Pre-Paid Tariffs: For all US orders, tariffs, taxes, and duties are pre-paid by the shipper. No additional fees on delivery. Pre-Paid Tariffs: For all US orders, tariffs, taxes, and duties are pre-paid by the shipper. No additional fees on delivery. Pre-Paid Tariffs: For all US orders, tariffs, taxes, and duties are pre-paid by the shipper. No additional fees on delivery. Pre-Paid Tariffs: For all US orders, tariffs, taxes, and duties are pre-paid by the shipper. No additional fees on delivery.
EN
Marine Nationale issued Benthos
Heritage  ·  Worn by  ·  The French Navy

Issued 1979 · 1984

The Marine Nationale.

For six years, every French Navy combat diver who came up through Toulon was issued an Aquastar Benthos (third generation). Some of those watches are still on serving divers’ wrists.

Issued equipment.

The Marine Nationale, the French Navy, issued the Aquastar Benthos (third generation) to its combat divers from 1979 to 1984. The Benthos carried the patented no-decompression dive bezel (CH 436 140, inventor Marc Jasinski, filed 15 May 1964), which displayed decompression-time information directly on the bezel.

Procurement records, serial-number ranges and the exact issuance period are held in the Aquastar archive in Bienne. Collectors and inheritors of M.N.-marked Benthos models who want to confirm provenance can contact the workshop directly.

The watch they wore

Same bezel. Same tables. Same maker.

The Benthos that Marine Nationale divers wore from 1979 to 1984 is the direct ancestor of the watch we ship today. The bezel hasn’t changed.

Aquastar Benthos 500 II Founder's Edition
Benthos 500 II Founder’s Edition
Modern descendant of the issued Benthos
 Aquastar Benthos Heritage II
Benthos Heritage II
40 mm · helium escape valve

Also worn by

Three thousand French Navy divers were not the only ones.

1927 · 2001

Jacques Mayol

100 meters on a breath. Elba, 1976.

1940 · 1979

Philippe Cousteau

The Calypso years. Three films.

Contemporary

Jason Heaton

Depth Charge. The Grey NATO.

As featured in