Delma has a well-deserved reputation for producing some of the most reliable dive watches at this price point. The Swiss brand has been crafting diving watches since 1969, and its latest Blue Shark III series is rated for a depth of 4000 meters - yes, that's almost 2 ½ miles. We first encountered the Blue Shark III when they debuted at Baselworld 2019, celebrating 50 years of Delma dive watches. The two latest models, the Blue Shark III Azores, support the Megalodon Project in partnership with Magnus Lundborg, an ocean advocate, photographer, and brand ambassador.
The Megalodon Project aims to study sharks to better understand elusive species in the waters surrounding the Azores archipelago. The Blue Shark III Azores models feature textured gradient dials that mimic the colors of the subtropical Azores at various depths. The bright blue dial transitions to dark blue, while the turquoise dial shifts to a vibrant green. This summer, divers will encounter these color gradients during shark exploration. Dial elements complement each other: bright yellow hands with Super-LumiNova inserts and large Arabic numerals at the 12, 6, and 9 o'clock positions, along with bold markers with luminous coating, complete the highly legible dial aesthetic, and the date window is positioned at 3 o'clock.
The unidirectional bezels have yellow Arabic numerals and a detailed 20-minute scale, but the turquoise model features a steel finish, while the blue model has a black DLC finish. The stainless steel case borders on massive - 47 mm in diameter and 18.5 mm in height, but with a 4000-meter depth rating (certified by the Swiss laboratory PST), it is a true miniature deep-sea apparatus for underwater exploration. It comes equipped with the necessary helium escape valve located at 9 o'clock. The screw-down crown is fully protected, and the dial is covered by sapphire glass. Given the extreme depth, the case back is made of solid durable steel. The original Blue Shark 2011 model had a depth rating of 3000 meters, which is still very rare in this price range, and the additional 1000 meters truly showcase Delma's ingenuity and technical prowess. The watch is equipped with a 22mm three-link stainless steel bracelet, and an additional rubber strap is included in the box.
This model is powered by the Sellita SW200-1 movement, an alternative to the ETA 2824. It features 26 jewels, a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) with a 38-hour power reserve. Functions include central hours, minutes, seconds, and date.
Delma offers several diving watches associated with ocean research, such as the Oceanmaster Antarctica and Shell Star Black Tag Limited Edition, and the purchase of each Blue Shark III Azores directly benefits the Megalodon project. The turquoise model with a steel bezel is priced at 2,150 Swiss francs or 2,250 euros, while the blue model with a black DLC bezel is slightly more at 2,250 Swiss francs or 2,350 euros. Both come in individual wooden boxes. For more information and to place an order, visit the Delma website.