EDOX Delfin Chronograph & MARIANNA GILLESPIE

Edox Swiss Watches has just signed a new brand ambassador, World champion freediver, Marianna Gillespie.

The 31-year-old Russian-born Frenchwoman, ranked World No.1 freediver four times and World champion twice, will become an ambassador for the Edox Delfin diver’s watch collection. Marianna will also become a product advisor to Edox, helping with practical, product-specific guidance to further refine the brand’s family of diver’s watches. 

Edox also plans to present a women’s collection, including a Limited Edition with diamonds, especially created for Marianna. The Edox Delfin collection was first introduced in 1961. It was famously the first ever watch to make use a double O-ring system which, along with a reinforced case-back, gave it 200m water-resistance - an astonishing achievement 60 years ago. 

Six decades later, the Delfin collection is still one of the stars of the Edox watch family. Marianna grew up in Moscow. She fell in love with freediving during her final year at the Russian State Sports University when a friend challenged her to swim 25 meters underwater - without fins. 

She swam 75m and hasn’t looked back in the sport since. While most freedivers strive to master a single discipline, Marianna dominates several - in depth and the pool. The current French national record holder in multiple disciplines, Marianna has been world champion twice, ranked No. 1 in the world four times and has also won the prestigious Vertical Blue competition. 

Dubbed ‘the mermaid from the East’ by the Le Parisien newspaper, Marianna is one of the world’s strongest freedivers, ranked not only in the world top 10 in multiple individual disciplines but overall as well. On August 25, 2021 Marianna made freediving history becoming the first French female diver to dive beyond 100 meters with Monofin (CWT) on one breath. 

Marianna is now one of the twelve female divers that were able to reach this amazing depth. 

Thoughts? Yeah, I’m gonna’ have to pass on the watch but Marianna, well she’s an extraordinary lady so worthy of a post.