In exciting news, Aquastar has set sail with the Flagship Benthos 500 Founder’s Edition Chronograph! This muscular new dive watch offers not only a striking visual tribute to the 1970 original but a functional one as well. For over 50 years, the Aquastar Benthos chronograph has remained the paragon of capability and dive watch collectability. However, since the brand’s re-launch in 2020, the modern Aquastar catalogue has been without this sought-after vintage icon. There have been no modern centre-mounted chronograph movements commercially available for watchmakers to utilise. So, in collaboration with La Joux-Perret, Aquastar rebuilt this functionality exclusively for its debut in the Benthos 500 Founder’s Edition Chronograph. If this new timepiece has piqued your interest so far, keep reading to discover more.
The New Aquastar Benthos 500 Founder’s Edition Chronograph
The Dial and Case
With a similar look to the original Benthos, this model exhibits a semi-gloss black dial with large applied baton indices. The dial also features central hours, minutes, seconds and central 60-minute timer hands. All of the hour markers are coated with high-density, ecru-coloured SuperLuminova, so legibility is great; even at the depths of the ocean! A triple-coated anti-reflective sapphire crystal protects the dial. While it provides great clarity, it also showcases the high levels of durability that the watch possesses. Furthermore, a unidirectional 120-click ceramic bezel surrounds the dial. It is fully graduated with lume-filled 60-minute markings which makes tracking the time spent underwater both simpler and safer; the ultimate goal of Aquastar watches.
The 316L stainless steel case of the Founder’s Edition retains the signature 42mm tonneau silhouette of the original 1970 Benthos. However, the ergonomics of the modern interpretation have been improved in three key areas to increase overall wearer comfort. The overall thickness of the case has been reduced to 15.4mm, the lugs have been slightly re-shaped and gently turned downward, and the chronograph pusher has been relocated to 2 o’clock. As well as this, the screw-down crown, which aids the watch’s 200 meter water resistance, has been moved from the 2 to the 4 o’clock position for extra comfort against the wrist.
The Movement and Finishing Touches
The new and impressive feature in this Aquastar Benthos 500 Founder’s Edition is its movement. The difficulty in re-releasing the Benthos 500 has always been that there have been no modern centre-mounted chronograph movements commercially available for watchmakers to utilise. So Aquastar knew they needed to get creative for the vintage icon to be revived. In collaboration with La Joux-Perret, they exclusively created the Top Grade 1MPS movement which ultimately powers the timepiece. The movement features centre-mounted hours, minutes and seconds hands as well as centre-mounted chronograph hands; it beats at 28’800vph and boasts a 60-hour power reserve.
A genuine 22mm ISOfrane rubber strap completes the design of this watch. With the perfect ratio of soft to flexible, it provides ultimate comfort on the wrist. Moreover, the strap fastens with a pin buckle, so security is great. You can venture on your aquatic adventures and remain confident that you won’t lose your timepiece.
While the Aquastar Benthos 200 Founder’s Edition Chronograph is not in stock yet, click here to view it on our website and pre-order it to avoid disappointment. After all, it is a limited edition model with only 300 pieces worldwide.
What do you think of this Aquastar Benthos 200 Founder’s Edition Chronograph? Will you be adding it to your collection? Let us know in the comments!
