HOW A PASSION TURNED INTO A SUCCESS STORY

The story of CHRIS BENZ Watches Intl. is the story of a young man´s passion for the sea and water sports. Already as a young boy, Chris Benz, great-grandson to the founder of the Württemberg Watch Factory, was a water sports enthusiast and diver, who often spent more time under the water than over it. He joined forces with friends and other divers, diving instructors, surfers, sailors, and other water-sports professionals who shared his passion for the fascinating world of water. To join CHRIS BENZ Ocean Team, water-sports enthusiasts and professionals around the world, men and women alike were and still are welcome to apply for sponsorship.

The experienced underwater and overwater sports aficionados and professionals of the CHRIS BENZ Ocean Team were not fully satisfied with any of the diving watches available on the market. Each watch had its own qualities, but there were always details that did not match up to their expectations. The CHRIS BENZ Ocean Team came to the conclusion that the perfect diving watch was not to be had for love or money but hand to be crafted. After lots of tests, shop-talk and consultation, they decided what constitutes a „proper“ diving watch. They remembered the well documented story of a certain Ferruccio Lamborghini, who, unhappy with his Ferrari, decided there and then to build a better sports car himself. What could be more natural than for the CHRIS BENZ Ocean Team to follow Lamborghini’s lead and develop the perfect diving watch themselves? As professionals they knew what other professionals needed and as an entrepreneur Chris knew how to translate their needs and requirements into an affordable product.

This marked the creation of the first models of the CHRIS BENZ Collection, and the response from divers and water-sports enthusiasts was both immediate and positive. Without expensive advertising campaigns, the CHRIS BENZ  brand, which now includes 13 basis models in over 131 versions, has become a genuine contender on the water-sports scene. After all, divers will only be convinced by a watch that has proven itself in practice.

The exclusive CHRIS BENZ Collection is noted for its uncompromising functionality and superior craftsmanship.

Solid marine stainless steel casings, precision mechanisms, reliable display instruments, helium escape valve as well as depthmeter technology and warranted water resistance up to 200 bar - all are standard features in our model range. In addition, the crystal used for our watches is made of ultra scratch-proof and almost indestructible sapphire crystal. With a hardness of 9, the sapphire crystal is surpassed only by diamond with a measure of 10 on the hardness scale from 1 to 10. Standard watch crystals have am average hardness of 6,5. An additional feature of our depthmeter is the integration of handy lunettes which allow for easy adjustment even when wearing neoprene gloves. The most notable feature is the use and integration of the solid marine stainless steel casings in all of our watch models as well as the extremely robust straps. These features are guaranteed to withstand even the bite of a Great White Shark.

To prove our motto “SHARK PROOF”, our watches were subjected to a real life bite test by a Great White Shark in the waters off of Gansbaai, South Africa in the world famous Shark Alley. Under the supervision of world-famous „Shark King“ André Hartmann our test was successfully executed in the wild.

Only CHRIS BENZ diving watches, as a result, are rightfully entitled to the SHARK PROOF label. The abundance of seals in Shark Alley, the preferred prey of sharks, means that not only are plenty of predators roaming these waters, but also divers, biologists and „shark tourists“, hoping to observe these fascinating creatures at close quarters.

The SHARK PROOF test was carried out under real conditions by experienced divers and shark experts. Inexperienced water sports enthusiasts are strongly advised not to try this test themselves when encountering sharks. It is definitely preferable to treat these elegant sea predators with the respect they deserve and admire them from a safe distance.