2023 Aquastar Benthos H1 42mm Limited Edition
Ref: Benthos H1
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its original Aquastar tube and paperwork, plus a signed copy of Depth Charge by Jason Heaton. It comes paired with its 20mm ISOfrane rubber strap with a steel pin buckle. The watch is from December 2023 and is sold in worn condition, but overall, it is very fair, as you can see, and comes with our 12-Months Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1b36NKOVJaVf8e-IXfTkm1IFdMOuzmbIC?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 13:38 - https://youtu.be/tqVVCHFINgQ
The Watch
Here we have a 2023 Aquastar Benthos H1 Limited Edition of 197/500 pieces, a modern tribute to their original 1970 dive watch, the Benthos 500, which was designed to withstand the pressures at a depth of 500m and was the first non-monobloc cased professional dive watch to have a 500m depth rating, named after the Greek word meaning “Bottom of the Sea”. The dimensions of this watch match those of the original at 42mm brushed and polished 904L stainless steel Tonneau-shaped case curves over your wrist with flat-ended tapered lugs, and a lug-to-lug length of 47mm and a case thickness of 16mm give the watch an impressive wrist presence. On the right side at 2 o’clock is a large screw-down crown. The unidirectional 120-click steel bezel has deep knurling for grip and a ceramic 60-minute scale insert holding a thick, flat sapphire crystal AR triple-coated above a black semi-gloss dial. A distinctive outer minute chapter ring surrounds square and baton indexes coated in “old light Radium” SuperLumiNova for that vintage aesthetic; an orange arrow pointed second-hand complements baton hands filled with the same “old light Radium” SuperLumiNova, at noon we have the Aquastar Suisse motif and at 6 o’clock “Benthos H1” complete this faithful recreation of a classic dive watch. On the reverse is a screw-down case back with the Suisse Aquastar in the middle, inside an automatic ETA Cal. ETA 2824-2, 25 jewels, beating at 28,800 beats per hour, this quality workhorse movement has hand winding and hacking seconds for your convenience. The watch comes paired with its 20mm ISOfrane rubber strap with a steel pin buckle. This watch is sold with its original Aquastar tube and paperwork, plus a signed copy of Depth Charge by Jason Heaton, a scuba-diving adventure thriller.
Personal Note
This Aquastar Benthos H1 in 42mm is a true beast on the wrist intended for doing its job at the ocean's depths. Powered by the workhorse ETA 2824-2 and basing its design on their iconic 1970 model and even features the wonderful bright orange pointed second hand. This limited edition of 500 pieces also comes with a signed copy of Depth Charge by Jason Heaton, a scuba-diving adventure thriller. Whilst large, it does wear incredibly and surprisingly well on the wrist, though if you are concerned, don't hesitate to book a viewing to see for yourself!
The Brand
In 1962, Aquastar was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, by Mr. Frédéric Robert. With his expertise as a diver, sailor, pilot, mathematician, and watchmaker, he took over his father's brand, JeanRichard® and changed the name to Aquastar to reflect his vision of producing professional-grade instruments for divers and aquatic activities. Aquastar received numerous patents within a decade of its establishment, thanks to the brilliant Marc Jasinski. Each patent served as a catalyst for the creation of a new member of the Aquastar family, such as the multiple dive decompression bezel in the Deepstar and the inner rotating bezel in the model 63. Additionally, the new crown sealing system and friction bezel ring were integrated into every Aquastar and regatta counter watches. In 1974, Frédéric Robert retired from Aquastar, and the following year, the Eren Group of Geneva acquired the company. Under the new ownership, Aquastar adopted a fresh perspective and began manufacturing dive and sports watches for the mass market. These timepieces were made available through retail channels until 1982.