Model History
Presented in 1970, the Benthos 500 was born in the middle of the "depth race" among Swiss dive-watch manufactures of the era, each competing to demonstrate its technical superiority with ever more extreme water-resistance figures. The Benthos stood out as the first dive watch with a NON-monobloc case designed to operate down to 500 metres — a milestone made possible precisely by the dual-gasket crown Frédéric Robert had patented in 1965.
The Benthos's credibility didn't remain just on paper: in 1976 freediver Jacques Mayol wore it during his historic record dive to 101 metres in "no-limits" freediving without scuba gear. The model was also included in the approved-equipment section of the US Navy's 1973 air diving manual, and throughout the 1970s and early 1980s the third generation of the Benthos equipped combat divers of the French Marine Nationale.
In terms of design, the Benthos is recognizable for its 60-click bezel, wide and designed to be gripped even with diving gloves, and for its 60-minute flyback totalizer for timing dive duration, paired with a crown placed unusually around the 2 o'clock position — a layout that, alongside the Deepstar's bezel, remains one of the most recognizable distinctive traits of Aquastar's entire historic output.
Technical Specifications
Main Executions
The Benthos didn't have to prove its resistance only in the lab: when Jacques Mayol wore it on his 1976 record dive to 101 metres freediving, without scuba gear and without any mechanical assistance, the toughest test the watch faced was the human performance it accompanied on the wrist.