Hands-on – Delma Blue Shark II 3000m – A True Diving Instrument
A family-owned company based in Lengnau near Biel, Delma has been manufacturing watches for almost a century now. The brand has also a long tradition of crafting dive watches. Launched in 1969, the Periscope was its first timepiece with increased water-resistance. In 1975, the Shell Star was its first professional diver. Fast forward, the Blue Shark II we are reviewing here is Delma’s most rugged and robust divers’ watch: a high-performance, functional watch able to withstand the pressure exerted at a depth of 3,000m or 9,900ft – just that!
Having previously reviewed the Farer Aqua Compressor Hecla, I thought it was time to explore some more of the British microbrand’s offerings. Enter the Farer Lander GMT Automatic, one of three pieces within Farer’s GMT Automatic range. As I unboxed the Lander, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the dial. Farer describes the colour as ‘sea green’, which, when you think about it, is quite an accurate description. Bursting with colour, the dial has a sunburst-style finishing, meaning the moment you walk outside into the sunlight it takes on a new appearance. This was my favourite feature of the watch and looked great when contrasted with the dark brown strap. There’s a lot of other detail in the dial, which Farer refer to as a ‘triple step dial’. The bold font of the hour numerals features a SuperLuminova outline, which adds an additional layer of depth and colour to the vibrant orange GMT hand that follows a smaller 24-hour clock around the dial. Finishing off the dial is a gunmetal silver outer rim, which is home to the second track. Although there’s plenty going on here, the dial doesn’t at all feel clustered, and remains legible — even in…
