ROLEX DEEPSEA AND DEEPSEA CHALLENGE
Journey to the deepSymbols of the long-standing history between Rolex and explorers of the abyss, the Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea and Deepsea Challenge are extreme divers’ watches. They meet the most exacting standards of resistance, precision and reliability.
An inaugural record
During this year, Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard and US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh set a diving record, reaching a depth of 10,916 metres (35,814 feet) below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Attached to the outside of their bathyscaphe, the Trieste, was an experimental watch: the Rolex Deep Sea Special. It withstood the phenomenal pressure that reigned at this depth without suffering any damage whatsoever. This historic descent offered a glimpse into the previously unknown world of the deepest ocean.
1960
1967
Partnership with Comex
Rolex formalized its partnership with Comex (Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises) by equipping its divers with Professional watches. Based in Marseille, this French company specializes in underwater engineering. It conducts scientific experiments to develop new technologies that prove useful for its offshore operations. This partnership enabled the development of hyperbaric chambers designed to test the waterproofness of Rolex watches as part of the Superlative Control process.
1971
An innovative case architecture
When it was launched, the Rolex Deepsea was the first Rolex watch to feature the Ringlock system. This innovative case architecture gave the watch enhanced resistance to underwater pressure. It also pushed the limits of waterproofness: up to 3,900 metres (12,800 feet) for the Rolex Deepsea, and up to 11,000 metres (36,090 feet) for the Deepsea Challenge.
2008
A historic dive
Rolex took part in filmmaker and explorer James Cameron’s DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition. On 26 March, aboard his submersible, he managed to descend to a depth of 10,908 metres (35,787 feet) below the surface of the Pacific Ocean and reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Attached to the outside of the bathyscaphe was the Rolex Deepsea Challenge, an experimental watch developed in record time thanks to Rolex’s extensive expertise in the field of divers’ watches. It particularly drew on the design of the Rolex Deepsea. At a depth of nearly 11,000 metres (36,090 feet), the compression ring of the Ringlock system was subjected to a force equivalent to a weight of more than 14 tonnes.
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2012
A new dial for the Rolex Deepsea
The Rolex Deepsea became available with a new D-blue dial, a gradient ranging from midnight blue to intense black that evoked the deep-sea twilight zone, where the last light particles shining down from the surface disappeared into the depths. This dial paid tribute to the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition, which, with the support of Rolex and the National Geographic Society, took James Cameron to the deepest part of the ocean.
2014
Opening new horizons
Rolex presented the Deepsea Challenge, an evolution of the experimental model tested by James Cameron in 2012. Waterproof to a depth of 11,000 metres (36,090 feet) and crafted from RLX titanium, the Deepsea Challenge was designed to explore the unknown depths of the ocean. In tribute to the two historic dives in the Mariana Trench, it bore the inscription ‘Mariana Trench’, along with the dates ‘23-01-1960’ and ‘26-03-2012’ engraved on the back of its case.
2022
Precious and technical
Rolex unveiled a version of the Rolex Deepsea in 18 ct yellow gold for the first time, featuring a 60-minute graduated Cerachrom bezel insert in blue ceramic as well as a blue lacquered dial bearing the word ‘DEEPSEA’ in powdered yellow. This version also incorporated a technical innovation: the high-performance compression ring within the Ringlock system was also crafted from high-tech ceramic.