unique craftsmanship even garnered him awards in 1905 and 1906. His “8-Day DOXA Caliber”, a dashboard-mounted clock, was later patented and used as the standard equipment on Bugatti’s racing cars.

Unfortunately, DOXA wasn't immune to the Quartz Crisis either. Eventually, the brand began a new chapter under the Jenny family after a 1997 acquisition and the headquarters were transferred to Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. The pinnacle change that led to the brand's resurgence and new growth was the appointment of visionary CEO Jan Edöcs.

In this interview with Edöcs, we chatted about his vision for DOXA, the potential inclusion of non-divers in the core collection, his business strategies for marketing the brand, and more.

Jan Edöcs: As you can see [on my wrist], the SUB 300 Carbon remains one of my favourites! The main reason is that you can still feel it’s a diver’s watch by its weight, even if you’re working at the office. Technically, this is my watch during the day because it’s so light and comfortable to wear. I’m just fascinated with the weight. It’s merely 44g, and yet you don’t feel it at all. I also like it a lot at night, with the Super-LumiNova® luminescent coating – we didn’t have that two years ago.

With DOXA, it’s easy because you can truly go with the flow of your mood. For example, I would opt for more colourful styles on a beach holiday. When I’m heading somewhere more business-related, I choose something more subtle. It’s easy to swap looks.

JE: Ah, but then there's the matter of matching the retail price. Right now, it's SGD$6,690, but adding a titanium clasp would cost at least three to four thousand dollars more because it's costly to work with this material. Then, you'll have to explain the added value to the end consumer, which can be difficult. Even doing the clasp in carbon would be crazy.

JE: Functionality in a diving watch and not forgetting where you come from – DOXA stays in the water. Even when we work with different materials like ceramic gold, you can still go diving because of its functionality. We do have two to three exceptions, like the cushion shape that’s instantly recognisable even from 10 metres away. Take the logo out; whether people like it or not, they can tell it’s DOXA. If you can achieve this – not many brands have, in my opinion – and add that with functionality, you get a watch with a lot of good value.

JE: Oh, but with watches, never say never [laughs]. You never know in five or ten years, but yes, we know where to go from our DNA. We may make a limited edition with an anniversary and retell a story from the past, like with Bugatti, because we've got beautiful pieces.

JE: They do, but that's not our current direction. We first need to make DOXA known to the end consumers who don't know the brand. We want to keep it simple for them and stick to our roots. In the years to come, if people instinctively know that DOXA is water, there's nothing better than I can ask for. A lot of brands try to please everyone. They end up questioning what the brand stands for then. For DOXA, it's a matter of whether they like it or not, and even if they don't like it, they're capable of explaining the product. That, to me, shows we're on the winner's side.

JE: Well, we'll do something next year for sure, but it'll still be a diver [laughs]. We play nice but with caution. For example, we will be approaching Japan next year – Singapore has seen all of these already, but they haven't, so be patient.

JE: Oh, it's more challenging, for sure. The Japanese are an exception because they're very much into water activities. Japan's maritime history itself is deeply rooted, and there are a huge number of divers. The rest of Asia presents a tougher challenge. People still buy dive watches, but only a small percentage of them actually dive. In Europe, everyone loves the beach. They dream of it! When they see water, they remove everything and jump in, snorkel or dive – that doesn't happen as much in parts of Asia like China or Hong Kong.

And so, how do you explain the value of water to the Asian community? Simple. We run differently and let them explore the history of water. The Middle East market is a good example. We reached out to them through their history of pearl diving. In the Philippines, we took people to a diving pool. Well, it was more like a five-metre pool, but it was enough not to scare people and make them willing to try. It was a fantastic experience for everyone.

At the end of the day, the market is there, and people buy the watch for the aesthetics without using its functionality as a diving watch. It becomes seen more as a sporty watch. Of course, it's different in Singapore. You have a very educated market, but some countries aren't like that.

JE: We're basically going the opposite way of the others, but in the end, we're all walking on the same bridge. All the brands try to go online. Retail is important because people want to touch and feel when paying a higher price – what does it mean that the watch is 44g? If it's $1,000, sure, go online.

But for retail business, we're very selective because we also want to be encountered by other excellent brands. Watches of Switzerland or The Hour Glass Group have all the local contacts, and people trust you. If you're working with a brand, then it must be good. That kind of brand environment gives clients (and brand partners) value, allowing your audience to discover DOXA.

By the end of the year, we will have roughly 180 points of sales (POS). In four years, we aim to reach a maximum of 400 POS globally. That's nothing, though, because we're only doing 50 in the US, which isn't a lot. But I'm not selling DOXA to any online platform because we want to keep it clean. There's no market parallel to DOXA. In the end, many people think what we're doing is complicated, but it's not. It's simple.

JE: "Well, no one is a genius at DOXA. We do what we know to do: follow our roots without compromise.

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