Aquastar Benthos 500 'Jamaican Defence Force Issue'

We have a lot of affection for the horological "little guys" here at Analog/Shift.  Even when those "little guys" are downright monstrous lumps of steel.

This Aquastar Benthos 500 is just such a monster.  Built from the ground up as a no-holds-barred, extreme diver, it can't be considered a pretty watch by any means. But if you're being serious about your tool watch design, aesthetics are very much a secondary thought. (Consider the Omega PloProf 600, for example). Unlike so many of the modern boutique brands that are building chunky steel divers with excessive specifications for contemporary desk divers, the story of the Aquastar goes back to 1962, the very beginnings of SCUBA diving as a sport, and the dawn of the golden age of diver's watches.

The Benthos 500 was the world's first diving watch to be rated water resistant to 500m, a tremendous accomplishment for a small manufacture in the 1960s. Utilizing a monopusher design, it has a 60-minute timing totalizer with flyback function built into the movement, along with a traditional unidirectional rotating diver's bezel. This means that a SCUBA diver can easily and legibly track elapsed minutes under water using the central minutes hand, while the bezel can be used as a secondary timer. (One might track total dive time, while the other tracks a decompression stop, for example.)

This particular Benthos 500 Reference 1002 from circa the 1970s is of further note for having been issued to the Jamaican Defense Forces — which is pretty darn rad! Housed in a 43mm stainless steel case with a mineral crystal, a screw-down crown at the 2:00 position, a minute-reset pusher at 4:00, and dive timing bezel with a ghosted black insert, it features a matte black Tritium dial with a matching handset, and the party-piece orange ‘creeping-minute' hand.

Powered by the unique A. Schild cal. 2162 automatic movement with central chronograph minutes and featuring Jamaican Defense Force Issue engravings on the caseback, this is one of the downright coolest, purpose-built dive watches we’ve ever laid our hands on.

Watches such as this one are fun and wonderful timepieces, and there's no telling if and when one of these in any condition will surface again, so don't wait!

Aquastar is one of the many watch companies that proliferated just before the Quartz Crisis. Founded in 1962 by veteran SCUBA diver Frédéric Robert, Aquastar—as the name suggests—took the needs of aquatic sportsmen as its guiding principles. Drawing on a patent filed in 1958 by Aquastar’s parent company, JeanRichard, Aquastar introduced the brand’s first dive watch: the JeanRichard Aquastar 60.

Watches produced by JeanRichard under the Aquastar line were retailed under many brand names, from JeanRichard to Duward, which was primarily used in Spain; however, the line became so successful that it became the brand name by which the watches are best-known.

The company would go on to produce a varied line of purpose-built aquatic timepieces (including the first regatta timer), but there’s another watch that attracts the attention of vintage chronograph collectors, not least of all for its connection to Jacques Cousteau.

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Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

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We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

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Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.