
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Aquastar Seatime (Ref. 1000) "Pirelli" Dial, 1970s
- Maker / attribution
- Aquastar (maker)
- Date
- 1970s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 40 mm
- Stock no.
- AST1000P
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (AST1000P)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1970s Aquastar Seatime (Ref. 1000) "Pirelli" Dial (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number AST1000P), this is a wristwatch by Aquastar, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 40 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Craft & Tailored
The Aquastar brand is "relatively" new to the watchmaking world as they didn't debut as a company until 1962 in Geneva and were most known for they're watersport related timepieces, such as diving watches and regatta chronographs. The Seatime reference line comes to us from the golden era of dive watches, the 1970s. Although the Seatime is not a super-compressor, it features an excellent inner rotating bezel, much like the super-compressors of the era. This Aquastar Seatime Ref. 1000 in specific is a very special variant. The dial is co-branded with the famous tire company "Pirelli" with their signature logo and name on the dial. Co-branded dials are loved among collectors as it is a general fact that they are some of the rarest of they're reference family and have an added value for being unique. This Pirelli co-branded Aquastar Seatime is perfect for both the watch collector and petrol head. SPECS Stock # AST1000P Brand Aquastar Style Dive Model 1000 Serial 103XXXX Size Men's Material SS Dial Silver "Pirelli" Millimeters 40mm Bracelet 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The cushion style stainless steel case is unpolished retaining strong factory brushing and little to no wear from use. The case retains its original Aquastar signed crown. The caseback exhibits some wear from being opened. DIAL & HANDS The stunning silver "Pirelli" logo dial is in excellent vintage condition. The inner rotating blue bezel remains is in excellent condition as well, and adds a soft touch of color to the watch. The original tritium lume markers have a nice ivory patina and show no degradation under U.V. light inspection. The original tritium hands match the dial perfectly and exhibit no degradation when inspected under U.V. light. The blue sweep seconds hand is original to the watch and coordinates nicely with the inner bezel as well. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is running at spec, previously service history is unknown.
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Dive and water-resistant watches
Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.
Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.
What to look for
- Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
- Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
- Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
- Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.
Dating clues
- Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
- Professional dive watches: from 1953.
- Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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