Edox Delfin Mecano Damascus review – This is what a wearable Mecano looks like

Tags: Review | Edox | Men's | Traditional

26.1.2026 | 5 MIN

Edox set out in search of the optimal watch that would sit well on mere mortals’ wrists. But how do you avoid compromises? Or even add something extra? The answer is the new limited-edition Edox Mecano Damascus.

We’ve known the Delfin Mecano within Edox’s lineup for a few years now, and it’s become a sought-after piece. The sporty-elegant style with an integrated bracelet with twin-lug end links and a twelve-sided bezel has worked perfectly.

The steel case was robust, with a larger 43 mm diameter. Just right for many, for others… too big?

That becomes clear the moment you strap on the new Edox Delfin Mecano with its 40 mm case. The comfort it brings is real—and genuinely reassuring.

That potential issue with an integrated bracelet—which not only visually, but above all in practice, increases the effective length—disappears. Lug-to-lug is now 47.1 mm, with a case width including the crown of 44.2 mm. And the thickness? Just 11.7 mm. So even though they’re still fairly robust, they sit well on smaller wrists.

And not only do they sit well—they feel entirely at home there. The Delfin’s wearability is more accessible than ever.

And yet they retain 200 m water resistance, which isn’t so common for skeletons. Hardly surprising, though: the Delfin name is Edox’s established diver, dating back to the last century and rooted in legitimate diving heritage.

That’s echoed by the screw-down crown—for me, probably the most important form of protection on a watch you don’t want to worry about taking off.

Damascus

From the product photos (or the name), it’s clear the watch employs Damascus steel. It’s not the entire case, but the bezel insert—yet the effect is more than sufficient.

Modern Damascus steel is a little different from the original. Historically, the wavy pattern arose during the smelting of high-carbon steel with specific trace elements. Today, the distinctive water-like pattern is achieved by layering: welding and stacking two or more steels, which can then be twisted and etched in various ways to accentuate the layers.

The strikingly decorative pattern born of this complex process is unique every time. No two Damascus steel components are ever identical.

That lends itself beautifully to watchmaking—especially when you want an elegant accent or a touch of distinction without compromising the integrity of a sport-leaning watch.

Damascus steel complements the layered dial and suits the model well. Edox also points to a wave-like motif in the pattern, which is why they played with it on the Delfin. Divers, water, waves… you get the idea.

I didn’t see such a deep connection. To me, it’s simply a well-executed element that makes each piece unique.

On a 17.2 cm wrist.

An industrial city on the wrist

Skeletons are like a microcosm under the crystal—a self-contained industrial city you observe from an elevated, almost godlike vantage point. You can even control your urban labyrinth: you decide when the whole thing stops, and just as easily set the entire infrastructure in motion again.

The skeletonized structure of the Edox Mecano Damascus has been reworked—and I think it benefits from it. We all know the original, and few could look at the Mecano skeleton without thinking of the Zenith Defy.

Now, in the “façade,” you can make out notional chalices, but try rotating the Damascus so the crown is at 12—do you see an hourglass in it? The Edox logo? I do.

But even without patterns and hidden meanings, the newly conceived framework revealing the movement is well judged. It doesn’t pull your eyes around, and there’s neither too much of it nor too little. Balance is the word that runs through the entire watch.

Through the sapphire you glimpse the balance and hairspring, and you can even see the pallet fork making contact with the escape wheel. The otherwise monochrome appearance is broken up by the gilded finish on selected wheels and the pink glow of the jeweled bearings.

Skeletons raise one more key question. It’s not just about what you can see of the movement, but whether the main thing remains visible: the time. Legibility can suffer with skeletonized watches. How did Edox handle it?

Very well indeed. The hands help a lot: they’re thin and metallic, but filled with lume, which creates enough contrast to read the time comfortably.

With a see-through dial, you tend to expect a view through the caseback as well—so you often see straight through. Some like glimpsing a bit of wrist through the apertures, but I personally prefer fuller structures. And the Mecano delivers that.

The exhibition caseback reveals only part of the movement; it hasn’t been skeletonized throughout, so the bridges still cover much of it. For a sport-leaning watch, that’s the right approach in my book.

It’s probably worth stating that the Mecano Damascus still uses the same movement, the Edox Caliber 853 based on the Sellita SW200. That brings a 4 Hz frequency and a power reserve a touch over 40 hours.

Final thoughts

We first saw the Edox Mecano Damascus in early November 2025 at the SEW show. And my colleague Lukáš was instantly smitten:

I first saw the Edox Delfin Mecano at the SEW 2025 fair. And it was love at first sight! Even though I hadn’t been particularly into this style of watch in the past, this one simply stole my heart. I had to go back to see it repeatedly at the show. Its perfect proportions combined with the Damascus patterns and skeletonized dial make a truly great impression. For me personally, it’s the wild card of this year’s SEW and one of the best watches in Edox’s current catalog! – Lukáš

I’ve long been in favor of Edox shrinking its most popular models (think of the much more wearable Chronorally). But the arrival of the Mecano in a 40 mm case has only deepened that feeling.

They’ve also put care into a different skeleton layout, topped it off with a Damascus bezel insert, and decided on a fairly tight limited run of 300 pieces—individually numbered, too.

The package includes an Edox watch winder. I take that as a nice gift that will please, but probably won’t be the reason you choose the watch. Fortunately, the watch stands on its own merits.

An Edox watch winder is included in the box.

They wear great, the finishing is exactly what you expect—including the small details, like the crisp-fitting clasp and half links at the clasp for fine sizing. Most importantly, they truly come alive on the wrist. Not in photos, not in a display case, but on the arm.

Photo credits: Hodinky 365, official manufacturer images

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