It is 44 years since Swiss watchmaker Delma made its first professional diver’s watch, named the Shell Star, although tool watches have been central to the brand’s portfolio throughout its 95-year history including the Periscope timepiece that was introduced in the 1960s.
It has been part of the Delma story ever since, and this month a new chapter is being added in the form of a bronze-cased version of the Shell Star.
”The Shell Star holds a special place for Delma as the brand’s first professional diver‘s watch. It captured the attention of the world’s best divers with its release in 1975 and established Delma as a reliable source for professional diving timepieces. With our newest addition to the collection, we set out to reinvent the appearance of the Shell Star with inspiration from the original model and period,” says Andreas Leibundgut, heat of marketing at Delma.
Solid bronze will see the Shell Star’s appearance evolve over time as it is exposed to the elements. It is considered a “living” metal as interaction with water, air, and sun cause it to oxidize and create a natural individual patina.
Bronze will give the watch a new sheen, but its design structure retains its 1970s signatures including a wide-toothed unidirectional bezel and curved crown protectors.
It comes with sand textured dials in green, blue, and brown while on the flipside, its ETA 2824 movement with a gold rotor can be seen through stainless-steel case back with central porthole.
The Bronze Shell Star is retailing from next month at CHF 1490 (approx. £1150).
