Delma Presents a Purple Edition of its Midland Sporty-Chic Watch

A brand with a rich legacy and a strong focus on solid quality for accessible prices, Delma is renowned for its super-powerful dive watches, such as the 5,000m-rated Blue Shark IV. But, of course, there’s more to the brand than its diving instruments. We can list chronographs, field watches or even a reasonably accessible tourbillon model. And then there’s this distinctive, integrated sports watch with an undeniable 1980s twist, the Midland collection. First released last year, the collection now expands with a striking new purple version.

Midland is a strong name for the brand, carrying over 100 years of history. It was one of the four brand names used by the founding brothers in the 1920s and the name of Delma’s first chronograph model, released in 1946. The name Midland continued to exist, and by the 1980s, it gave birth to bold and sporty watches. But for its return, the Midland changes everything. Playing on the trend for elegant sports watches with shaped cases, textured bezels and dials, and integrated bracelets, the brand decided not to look at the 1970s but instead to go for the oddly cool style of the 1980s, with a touch of extravagance and show-off that would have looked good in Miami Vice and on Gordon Gekko’s wrist.

With this new purple dial colour, the Delma Midland Automatic keeps the vibe alive, sitting next to classic colours such as silvery-white, black or dark blue and more striking tones like salmon, green or ice blue. While the purple colour is new to the collection, the rest of the dial remains identical. It features a pyramid-stamped guilloché-style pattern, applied markers and nickel-plated hands filled with Super-LumiNova. A white date window is placed at 3 o’clock.

This textured dial with a bold colour comes next to a typically 1980s fluted bezel, adding to the fancy, deliberately retro style of the watch. The steel case has a classic barrel shape, combining satin-brushed surfaces and polished bevels on the sides. What makes this new Delma Midland original is the use of a geometrically shaped link to connect the bracelet to the case, adding character next to the fluted bezel. Specs are pleasant, with a 40.5mm diameter, a thickness of 10.8mm and a length of 47mm. A sapphire crystal protects the dial, while the water-resistance is 100m.

Under the see-through caseback is a tried-and-tested Sellita SW200-1 (alternative to the ETA 2824), providing reliability and accessibility. Running at a 4Hz frequency, it boasts 41h of power reserve and is wound by a customized rotor.

Now available from the brand (a quartz model is also offered), the Delma Midland Automatic Purple retails, like other models in the collection, for CHF 1,100, EUR 1,250 or USD 1,350. For more details, please visit DelmaWatches.com.