AQUASTAR MODEL 60 GREENWICH

2023 markd the opening of the latest chapter in the last great story in dive watches, as venerable Swiss dive instrument maker Aquastar returns with a new Model 60 — a fully modernized tribute to the brand’s inaugural 1957 dive watch of the same name, which introduced a crucial safety measure for dive watches of that era: a friction ring in the rotating bezel to prevent accidental rotations. Devised and originally patented by Aquastar, this simple, but critical feature would later become a standard feature echoed by legions of dive watches in the years that followed.

The new Model 60 Greenwich continues Aquastar’s earliest traditions of capability, adventure and exploration, which began in earnest on January 23rd in 1960 when US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh, wearing an original Model 60, and co-pilot Jacques Piccard, made a pioneering journey to the bottom of the Challenger Deep, aboard the bathyscaphe Trieste to a record-breaking depth of 10,916 meters (35,814 feet). Walsh’s Model 60 is recognized as Aquastar’s inaugural tool watch, and would set an early precedent for the then-nascent maker, as Aquastar’s innovative and ultra-reliable watches would quickly earn a reputation as the foremost timekeeping choice for mariners, professional divers, and ocean conservationists alike.

Aquastar Model 60 greenwich

“WITH EVERY AQUASTAR RELEASE, WE TRY TO LOOK AT THE PRODUCT CYCLES INTRODUCED BY THE BRAND’S ORIGINAL FOUNDER, FREDERIC ROBERT, AND LOOK AHEAD TO WHAT HE MIGHT STILL BE PRODUCING, HAD THE BRAND NEVER BEEN PAUSED DURING THE QUARTZ CRISIS,” SAYS RICK MAREI, AQUASTAR’S MODERN HELMSMAN. “WE ARE PROUD TO BE BOTH HISTORIANS AND CUSTODIANS OF THIS RICH BRAND, USING THE NEW MODEL 60 TO PAY TRIBUTE TO AQUASTAR’S INFLUENCE AND INNOVATIONS IN THE WORLD OF UNDERSEA EXPLORATION,” HE CONTINUES.

Aquastar BENTHOS HEritage one

“WITH EVERY AQUASTAR RELEASE, WE TRY TO LOOK AT THE PRODUCT CYCLES INTRODUCED BY THE BRAND’S ORIGINAL FOUNDER, FREDERIC ROBERT, AND LOOK AHEAD TO WHAT HE MIGHT STILL BE PRODUCING, HAD THE BRAND NEVER BEEN PAUSED DURING THE QUARTZ CRISIS,” SAYS RICK MAREI, AQUASTAR’S MODERN HELMSMAN. “WE ARE PROUD TO BE BOTH HISTORIANS AND CUSTODIANS OF THIS RICH BRAND, USING THE NEW MODEL 60 TO PAY TRIBUTE TO AQUASTAR’S INFLUENCE AND INNOVATIONS IN THE WORLD OF UNDERSEA EXPLORATION,” HE CONTINUES.

jacques mayol:

The Dolphin man

Over his diving career there were a number of excellent dive watches that Mayol could have relied on, but his preference was Aquastar and he relied on several several Aquastar models including the Deepstar, Benthos 500, the 63 and Regate.

Jacques Mayol was a French diver and the holder of many world records in free diving. Mayol was one of the screenwriters and authored the book Homo Delphinus: the Dolphin Within Man of his philosophy about the aquatic origins of humans. On 23 November 1976, at 49, he became the first free diver to descend to 100 meters (330 ft), and when he was 56 he managed to descend to 105 meters (344 ft). During the scientific research phase of his career, Mayol tried to answer the question of whether man had a hidden aquatic potential that could be evoked by rigorous physiological and psychological training. Mayol’s lifelong passion for diving was based on his love for the ocean, his personal philosophy, and his desire to explore his own limits. During his lifetime, he helped introduce the then-elitist sport of free-diving into the mainstream. His diving philosophy was to reach a state of mind based on relaxation and yoga breathing, with which he could accomplish apnea. He also contributed to technological advances in the field of free-diving, particularly improving assemblies used by no-limits divers. He was also instrumental in the development of scuba diving’s octopus regulator, which was invented by Dave Woodward at UNEXSO in 1965 or 1966. Woodward believed that having safety divers carry two second stages would be a safer and more practical approach than buddy breathing in the event of an emergency

Jacques Mayol wearing an Aquastar Benthos 500

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