Hands-On Aquastar Deepstar Re-Edition (Video)
We have exciting news today with the announcement of the new Aquastar Deepstar Re-Edition. This legend of the deep returns as a thoughtful modern update. AND we have live images already (and that’s just as well, as this is a seriously photogenic watch)!
2020 will go down in history as one of the worst years on record. Really, what a mess. On the other hand, if you’re a watch person, I’d actually wager that this is one of the better years in recent memory. Just have a look at our Watch Releases 2020 subsection and you might confuse this year with a very different “Roaring ’20s.” Regarding dive watches, it’s been an especially good year. We have a new Submariner, loads of Seiko, and funky pieces from MING and Breitling amongst others. With today’s announcement, we have a new (re)entrant with the Aquastar Deepstar Re-Edition.
An original ad featuring the Aquastar 63 (photo courtesy of uhrforum.de)
The Aquastar Deepstar
If you’re a vintage watch fan, then you almost certainly know of the Aquastar Deepstar and the brand itself. Aquastar was founded in 1962 by one Frédéric Robert in Geneva. It turns out that Robert was quite the dabbler and did so in everything from sailing to mathematics. With Aquastar, he envisioned the brand as the ultimate tool for divers and sailors. As a result, his watches received numerous patents related to features like the internal rotating bezel (on the Model 63 above, which we reviewed) and a unique decompression bezel.
Vintage Aquastar Deepstar – photo credit: Aquastar
When we look at historic dive watches from the 1960s, it’s fascinating to see all the different types of bezel scales. There were basic one-hour rotating bezels, but then things got quite funky. Doxa had its no-deco bezel, which showed how long a diver can stay at a certain depth without the need for decompression stops. There was also Jenny with a de-compression bezel that showed the depth and time length needed of the various stops after depth. But these bezels focused on individual dives. Professional divers, despite following decompression or no-deco guidelines, were still suffering from the bends when completing multiple dives per day. Enter the Aquastar Deepstar.
A wild bezel
At first glance, the Aquastar Deepstar has a confounding bezel. On the one hand, it can be used as a basic dive timer due to its lume pip at 12:00. On the other hand, there are all kinds of crazy numerals and scales. A quick glance at this informative posting shows the table that originally came with the watch and how to go about calculating the amount of time a diver should remain above the surface between dives. This was heady, but useful back at the time and, surprise surprise, even Cousteau managed to wear a Deepstar at some point.
But it wasn’t just a funky bezel that has made the Aquastar Deepstar into a legend. The watch happens to be extraordinarily attractive and different versus other vintage chronographs. Yes, it used the all-too-common 37.5mm skin diver case, but the dial…wow! The Deepstar has a huge white 30-minute sub-register at 3:00 and a funny little diamond-shaped hand at 9:00. That little white hand has the sole job of letting the user know that the column wheel Valjoux 23 is ticking away within the 100-meter-resistant case. The overall dial design is also a winner with a dark grey sunburst effect, loads of lume, and a great handset. Even though almost every example shows serious wear due to water entry, they still often cost around $10,000. Now, though, there’s a modern option.
The Aquastar Deepstar Re-Edition
Several weeks ago, Balazs and I had the chance to stretch our legs a bit when we managed to escape from Germany to Fratello HQ in the Netherlands. During that five hour drive, we spoke at length with the man behind the resurrection of Aquastar: Rick Marei. You may know Rick from his prior work at Doxa where he faithfully architected the return of fan favorites like the SUB 300 “No T”. He’s also involved with Aquadive, Tropic Strap, and Isofrane.
Yes, it’s perfectly ok to label Rick as a dive watch nut — especially the vintage kind. With a deep resume of bringing back some of our favorite vintage names, he felt that Aquastar was a missing link. Getting it done wasn’t easy. It took nearly 20 years to convince the last owner to sell the rights to Synchron.
The General Specifications
But here we are in 2020 with what promises to be the beginning of a new brand with the Aquastar Deepstar Re-Edition. And to give you a bit of a hint, this is a very good watch worth a long look. In this initial run, Aquastar will produce three different colors of the Deepstar with 300 numbered pieces of each. We’ve been enjoying the vintage black, but there’s also cold blue and steel grey. The watch stays very faithful to the original design but does add some millimeters. It comes in with a 40.5mm case, 50.5mm lug-to-lug, 22mm lug width, and 14.8mm height.
Those numbers sound a tad concerning versus the original, but the watch wears very well on anyone who has, say, a medium-sized wrist. Our Jorg had it on for much of the day up north and truly loved it. While there are some of us who would like an exact 37.5mm reissue, we’d likely be in the minority. The watch brings in a domed sapphire crystal that mimics the original acrylic. This, plus modern construction and a screw-down crown, brings water resistance up to a healthy 200 meters (additionally, the pushers can be used at depth).
An automatic movement
Another nod to modernity on the Aquastar Deepstar relates to the choice of movement. Here again, Rick mentioned that he wanted to pick a movement good for everyday use. Still, he was picky, and instead of opting for something like a Dubois-Depraz module, they chose a column wheel La Joux-Perret. We don’t have an exact caliber number, but it’s an incredibly smooth operator. As RJ likes to say, there is a “nice action on the pushers.” I admit that this choice is more than controversial, but I’m thankful that there’s not some weird bi-level crown and pusher set up from the side profile. The automatic certainly adds to the thickness of the watch, but it’s not so different from other big-name dive chronographs.
The finishing and the proportions
If you’ve stuck around this long, you’re probably still unconvinced. The size and the movement are either turn-ons or walk-aways. But let me make one thing clear — this watch is beautifully finished in the metal. The case is sharp with consistent radial brushing. The dial, for example, is so well finished that it doesn’t feel at all like a micro brand. I was expecting something pretty good, but this is truly on a level that applies to pricier brands. Oh, and it completely blows away anything that Aquastar has ever done. Needless to say, water entry and dial rot won’t be an issue on the new Aquastar Deepstar.
Feast your eyes on the dial and behold a layout that loses nothing in the way of proportions as a result of upsizing. That’s not always easy to pull off, but the watch really looks great. The applied indices at 6/9/12 exhibit none of the softness that often plagues dials on more renowned watches. I particularly like the lume dots around the dial and the clean white outlines. The 60-click bi-directional rotating bezel enjoys the same attention to detail and feels appropriately weighted when used. For me, though, the back is almost as fun to take in as the front. Thankfully, the new Aquastar carries over the original’s distinctive case back with a multi-pointed motif. This portion is in relief and a special tool is used to open it.
Pricing and availability
As previously mentioned, Aquastar will produce 300 models of the Deepstar in gray, black, and blue. The watches will retail for $3,590, but will be available for pre-order at $2,790 during the brand’s launch period. All sales will be online via the new Aquastar website. The watches will come in a wood box with a light blue, vintage-correct, outer box. Each will ship with a Tropic Strap and a 22mm Horween leather strap. A beads of rice bracelet will be available in early 2021. The watches will begin shipping in November 2020.
Final thoughts
It’s a gutsy move to bring back a name like the Aquastar Deepstar in 2020 at what I’d call an entry-level premium price. However, I think that Rick and the team have made some extremely thoughtful choices on movement selection and sizing that should appeal to a wider audience than us typical curmudgeons. Yes, the watch has a vintage look, but it’s definitely not out of style. Rick was clear that he wants to see these used on a daily basis and I think that decisions to offer several color choices (including the popular blue) will help aid this. More importantly, I also can’t stress it enough that the finishing on the Deepstar easily contends with dearer dive chronographs from the big brands. It’s a beautiful watch with history and if you’re in the market for something highly wearable, capable, and distinctive then you should definitely give this consideration.
