When Rick Marei, the current owner of Aquastar, reached out to me about the release of a new Benthos model – I was anxious to learn more. The first thought that sprang to mind was, “What more is there to do with the Benthos?” This is a range from Aquastar’s original playbook that boasts serious historical credibility. Something of a darling to the vintage dive watch community – I feared that with the H1 released in 2020, as well as the true-to-history Benthos Heritage chrono released in 2024, there was little room for any more Benthoses (or whatever the heck the plural of Benthos is) on the market. However – feedback from the enthusiasts at large, as well as a previously undiscovered archival image shaped what is sure to be the most contemporary iteration of the Benthos yet. Cue the Benthos Heritage 2 (H2).
We cannot look at the H2 without first going back to the early 1970s and examining the original Aquastar Benthos. This bulky 500m diver was a pragmatic tool through and through. In a time when dive watches were rapidly gaining traction, the Benthos diverted from the typical course by including a central minutes chronograph – an exceptionally useful feature to track elapsed dive time. For this reason, it was not a watch for the best suited to a weekend warrior or casual snorkeler, and Aquastar knew that. This was a model retailed by Scubapro in the United States and only available for purchase through dedicated dive shops. For this reason, it was a model most prevalent among the most serious divers on the scene.
I was once told by renowned diver, the late Bret Gilliam, that the Benthos 500 was the “Ferrari of dive watches in the early 1970’s”. He actually wore one himself from 1971-1975 – when it was ultimately dethroned by the solid gold Rolex Submariner he wore for the remainder of his dive career. Despite this relatively brief window of wear, it accompanied him while filming “The Island of Dr. Moreau” and training US Navy divers. He, and many seasoned divers like him lauded the Benthos an absolutely utilitarian tool. Being that it was, in many ways, the paragon of dive watches in the 1970’s, the Benthos was not inexpensive and for most represented a significant investment. Due to scarcity, coupled with a niche market, the Benthos is rare to show up in the historical photo archives I have spent the past few years researching. That being said, I was able to locate one in the most unlikely of places.
In 1973, a group of researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) traveled to the Sahara Desert in Mauritania to research the phenomenon of the total solar eclipse, which occurs roughly every 18 years in this specific location. This expedition to the desert of West Africa included a team of scientists and graduate students looking to prove Einstein’s theory of relativity. Though this may seem an unlikely place for a Benthos, I can imagine that the ability to track elapsed time so easily could prove useful to the researchers taking place in the operation. Some of the critical data collected, for example, was the duration of totality. Who knows, perhaps a Benthos was responsible for collecting this critical data point. Regardless, it seems the Aquastar Benthos, despite being a decidedly aquatic accessory, was always destined for its time in the sun.
When the quartz crisis struck in the late 1970s, the Benthos lineup went through a series of changes. After the original Benthos 500 came the Benthos I. This model retained the central minutes function, but was housed in a completely updated monobloc case. Next up was the Benthos II. At this point, the depth rating was upped to 1100 meters while the chronograph function was removed entirely. Thus, the Benthos II is the only vintage model in the family that is a traditional three-hander. There are a number of possible explanations for this – the most likely being that technology and dive computers were already tracking submerged time effectively, and it was viewed as somewhat obsolete in a wristwatch. Whatever the case, this is where the original Benthos story ended.
Fast forward to 2020 – the Aquastar name and brand is revived by Rick Marei. The Deepstar and Benthos made their comebacks and were well received. Despite the warm reception, the online masses provided valuable feedback, as they are want to do, that helped guide the brand to the H2. Interestingly, a designer’s sketch from the Aquastar archives was discovered shortly after the release of the H1 which showed a different kind of Benthos. It featured a dual-crowned, three-handed dive watch that was smaller in size and stature than all previous iterations. It was kismet that the unearthing of this never-before-seen sketch aligned with what fans of the brand had been asking for. This intersection marked the conception of the Aquastar Benthos H2.
At first glance, the H2 looks like an amalgamation of the H1 and the original Benthos chronograph from 1970. The case size has been reduced to 40mm across with a thickness of exactly 12mm. In accordance with the previously mentioned archival drawing, the Benthos H2 boasts two crowns – one at 2 o’clock and the other at 4 o’clock. These serve as a standard winding crown and helium escape valve, respectively. The H2 is powered by a Swiss-made automatic movement caliber SW200-1. It features a glossy black dial with an accompanying lumed, ceramic bezel. Priced around $1,200 for pre-order (compared to the $1,490 at retail) it sits at a highly competitive price point on the market.
Having worked with Rick Marei in the past, I was fortunate to get an opportunity to go hands-on with a prototype of the H2 and have worn it over the course of the past week. Rather than regurgitate a press release, my preference is always to speak from experience, when possible. In this case, fortunately, I can say that the H2 is a SOLID watch. If you’re after a modern duplication of the original Benthos, I would kindly point you to the Benthos 500 Founder’s Edition. If you want one that retains the original size but eschews the chronograph function – the H1 is the watch for you. If, however, you want a Benthos that features a slim profile without sacrificing the utilitarian look and feel so closely associated with the Benthos line, I would encourage you to consider the H2.
I have owned a vintage Benthos, which came from a bulk supply found by the granddaughter of the original owner, who worked for Scubapro throughout the 1970’ts. It was a beast, in the best of ways. It had character to spare, but the cost of repair was prohibitive for me to dole out the money to wear it (let alone trust it) on a daily basis. I do not find myself missing the chronograph function, or heft, when wearing the H2. It is a decidedly modern take on the original Benthos recipe. I find the polished indices and sheen of the bezel to give it a dressier appearance than its predecessor. On my almost 7-inch wrist, this new iteration wears extremely well. Touting serious dive specs like 300 meters of water resistance and a helium escape valve, this is a ton of aquatic function for a 12mm thick watch. The case profile curves nicely to hug my wrist, in stark contrast to other Benthos versions I have worn, which stand a little too tall on the wrist, in my opinion.
Aesthetically, I enjoy the fact that the head-on appearance of the H2 is that of a Benthos through-and-through. I realize that the helium escape valve is overkill (and I suspect Aquastar knows this as well), but it allows the H2 to retain that classic, dual-crown appearance that is a calling card of the Benthos namesake. When I first laid eyes on the H2, I was, admittedly, lukewarm on the orange seconds hand. I was concerned I would miss the bold, orange, arrow-tipped hand of the original. After days of wear- I’ve come to appreciate it for what it is. Without the chrono function the arrow hand is extraneous, and the orange pop of this seconds hand stands out prominently against the inky black dial.
When I spoke to Rick about his inspiration for the H2, he mentioned that it was, in part, an exercise to consider where the Benthos line would have gone had the quartz crisis not occurred. This reminded me of an Aquastar advert from the late 1970s/early 1980’s with copy that read, “Aquastar: Time measuring instruments you can wear at a dinner party”. I think that this timeless text hinted at exactly the direction Aquastar was going. Gone were the days of overbuilt dive watches that were out of place everywhere except the benthic zone – the future was in watches that could handle these rigors while still looking great in day-to-day situations above sea-level. While I have no clue whether Rick and the Aquastar team had this quote in mind when designing the Benthos H2, this is exactly what they have made.
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