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Voyage back to the Age of Exploration as explorers set sail from Sweden’s western ports, voyaging in wooden sailing ships out into the shallow but treacherous seas of Kattegat and Skagerrak, navigating stony reefs and strong currents. Finally, they would emerge into the North Sea, but things hardly got easier at that point, as giant waves that rolled south from Iceland into the North Sea would pummel ships with waves reaching nearly 20 meters high. Seafaring was no easy task, and those who ventured so far as to make it to the equator earned the appellation of Shellback — a fitting title for these hearty seafarers and for a rugged dive watch ready to join you on your own maritime adventures. Today, Gothenburg, Sweden-based watch brand Tusenö is updating its signature dive watch, the Shellback, with a number of small but significant upgrades.

Tusenö may only have launched in 2015, but the Swedish brand quickly grew in popularity by offering well-built watches with a distinctively Scandinavian aesthetic and excellent value. As the brand grew, it shifted to fully Swiss production and now offers only mechanical watches. Keep your eyes peeled, however, as Tusenö plans to move more production to its home base in Gothenburg, Sweden.

First launched in 2021, the Tusenö Shellback is the brand’s flagship dive watch. With its classic, yet distinctive styling, the Shellback was an immediate success. It’s been nearly three years since the Shellback’s initial launch, and Tusenö hasn’t stopped looking for ways to improve or listening to requests from customers. With the newest version of the Shellback, the V2, you’ll find not a revolution, but an evolution of this signature dive watch.

Before we jump into the upgrades, let’s take a look at what’s remained the same. The stainless steel case of the Shellback still measures 40mm in diameter, 47m lug to lug, and 11.9mm thick (excluding the sapphire crystal), and you still get 200 meters of water resistance. Likewise, the dial’s sandwich design with cutaway hour markers and matching circular hour hand all remain. There’s no mistaking the new model for anything but a Tusenö Shellback.

The biggest change to the Shellback is one you can’t see, as Tusenö has replaced the Ronda R150 movement in the V1 with the ever-reliable Swiss-made Sellita SW-200. With the SW-200, you get an automatic movement that beats at 28.8kbph, features 38 hours of power reserve, and is available in both date and no-date versions.

Though the bracelet on the Shellback maintains its 20-18mm taper, quick-change spring bars, and fully articulating flat links, it’s the clasp that sees a major improvement. The new clasp is significantly slimmer, integrating seamlessly with the bracelet while retaining its 9mm on-the-fly tool-free micro-adjustment. Given that clasps inevitably see the most wear and tear during daily use, Tusenö has addressed this issue by using a scratch-resistant coating that boosts the hardness to 1200HV.

In addition to these changes, the Shellback V2 boasts numerous small changes that result in a major refinement. Tusenö was able to improve the printing process over the V1 with crisper lines and text and small modifications throughout, like textured silver printing around the hour indices, thickening the line weight of every fifth minute marker, and curving the model name so it fits perfectly within the hollow of the hour hand as it sweeps across the lower half of the dial. Speaking of the handset, the design stays the same, but the hands are now even sharper and filled with more Super-LumiNova.

Tusenö has also updated the 120-click ceramic bezel. With fully luminous inlays throughout, the bezel now forgoes a luminous pip within the triangle at 12 o’clock in favor of a bright and bold fully luminous triangle. When coupled with the glow of the hands, markers, and chapter ring, the Shellback is a spectacle to behold in the dark.

The caseback and crown remain true to the original, showcasing the brand’s Guiding Light symbol, a reinterpretation of a sector lighthouse indicator — a critical aid that helped seafarers navigate the treacherous seas of the North Atlantic.

Last, but not least, Tusenö adds two new models that join the classic black and blue colorways. The first features a matte-white dial with orange accents, gunmetal gray hands, and a stainless-steel bezel in lieu of ceramic — a perfect complement to a Swedish winter. If you’re after the stealth look, the Shellback is now also offered in a fully DLC-coated (case and bracelet) option with gunmetal gray plated hands and red accents. Tusenö also adds a glossy Guiding Light symbol above the model name.

The Tusenö Shellback V2 is currently available for pre-order, with prices starting at $599 USD ($699 USD for the DLC model), jumping by $100 after the pre-order period ends. To learn more about Tusenö and the Shellback V2, please visit the brand’s website.