1970s Aquastar Regate Blue Dial Yacht Timer Automatic 39mm
Ref: 9853
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold “Watch Only” and therefore comes without its Aquastar box or paperwork but does come with Grand Central Watch Repair pouch, service parts and 2023 Service paperwork. The watch comes paired with a 20mm blue leather strap and pin buckle. The watch is from Circa. 1970s and is sold in worn condition, but overall is in very fair condition, as you can see and comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1e7EsPhpfj7Lfz0uighuvXWFPPjolwTaF?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 25:15 - https://youtu.be/85lHa_TUQMM
The Watch
Here we have a 1970s Aquastar Regate Blue Dial Yacht Timer Automatic 39mm developed and designed with the help of Lemania chief designer Albert Piquet and patented in the USA in 1975, with a 39mm brushed and polished stainless steel tonneau-shaped case curves over your wrist with bevel edges leading to flat ended lugs, and a lug-to-lug length of 45mm and a case thickness of 14.5mm give the watch an impressive wrist presence. Down the right side, we have the countdown pusher start/reset and crown. A slim polished bezel holds a domed crystal above a blue dynamic dial, an outer chapter ring 60-minute countdown scale in yellow surrounds five holes with blue and orange disk countdown indicators applied baton indexes and Tritium pips marking the hours, when the chrono is activated the disk turns blue then orange after 1 minute and the yellow hand counts down from 60 to zero, after 5 minutes all the disks turn orange. Slender white baton hands filled with Tritium are a nice contrast to the blue and yellow on the dial, at 12 o’clock a painted Aquastar motif and at 6 o’clock “Regate Automatic” completes this Yachting enthusiast companion. On the reverse a screw-down case back with an embossed sail ship riding the waves in the centre, inside an automatic Lemania Cal. 1345, 17 jewels, beating at 28,800 beats per hour, fitted with a flyback chronograph and yacht timer module designed by Lemania chief designer Albert Piquet. The watch comes paired with a 20mm blue leather strap and pin buckle.
Personal Note
I've always been fond of "Yacht Timers" from an aesthetic standpoint and with the unusual complication, though this Aqaustar Regate from the 1970s has knocked them all out of view as I feel it's going to be tough to beat this one! Original and powerful blue dial with highlights of orange/yellow throughout, subtle age only adding to the vintage charm, all housed in an impressively angled 39mm case which hugs the wrist, and we can't forget the automatic Lemania calibre 1345 inside. Don't hesitate to add this one to your collection today!
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. Thanks to the brilliant Marc Jasinski, Aquastar received numerous patents within a decade of its establishment. 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, as well as the 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. In 1982, Mr Marc Seinet, a third-generation watchmaker and an avid sailor acquired Aquastar and began to collaborate with Hollywood stars to put their name on a watch, the first was Alain Delon, but unfortunately, this was not a commercial success. In 1983 Mr. Seinet soon realised traditional mechanical Swiss watches that were passed down through generations no longer appealed to the young who had become used to the convenience, and accuracy but also the throwaway nature of a quartz watch. Rick Marei, the mastermind behind the resurrection of several Swiss brands, which included the return of the Doxa© SUB©, approached Aquastar and suggested a new online sales business model. Unable to come to a satisfactory agreement at that time, however, Mr Marei was able to successfully apply his new business model to the rebirth of the Doxa SUB© in 2001 to make Doxa© the first Swiss brand to offer its collection to a new online public. Marei successfully resurrected the famous Aquadive brand as well as two legendary names in diver’s straps, ISOfrane & Tropic. In 2019, Seinet and Marei agreed to reboot the Aquastar brand and start a new chapter in the brand’s history; unfortunately, Mr. Seinet parted ways taking his brand and funding with him. The Synchron group then stepped in and acquired the company lock-stock and barrel from Mr. Seinet including all of its blueprints and documentation relaunching the brand in 2020.