Delma Unveils Oceanmaster Tide Automatic Watch

The ocean fascinates watchmakers and enthusiasts alike. From dive watches to regatta timers, a massive portion of the luxury watch market is dedicated to traveling both over and under the sea. While oceanic designs permeate the watch landscape, only a fraction of these timepieces seek to monitor one of the ocean’s most changing aspects – the tides. Delma seeks to rectify this with its latest addition to the Oceanmaster dive watch line, combining its inimitable diver design with an unorthodox tidal scale bezel. The Delma Oceanmaster Tide Automatic offers more directly relevant information to coastal sailors than most watches in the segment, while keeping the brand’s distinctive aesthetic. The hefty 44mm stainless steel cushion case design is carried over from previous Oceanmaster iterations, with wide rounded crown guards and short cutout lugs. A helium escape valve allows this case to reach a robust 500 meters of water resistance. The major difference from previous variants comes with the unidirectional bezel insert, which allows wearers to keep track of high and low tide times on a lunar day scale once calibrated with a local tide table. The dial of the Oceanmaster Tide Automatic is virtually unchanged from previous models, with a lumed pencil handset complemented by tapering applied baton indices and a blazing red seconds hand. The red and blue markings at various points of the dial are a Delma hallmark, working in conjunction with a compass as points of sail indicators to help mariners to tack optimally with changing wind conditions. A 6 o’clock date window maintains dial symmetry handsomely. Delma powers the Oceanmaster Tide Automatic with the venerable ETA 2824 automatic movement. Performance remains standard, with a 28,800 bph beat rate and a slightly low 38 hour power reserve. Delma offers the Oceanmaster Tide Automatic with either a vibrant royal blue signed rubber strap or a three link oyster style bracelet. While much of the information provided by the Delma Oceanmaster Tide will likely go over casual enthusiasts’ heads, the rarity and utility of these features should make this a hit with dedicated sailors. The Delma Oceanmaster Tide is available now through authorized dealers at an MSRP of $1,150. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.

Alpina Debuts Alpiner Regulator Automatic

Regulator dials, designed to maximize legibility for hours, minutes, and seconds as individual elements, are one of the most visually distinctive niches in watchmaking. With such a striking base to build upon, brands have reinterpreted the style in everything from diver to pilot watch motifs. Alpina has returned to the regulator segment for 2020 with a style that skirts between dress and sports watch design, in a wide variety of colorways. The new Alpina Alpiner Regulator Automatic is one of the brand’s best showcases for its finishing prowess, wrapped up in a handsome and unusual package. In order to ensure optimum readability of the regulator dial design, the stainless steel case of the Alpina Alpiner Regulator Automatic is somewhat oversized at 45mm. The case design itself plays on classic sports watch themes, with a wide brushed bezel and tapering lugs with a prominent flowing polished chamfer. In keeping with the sports watch ethos, the case is rated for a respectable 100 meters of water resistance. The dial of the Alpina Alpiner Regulator Automatic is undoubtedly the star of the show, and is available in five colorways. The main dial surface is vertically engraved with a Côtes de Genève pattern, complemented by bright azurage on each of the subdials. In true regulator fashion, the hours and seconds are given their own dedicated subdials (at 10 o’clock and 6 o’clock, respectively), and the main central hand is reserved solely for the minutes hand. The handset is a blunted pair of alpha hands with a blunted dauphine seconds hand, which look in initial images to add a slightly modern touch to this antiquated dial layout. Each colorway interprets this layout in dramatically different ways. The simple black dial is likely to be the most classical option, while the dark blue variant looks in images to add a touch of depth to the dial finishing with rich color. Both the blue and black dials are also available with silver subdials for a sporty reverse panda look, while a limited edition run of 883 pieces combines these silver subdials with the blue dial and a vibrant set of red hands. Inside the Alpina Alpiner Regulator Automatic beats the AL-650 automatic movement, based on the ETA 6498. The AL-650 is heavily modified from the ETA base to add the regulator complication, along with increasing the beat rate to a modern 28,800 bph from the original 18,000 bph. As a result of this, power reserve is a slightly low 38 hours. Alpina offers a fair amount of strap variety with the Alpiner Regulator Automatic. The watch can be had with a clean calf leather strap in either black or tobacco brown, as well as a three link stainless steel bracelet with mirror polished center links. The limited edition variant also receives a special strap, in black leather with fiery red contrast stitching. With a wide variety of dial and strap options and a dramatic design, the Alpiner Regulator Automatic is one of the most distinctive offerings in Alpina’s current catalog. The Alpina Alpiner Regulator Automatic is available now through authorized dealers at a starting MSRP of $1,895. To learn more, visit Alpina’s website.