Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Delma Oceanmaster Antarctica – Purpose-Built and Tested For the Great White Continent
A robust and cool-looking dive watch with more features than meets the eye.
For close to 100 years, Delma has dedicated its production to sports timepieces and to exploration. Certainly, the watches have evolved and the brand now creates modern, high-performance yet accessible pieces – for instance, the ultra-robust Blue Shark III, which can fathom depths of 4,000 metres. Today, a new watch, based on the Shell Star‘s case and design, joins this collection of no-nonsense dive watches. But the new Delma Oceanmaster Antarctica Limited Edition is a rather special piece, not only because of its design and features but because of the background story – it has to do with exploration and the “Great White Continent”.
Purpose-built and tested in Antarctica
The new Delma Oceanmaster Antarctica presents itself as a relatively classic dive watch at first, but behind this watch lies a unique story and a development that is the result of in situ testing.
This watch isn’t only a diver but an exploration and sailing-inspired timepiece – we’ll come back to its unique features later. As indicated by its name, it was inspired by Antarctica and built with exploration of the Great White Continent in mind. It also celebrates the discovery of one of the most unique places on Earth. The watch was developed together with brand ambassador Nick Moloney, an Australian yachtsman who has won many major international yacht races and participated twice in America’s Cup. Nick is also an explorer.
This year, Nick and his team embarked on a journey to celebrate the discovery of Antarctica – Princess Martha Coast was first discovered on 27 January 1820. Accompanying them on this journey, Delma took the opportunity to develop a new model that would assist the team on their expedition to Antarctica in February 2020, a watch specifically built to be a reliable instrument to help the sailors and to resist the extreme conditions found on the frozen continent.
A wish for preservation
Although the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica is one of the most pristine places on Earth, largely unaffected by humans, the nearly 10,000 diverse species that call this unique habitat home are in danger. The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth. During the team’s expedition, the warmest temperature on the northern tip of Antarctica was recorded at over 20 degrees Celsius. “The opportunity to sail to the majestic continent of Antarctica on the occasion of 200 years since its discovery provided an astounding perspective into the power and fragility of Earth’s dynamic continents and creatures,” says Nick Moloney.
In order to give the project even greater significance, and support the future of this captivating place, Delma will contribute to preservation efforts, by supporting the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) in their mission to protect this great wilderness and the fascinating wildlife that relies on it by donating a portion of the proceeds of each Oceanmaster Antarctica.
The Delma Oceanmaster Antarctica
Let’s now talk about the watch, the cool-looking and relatively unique Oceanmaster Antarctica. The watch itself is based on the brand’s classic dive case, found in the Shell Star collection. No doubt, this is an imposing and robust piece of stainless steel, with its 1970s-inspired cushion shape and its 44mm diameter x 13.8mm height. The case has impressive specs with 500m water-resistance, a well-protected crown and a helium escape valve placed in the caseband at 9 o’clock. The finishing includes brushed surfaces enlightened by polished accents.
The Delma Oceanmaster Antarctica isn’t only a dive watch but also a nautical-oriented piece, which is revealed on the bezel. There is no 60-minute scale here, as the unidirectional bezel is equipped with a nautical insert displaying a compass (with a 360-degree scale). The watch is worn on a 3-link steel bracelet with security pushers. The plain steel caseback is engraved with a representation of the Antarctic continent.
To create a link with the Great White Continent, Delma designed a rather cool dial, coloured in gradient light blue with a raised texture that represents the unique structure of the frozen landscape. In addition to the classic indications, the dial is also equipped with a tactical planner and points of sail indicators, which in conjunction with the nautical bezel will facilitate navigation. Hands and indexes are all filled with Super-LumiNova and the date has been moved to the 6 o’clock position – due to the presence of the sailing indicators.
To power the Oceanmaster Antarctica, Delma relies on a tried-and-tested Swiss automatic movement, the reliable ETA 2824, with 25 jewels, a 4Hz frequency and a 38h power reserve. Nothing fancy in this movement but it will execute its task perfectly and goes a long way in keeping the price reasonable.
Price and availability
The Delma Oceanmaster Antarctica is a Limited Edition of 200 pieces, which can now be ordered from Delma’s website. Deliveries are expected in May 2020. It is priced at EUR 1,390 / CHF 1,290 / USD 1,450. More details and orders at www.delma.ch.
