Sunday Morning Showdown: Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival Vs. Aquastar Deepstar II

It’s Sunday, which means it’s time for another Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, it’s an epic battle between two retro dive watches. Each is inspired by its respective brand’s 1960s classics. Jorg’s pick is the Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival, a modern version of the brand’s Deep Blue. Mike’s pick is the Aquastar Deepstar II, a contemporary time-only version of the classic Deepstar Chronograph. Both dive watches celebrate the style of their vintage predecessors and combine it with modern-day specs. But which will come out on top in this battle? Let’s find out.

Today’s contenders are not just retro dive watches. They also each boast a quirky aesthetic that is far from your normal dive watch. It makes both of these timepieces an acquired taste in the world of retro divers. While some might say that quirkiness is not for them, it also adds a charm that many watch fans love, including Mike and Jorg. In terms of pricing, the Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival, at €2,600, is only slightly more expensive than the €2,335 Aquastar Deepstar II. That makes these two watches direct competitors in story, style, and price. Let’s find out which of the two you prefer.

Last week, on Sunday Morning Showdown…

But before we do, let’s quickly look back at last week’s battle of rectangular jump-hour watches. In it, Thomas’s contender, the Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour, took 45% of the votes versus 55% of the votes going to Daan’s pick, the Cartier Tank à Guichets. The comments section displayed a similar split in opinions. In the end, the Cartier came out on top, proving the brand’s popularity and reputation for creating absolute classics. Speaking of which, let’s hand it over to Jorg and Mike for this week’s battle of vintage-inspired dive watches.

Jorg: Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival

Today’s showdown is another one where I actually like both watches quite a bit. We released two limited-edition Deepstar II models with Aquastar, and I love their quirky presence a lot. Especially with the colorful dials of those two LEs, the Deepstar II is truly special. Having said that, I do have one gripe with the watch: for me, it’s not the daily wearer I would love it to be. The Deepstar II is a bit of an acquired taste, and while I adore it as an object, I would only wear it occasionally. However, while the Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival has some nice quirks, they don’t detract from the feeling of it being a great daily watch.

The vintage Favre-Leuba Deep Blue

Let’s go over some of the details to get a better idea of what I mean. The Deep Raider Revival is a great modern interpretation of the classic Favre-Leuba Deep Blue, which debuted in 1964, as Mike explained in his historical overview article. The revived brand has managed to keep the watch very close to the original, including the unusual horizontally placed branding. Importantly, the 39mm stainless steel case maintains the size of the original model and has a 13.24mm profile and a 48mm lug-to-lug.

Upping the specs for the new Deep Raider Revival

Favre Leuba didn’t shy away from making some improvements, though. The water resistance rating has increased from 200 meters for the vintage model to 300 meters for the modern version. With that, it also tops the Deepstar II, although I admit that is just a theoretical victory. The case also features a countdown bezel with a modern sapphire insert and a complete set of white numerals and markers. A nice vintage touch is the beige luminous triangle at the 60-minute mark. Overall, this bezel is easier to use than the Aquastar Deepstar II’s bezel, which has a no-decompression table.

The Deep Raider Revival’s gray sunburst dial is inspired by the original Deep Blue model. It features some nice, quirky details that add to the overall character. The standout elements are the extra-long indexes at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock, which almost make it look like a classic crosshair dial. If you then look at the text placed above the 9 o’clock index and underneath the 3 o’clock marker, you’ll understand why the designers made them longer.

The brand’s applied logo sits between the 10 and 11 o’clock markers, and I love that. While it might seem odd, it’s not really that strange. Just look at the placement of the date window at 4:30 to understand why the logo is where it is. The designers undoubtedly kept symmetry in mind when designing the original Deep Blue dial.

Favre Leuba chose vintage-colored lume for this watch, and I think it suits the overall colorway very well. On top of that, it has a distinct feel from the brand’s Deep Raider Renaissance, the proper modernized version of this classic. Lastly, the signature hand set also adds vintage flair with its large arrow-shaped minute hand and cream-colored lume.

The Deep Raider Revival has the upper hand movement-wise

Powering the Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival is the La Joux-Perret G100-based FLD01 caliber. It operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a 68-hour power reserve. This movement is considered a premium alternative to the Aquastar’s Sellita SW290-1, albeit with central instead of small seconds. A huge difference and practical advantage is its 68-hour power reserve versus the 38-hour autonomy of the Sellita.

In terms of accuracy, the calibers perform similarly. The La Joux-Perret G100 has a standard accuracy of ±12 seconds per day, whereas the Top Grade Sellita SW290-1 runs between ±4 and ±15 seconds per day.

Wearing the Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival makes a difference

One thing that stood out to me after wearing both watches is that the Deep Raider Revival feels better. Its finishing is more elaborate and detailed, and the bracelet is nicer than the Deepstar II’s. While I love the look of the latter’s beads-of-rice bracelet, the five-row bracelet of the Deep Raider Revival feels more refined and features a better clasp.

The Aquastar’s clasp is pretty straightforward and a potential nail-breaker. Sure, it feels solid, and it will indeed do the trick, but Favre Leuba’s butterfly clasp is easier to open and is also nicely tucked away, so the bracelet looks more refined overall. In my book, that is a major plus for daily use.

In summary, the less quirky look and the better build quality of the Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival make it the better daily watch for me. While it still has plenty of vintage-inspired character to tell the story, it also adapts to the normalcy of everyday wear better. That’s why it would be my pick in this week’s matchup. But please let the Fratelli know why you’d choose the Aquastar Deepstar II, Mike.

Mike: Aquastar Deepstar II

Well, this is a fun turn of events for this week’s Sunday Morning Showdown. We have my cagey foe, Jorg, in one corner with the Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival. For me, it’s the Aquastar Deepstar II, a watch that debuted in 2021. Yes, it’s a battle of seemingly similar revitalized and rejuvenated old-school tool watches, but the watches are slightly different in their missions.

With the Deep Raider Revival, Favre Leuba has done an honorable job of paying tribute to the original 60s diver. The 39mm by 48mm diver has a 300 meter depth rating and is available with a gray sunburst dial. In concept, it’s meant to be a modernized version of the historic and highly collectible vintage piece. Naturally, accommodations to daily wearability have entered the picture, including a sapphire crystal, a more robust bracelet, and an up-to-date caliber in the La Joux-Perret G100 automatic.

The Aquastar Deepstar II takes a different approach

With the Deepstar II, Aquastar has opted to use its historic design language to create a new watch. After all, the inspiration for this piece is the original 60s Deepstar chronograph. So while the piece has retro vibes, it’s an original concept. Perhaps this is why it’s available in a flurry of color options, such as gray, blue, white, and green. In the past, we even worked with Aquastar to create two collaborative editions in light blue and pink.

From a specification perspective, the Deepstar II is a smaller watch than the Deep Raider Revival. It comes in at 36.7mm by 47mm with a thickness of 13mm and uses a traditional stainless steel skin diver case. I’ve spent significant time with these pieces and can confirm that they wear beautifully. Because Aquastar and Tropic are part of the same family now, the watches come standard with a 19mm version and a stainless steel pin buckle. The option of a stainless steel beads of rice bracelet with fitted end links adds a level of solidity to the package.

An endearing option

Jorg makes some great points about the Deep Raider Revival being a more complete and polished offering. Indeed, the Favre Leuba offers more water resistance, a movement with greater power reserve, and a more refined bracelet. Pricing wise, at current exchange rates, the Deepstar II is priced at €1922.80 with the bracelet and without VAT (one can save nearly €200 by choosing the strap option). That’s quite similar to its newer competitor.

What I’ve always enjoyed about the Deepstar II is its fit on the wrist and general aesthetics. It’s not easy to adapt a well-known chronograph design to a simpler watch. However, Aquastar managed to do this very well and, in the process, created a model that stands confidently on its own. Yes, the unique multi-dive no-decompression bezel remains along with the bold sub-seconds dial, and it works well. In the end, it’s a well-balanced watch that looks fantastic on the wrist.

Time to vote

In some ways, today’s match-up appears to consist of two highly similar, retro-inspired dive watches. However, the Deep Raider Revival is a modern reissue, whereas the Deepstar II is inspired by an iconic chronograph. Furthermore, the Favre Leuba is a newer release with high-end touches. The Aquastar is a wearable fan favorite with cult appeal. Pricing is similar, so all of these factors and more should be taken into account when voting. How will you choose and why? Let us know in the comments section.