Carlos Coste

Carlos Coste & Oris - History of freediving - Limited edition dive watch

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• published: 09 Jul 2016
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Carlos Coste : Born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1976, Carlos Coste is a legend amongst the free-diving community. He started his training in Apnea and Free-diving in 1996, and got his first national record in 1998. In October 2003, he became the first human to achieve a Free Immersion of more than 100 meters (-101m, 2003), certified by Guinness World Records, He also was the first freediver to pass 100 meters in Constant Weight (-102, Cyprus 2004). Coste became First AIDA Depth Individual World Champion, He won the World Championship . Making a new World Record in Constant Weight -105m, celebrated in Nice, 2005. He broke the AIDA (International Association for the Development of Apnea) world record for Variable Weight Free-diving, with a 140-meter immersion in the Red Sea, Egypt, on May 9, 2006. Additionally, Coste has broken several free-diving world records, including Constant Weight (-90 meter, October 2002; -102 meter, June 2004; -105 meter, 2005, Variable Weight (-135 meter, October 2004), and Free Immersion (-93 meter, October 2002; -101 meter, October 2003 and AIDA Individual World Champion Constant Weight (September 2005). He beat Venezuela's national record in constant weight with -110 m during the Vertical Blue 2009 annual competition meeting at Dean's Blue Hole (Bahamas) the world's best free divers. In 2010, Carlos Coste set a new Guinness World Record for free-diving, by completing a 150-meter underwater swim using no apparatus through Dos Ojos, a colossal cenote (cave network) that twists for 31 miles under Yucatan, Mexico. The Venezuelan was armed with only a torch and a monofin when he made this death-defying dive. The Oris Carlos Coste series of watches: Oris started its partnership with Carlos Coste in 2006 and cemented the high performance aspect of the brand’s diver collection. The Mark Ι was produced in 2006 and started the partnership between the diver and the Swiss manufacture. It was a limited edition to 2,000 pieces. Built from titanium, it was 47mm in diameter and 18,5mm in height. The enormous 6,3mm domed sapphire crystal and the whole construction of the watch made it capable for 2,000meters of water resistance. It was equipped with an HRV valve at 2 o’clock while it had the Oris cal.643 (ETA 2836-2). This specific model was a huge success for the company and one year later, in 2007, the Mark II was introduced to the public. The Oris Carlos Coste L.E Mark II was following the same recipe. It came with a very nice box shaped like a diving helmet which was built entirely from titanium as well. At 47mm in diameter and 18,5mm in height it had the same dimensions with the previous version. However, the sapphire crystal was 4,8mm and the water resistance was cut in half from the previous version (1000m). The watch was equipped with a chronograph movement the Oris cal.678 based of course on the Valjoux/ETA 7750. The Mark ΙΙΙ edition was a 46mm in diameter and much more technical than previous editions. It was built from titanium as well and had an 18,2mm height. Water resistance felt yet again, at 500m. The automatic HRV valve was placed at 9 o’clock and we find a ceramic insert bezel filled with blue luminova. The minute subdial at 12 features 2 small triangles, to remind Coste’s world records: a first one at 2min30s (the Yucatan Peninsula record) and a second one at 7min30s (for Coste’s static world record). The calibre was the Oris cal.674, a classic Valjoux/ETA 7750 modified by Oris. All previous editions were limited to 2,000 pieces and became a great hit. The 4th generation of the Oris Carlos Coste It has a 500m water resistance, sufficient enough for most of us (and even for Carlos himself). The Mk IV Carlos Coste is powered by an automatic mechanical movement, the Calibre 743, based on a Sellita SW 220. It has 38 hours of power reserve and beats at 4hz (28,800vph). It has a bi-directional rotating Oris signature red rotor and overall, it is a very sturdy and reliable calibre. On the dial we see center hands for hours and minutes, subsidiary second at 9 o’ clock and a date window at 3 o’clock. The configuration provides unparalleled legibility for its user in almost any condition. The movement is housed in a titanium enclosed case back displaying the emblem of Carlos Coste.