This Underrated Affordable Automatic Tool Watch Gets Slimmer and Sleeker

Delma is a hidden gem among heritage Swiss watchmakers. The independent brand was founded in 1924 and took on its current name after changing hands in 1966.

It is best known for robust dive watches with intriguing retro design language, most notably the Shell Star collection, but Delma produces a full range of capable tool watches. The Commander collection contains the brand’s flagship pilot’s watches, and it now offers a new addition optimized for daily wear.

Delma

This completely new design is called the Commander 40mm, named after the new case size, which is 5mm smaller than the standard Commander.

It uses the same round case with long, slightly curved lugs and a smooth fixed bezel, only downsized to the new, more wearable proportions.

The Commander 40mm is by no means small, measuring 11.4mm tall and 48mm lug-to-lug, but it is not an absolute wrist eater like its predecessor.

Delma

Delma also introduces a completely new dial design to the Commander collection, which may be confusing given its pilot’s designation. The traditional Flieger-style dial found on existing references is replaced with a design that many would consider a field watch.

Field testing

The “military time” dial, featuring large Arabic numeral hour markers with a smaller 13-24 track placed inside, is the tell-tale sign of a field watch, but the dial layout was also used on aeronautical watches as far back as WWII. Hamilton’s FAPD-5101 is a notable example produced for the US Air Force during the 1970s.

Delma

The Commander 40mm has large printed numeral hour markers, with the 3:00 marker swapped out for a framed date window with a triangle pointing to it. It is coated in Super-LumiNova.

It is underlined by a small printed military time track, and encircled by a ruler-style minutes track with numerals and a lume dot every five spaces.

Delma

The fence-post-shaped hour and minute hands feature a rich brushed texture and Super-Luminova inlays. They are joined by an arrow-shaped seconds hand that extends almost to the edge of the dial.

Keep it simple

Delma keeps its watches affordable by using Swiss workhorse movements like the Sellita SW200-1 powering the Commander 40mm. One of the most relied-upon automatic movements in the world, it beats at 4Hz and provides a 41-hour power reserve.

Delma

The Commander 40mm debuts with four dial colors. The black, blue and khaki are typical military tool watch options, while the salmon offers a more lively alternative.

Completing the retro military vibe, it comes on a leather pin buckle strap with stitched ends. The black, blue and khaki dials all have matching strap colors, while the salmon dial comes on a brown strap.

Availability and pricing

The Commander 40mm represents what Delma does best. It is a well-built, practical tool watch that looks good enough to be a daily go-to option.

Delma’s new Commander 40mm is available now for $1,175 and is only offered on a leather strap.

Delma

Delma Commander 40mm

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Sellita Caliber SW200-1 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $1,175 at Delma