Benthos 500 – Founder’s Edition
Ever since Aquastar announced it was back with the release of the Deepstar 2020, fans and collectors have all been asking the same question: when will you release a new Benthos 500? The reply has always been the same. The original Totalizer movements are no longer available and there is not a modern equivalent, so in order to make a new Benthos 500, Aquastar has to first design and make a new movement. Well, take a look at the next image. That day has arrived. This is the beating heart of the new Benthos 500.
The sharp eyed amongst you will notice the letters MLJP on it and know that the movement is manufactured by the Swiss movement house: la Joux-Perret S.A. The same la Joux-Perret S.A that make the movements that Aquastar use to power the Deepstar and Aquastar 60 range of watches, but, the new Benthos 500 movement is not an MLJP caliber, it is a new Aquastar caliber, called the Aquastar 1MPS. More on the movement later. Let’s just look at the watch. Introducing the Benthos 500 – Founders Edition of which only 300 will be made.
And here it is with the 2nd generation vintage Benthos 500 and H1: What you should be able to notice from the following photo is that the dials on the vintage and H1 are matt black. The new 500 is a beautiful deep, gloss black. It matches the color of the bezel perfectly. That has always been one of my pet peeves with certain watches. The dial and bezel insert are supposed to be the same color but if one is matt and the other is gloss, there is no way they can match. The new Benthos 500 is now my gold standard for bezel insert and dial being exactly the same color.
And here are the casebacks. One change from the both the vintage watch and the H1 is that the underside of the new watch is brushed and not polished.
The images above say a lot about the watch, some of which is obvious, some of which is not, so before delving into the design and specifications of the new watch, lets look at what makes it different from the vintage version.
Probably the most obvious is the bezel. The vintage model uses a perspex insert which scratches easily and only the triangle at 12 o’c’lock was lumed. The modern version uses a ceramic insert and all the numbers are lumed. Benthos 500 aficionados will also have noticed that the modern bezel does not have a steel inner ring, which is consistent with the first generation vintage Benthos 500.
The next difference is the casebacks. Whereas the vintage Benthos 500 used the more modern 6 slot caseback, the new version has utilized the Aquastar specific, vintage 18 star caseback which requires a special opener. This is a reversal from the Benthos H1 which used the 6 slot caseback. Again more on that decision later.
Then there is the lug width. The vintage was 20mm, the modern watch is 22mm.
But the biggest change is probably the one that is not immediately obvious. The monopusher and the crown have swapped positions and there are cutouts on the top face of the case. And that brings us back to the movement.
As I mentioned earlier this is a brand new movement design which was started over two years ago. Actually, if the truth was told this is a brand new design of a brand new design. Yes, that’s right. Half way through the process it needed to be changed, but those changes not only resulted in the change of position for the crown and monopusher, they also resulted in a fundamental change in the functionality of the movement. The vintage Benthos 500 movement was a single rotation 60 minute flyback design, the new Benthos 500 movement is a full chronograph with monopusher actuation. The added bonus is that it can be operated underwater.
The vintage 500 was 16mm thick. It’s a big substantial watch and for the size of it wears remarkably well even for the wrist challenged amongst us. Part of that thickness was because of the 4mm thick crystal, the rest was making the case and caseback substantial enough to withstand the pressure at a depth of 500 meters. The new movement is thicker than the vintage A. Schild 1902 and 2162 movements and this caused a problem with the design. If Aquastar was to make the new watch incorporating the thicker movement capable of matching the 500 meter depth rating of the original, the case height would balloon to almost 18mm. This would be unacceptable so design decisions had to be made. One was to drop the depth rating to 200 meters and the other was to use the shallower vintage style 18 star caseback. This allowed the design thickness to come in at 15.6mm. Almost 0.5mm less than the vintage 500.
Of course there will be people who complain that with a depth rating of 200 meters it should have been called the Benthos 200. Probably the same people who complain that the Apple iPhone should not be called the iPhone 15 because there have actually been 17 generations or the same people who think the latest DOXA SUB 300T shouldn’t be called the 300T because it uses the SUB 1200T case. Aquastar did consider calling it…. “who really gives a care what it is named? It’s a watch honoring a great inventor and a classic design”…. but that wouldn’t fit on the dial!
| WIDTH | LENGTH | HEIGHT | LUG WIDTH | WEIGHT grams (with bracelet for 6.75″ wrist) | |
| VINTAGE BENTHOS 500 | 42 | 47 | 16 | 20 | 178 |
| BENTHOS H1 | 42 | 47 | 16 | 20 | 178 |
| NEW BENTHOS 500 | 42 | 47 | 15.6 | 22 | 191 |
Aquastar also wanted to make the watch more wearable, so the case design was tweaked.
As can be seen above, the case curves down more such that the shallower caseback and the edges are almost on the same plane.
The new Benthos 500, really does hug the wrist in a way the vintage watch never did. For reference, my wrist is 6.75 inches.
The bezel design also changed slightly too. The H1 bezel had the same profile as the vintage 500, but it felt sharp. The vintage bezel was probably the same when new but 50 years of handling dulled the sharp edges. The new 500 still has the same overall height as the vintage bezel but the outer profile changed to make it feel better to the touch.
The design change which increased the lug width to 22mm allows the use of wider straps and bracelets which helps distribute the weight of the watch head more evenly over the wrist. The watch comes on a black Isofrane rubber strap but when Aquastar announced the new Benthos 500, the Beads of Rice (BOR) bracelet that was designed to pair with the watch had not been delivered. There had been a manufacturing delay that was beyond their control. The announcement date had been set so the launch happened without images of the watch on the BOR. One of the reasons I didn’t get the review prototype before the release was that Rick Marei wanted me to be able to complete my review with the finished watch. The next image shows what was missing from the initial reviews of the watch. I have to say it was worth the wait. It looks great and wears even better. It will be available in May 2024.
Many people will notice the profiled beads and think: “hmmm, that looks like the same bracelet that is on the 2020 Deepstar”. Well you would be right. It is the same bracelet with the divers extension and sold end pieces, it’s just that the endpieces have been changed to fit the Benthos 500 case. Like the Deepstar version it uses male endpieces. Male endpieces can be quite divisive especially on longer lug to lug length watches as the ‘throw’ of the pins effectively increases the lug to lug length of the watch. But the 500 is only 47mm lug to lug. The bracelet looks good and wears great.
Of course not everyone is a fan of BOR bracelets so as you have already seen above I also paired it with a with a 22mm version of the $20 bracelet I have used on both my vintage 500 and H1.
It really is a tremendous bracelet for the price and I think it matches the tool watch design very well. Here is a link to the bracelet on Amazon:
I tend to wear my watches lose on my wrist, which allows the larger heavier ones to move about quite a lot. That’s what happens with the vintage 500, however, even though the new 500 also moves about, it is far more stable than the vintage one. The new case profile and the 22mm lugs and associated bracelets / straps really do make a stability difference for me.
As much as I like my $20 Amazon bracelet, the fitted Solid End Link (SEL) Beads of Rice bracelet takes the watch to a whole new level. Some people may find that the polished beads don’t really match the brushed case and utilitarian tool watch look of the Benthos 500, but it is a quick and easy job to brush those polished beads using the green pot scrubber pad you wife keeps in the kitchen. Personally I do like the polished look.
The new Benthos 500 still maintains the 4mm thick crystal of the original except now it is sapphire and anti reflection coated and the same bezel thickness, however the bezel is now 120 clicks rather than 60. It is easily gripped and turned even with gloves and has a nice feel and audible click. As previously mentioned and can be seen in the image below. Just like the first generation of the vintage Benthos 500, it does not have an inner metal ring.
When I reviewed the Benthos H1 I commented: “It is unlikely the exact same case will be produced again.” I think you can see that the new Benthos 500 although outwardly looking like the vintage 500 and H1, is different. These differences, mentioned above, really were instigated by the new movement. As Rick Marei explained to me when I commented on the cutouts, the movement design and thickness meant that the central plane of crown and pusher was higher than that on the old A. Schild movements. In order to have the same side and top profile as the vintage case, the design would have to be changed so that the top face angle became shallower and the chapter ring thickness would also have to increase. All these increase the overall thickness and weight of the watch head. Ultimately the case design was arrived at after numerous iterations including a number of 3D printed models.
I think it makes the watch all the better. It hearkens back to the first version of the vintage 500 which had a small cutout for the pusher, and the case changes make the watch wear better than the vintage 500. It truly is a modern interpretation of a classic watch, rather than just a 50 year later re-release.
And for those who have the Dive Into Time book, you will probably have noticed how the original drawing of the watch from 1968 has two cutouts.
So, lets have a closer look at the new Aquastar 1MPS caliber. It is full central minute counter chronograph, monopusher operated, unidirectional automatic winding with 26 jewels. Base diameter: 30.00mm. Height 7.90mm. 28,800 bph (4Hz). Maximum Power Reserve without Chronograph engaged: 60 hours. The crown has 3 settings. Screwed down, unscrewed to wind and pulled out to set the time. The notes on the movement indicate the stem should only be removed in the winding position. For a tinkerer like me this is good to know.
Out of the box, my watch is running at +5 seconds a day. I don’t think anyone will complain about that kind of accuracy.
Originally Aquastar had set out to recreate the functionality of the vintage movement which was a 60 minute flyback totalizer. But the more they thought about it and talked to divers, they considered that full chronograph, stop / start / reset functionality would be a better option. Sure, recreating an exact copy of the vintage 500 would be a cool move, but making it better would be even cooler, and that is what they did. Of course this meant another delay in getting the watch out. But again, the wait was worth it.
Operating the chronograph function with just a single pusher was new to me. All my other chronographs are the classic 2 pusher operation. But it really is simple to operate. Click once to start. Click again to stop and click again to reset. This is different to the vintage movement. With it, you pressed the button to start the minute counter. It would run until the 60 minutes were up and stop back at the 12 o’clock position. Pressing the button while the counter was running would reset the hand to 12 o’clock and stop it. Pressing it again would start the minute count again from zero. With the new 1MPS, once started, the minute counter will keep running past the 60 minute mark unless stopped. The pusher operates with a nice resistance and click. The action is sold and positive.
Theoretically, both type of movements will do the same thing. For example. At the start of a dive you start the minute counter and splash over the side. If you were using the vintage A Schild movement, when you have reached your depth you look to see how long it took to descend and press the monopusher to reset the counter and press it again to restart it to time your duration at depth. With the new 1MPS movement you press the monopusher to stop the counter. Press it again to reset it and then press it again to restart it. It sure sounds like the vintage movement saved a press of the button, however, there is a big caveat….. the vintage movement could not be operated underwater. You started it on the surface and let it run. It gave you the time for the whole dive: descent, bottom time and ascent all rolled in together. The new movement functionality allows you to time each of the three components of the dive separately. Of course the total dive time can also be counted using the bezel and the chrono used for decompression stops. The seconds hand runs continuously and is not affected by starting, stopping or resetting the chronograph hand.
One of the things that changing the monopusher to the 2 o’clock position did was actually make it easier to operate, especially with a gloved hand. Just look at the anatomy and positioning of your two hands when you operate the watch. For most people, when they operate a two button chronograph, they hold the left side of the watch with their thumb to stabilize and press the pusher with their right index finger. Your index finger falls naturally to the 2 o’clock position. If you need to, you can easily brace your other three fingers on your right hand against the radial (thumb) side of your left hand and your right index finger will rotate directly to the 2 o’clock position. Some people will use their thumb to operate the pushers, but especially for the upper one you need to abduct your arm and rotate your shoulder more to get to the position. During the design process of the new movement, it was felt that having the monopusher in the 2 o’clock position was an advantage.
One of the things people always want to know about is the lume. Well, as we all know, Seiko pretty much spoiled everyone with regards to luminous dial and hands intensity and longevity. The Benthos 500 is not a Seiko Monster. I assumed it couldn’t match it because it has less lume material on the hands and dial and Aquastar used the Super-LumiNova Old Radium version.
Old Radium is not on the following Super-Luminova chart but it is around the C1 level of intensity. So, the “we want bright lume” crowd may be a bit disappointed.
I did a particularly unscientific lume test against the DOXA SUB 300T Caribbean and the Seiko Monster.
I sat all 3 watches on a table on the deck and exposed them to direct sunlight for 10 minutes. I then took them into a windowless room and shut the door and came back at intervals and took photos using my Z Flip 5. The following images are as the came out of the phone. No adjusting other than to resize. The first picture looks great, as you would expect
After approximately 10 minutes.
After approximately 20 minutes.
And after approximately 45 minutes
There are two conclusions I can make here. The first is that the lume on the new Benthos 500 is as “good” as the Lumibrite lume on the 1st generation Seiko Monster which is maybe 18 years old and the second is that with any of these watches if you wake at 5 o’clock in the morning and want to know the time…. look at your alarm clock!
You have seen the table above with the weight and measurements of the new watch, but numbers never tell the whole story, so here are a number of photos with the new 500 beside some well known watches. This should give a better indication of the size and shape of the watch.
Synchron Poseidon and Breitling Superocean
Omega Seamaster 300 SMP and Rolex GMT Master II
Aquastar 60 and Deepstar 39
I can’t wear straps for very long as they all bring me out in a rash, so I’m a bracelet guy. The black Isofrane that the watch comes on is probably what most people will use but here are a number of images with the 500 on different straps. My favorite is the green isofrane.
Yellow Isofrane
Orange Isofrane
Green Isofrane
Tropic
Leather Bund
And this is the Aquastar Mesh bracelet that was made for the Deepstar 2020.
The new Benthos 500 is such a good homage to the vintage watch that it may just endanger the vintage watch market. For less than what people are now paying for a vintage watch, you get arguably a better watch, with the same classic looks and feel which you can dive with and know it can easily be serviced and get replacement parts. The same just can’t be said for the vintage watches. As much as I love my vintage Benthos 500, I know that replacement bezels are impossible to get and if the Totalizer ever breaks, then the chance of getting it repaired is slim at best and dwindling with each passing day. As for diving with it, heck, I won’t even wash the dishes with it on. I know that even if I choose to kick the new 500 round the back yard, I can get it fixed.
As previously mentioned, the Founder’s Edition of the Benthos 500 is a limited edition of 300 watches. Will there be other Benthos 500 editions? Of course there will. Just look at the vintage versions. I’m also betting there will be a “standard” non limited edition down the road and some people will decide to wait for maybe a blue dial and deco bezel version, but just look how Rick Marei’s history with DOXA played out. The SUB 600T from 2004 and the SUB 1200T DWL from 2010 are probably the most sought after of the modern SUBs. Good luck trying to find one for sale. I’m betting the Benthos 500 Founder’s Edition will join them in the list of: “man, I wish I had bought one of those watches”.
When you wear the 500 you have a direct connection to Frédéric Robert, an inventor, designer and innovator who put Aquastar on the map and made dive watch history with the Aquastar 60, the Deepstar, the Benthos 500, Benthos I and II, the 63, the Seatime, the Atoll and the Regate and Airstar. Oh yes, and for those who don’t know, he was the force behind the Omega Flightmaster and Ploprof. This watch flies in the face of sentiments such as; a minute timer or even a dive watch is irrelevant in these days of dive computers. People who have had dive computers crap out on them may argue with those sentiments, but the new Benthos 500 doesn’t give a damn about those sentiments and neither do the people who buy it. As Arnold Schwarzenegger would probably say: “The Benthos 500 is not a girlieman watch”, it’s also not a sandy beach and paddle boat kind of watch either. No, the new Benthos 500 is an anacronistic watch. It is unrepentantly big, bold, brash and harks back to the days when a diver used his watch as a tool, because there was nothing else that would do the job.
The vintage 500 was designed long before the dive computer and had a specific task: timing a dive. It wasn’t a wear down the pub and post pictures of it online kind of watch. It was at home strapped outside a wetsuit and 50 feet underwater. The new Benthos 500 – Founder’s Edition is unashamedly a modern version of that watch. Fans and collectors wouldn’t have it any other way.
It is available here: Aquastar