In August of 1953, Rolex tested their earliest deep diving wristwatch, known as the 'Deep Sea Special'. It was first tested down to 1,080m. Then a year later it was tested again down to a depth of 3,150m.
It was finally ocean tested for a third time in 1956 to a depth of 3,700m. With the knowledge gleaned from their first two DSS watches, Rolex begun work on the third 'Deep Sea Special', a watch engineered to conquer the oceans depths.
It would remain unmatched in terms of water-resistance for more than 50 years!
In March of 2012 Rolex created yet another depth defying experimental wristwatch that accompanied James Cameron on an historic 10,908m descent into the Mariana Trench.
I was lucky enough to be in Guam, just a stone’s throw from the dive site, so was able to spend some time with a couple of the prototypes of that watch, known as the Rolex Deep Sea Challenge Watch.
Measuring 50mm in diameter they were heavy and imposing beasts and even though at that time there was a trend for larger watches, they were unwearable on anything other than a deep sea submersible’s robotic arm, so never meant for our wrists.
On the tenth anniversary Rolex has created a new watch not an experimental watch, not a prototype but a production model and not even a special edition although it is indeed a very special watch, but a permanent model in their current portfolio.
Guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 11,000 meters (36,090 feet), crafted from RLX titanium, and equipped with a helium escape valve and the Ringlock system, it is every bit as capable as the 2012 watch that is inspired by but guess what you can buy it and you can wear it!
From the production of the case to that of the bracelet, each element of this still 50mm in diameter watch has been crafted with everyday use in mind.
A watchmaking accomplishment only made possible with the use of grade 5 titanium as selected by Rolex, so known as RLX titanium.
Thanks to this robust and particularly lightweight metal, the new watch is 30% lighter than the experimental model of 2012. To create a wristwatch that is balanced in proportions and ergonomic, some mods were made to some of its key components. The crystal, for instance, was slimmed down.
The Deepsea Challenge is distinctive among the Professional watches for its highly pronounced grain in its satin finish and its polished edges of its lugs. While its bracelet extension systems – Rolex Glidelock and the Fliplock extension link allow the watch to be worn over a diving suit up to 7mm thick.
The Deepsea Challenge may have been inspired by a prototype watch but it includes all the major innovations developed by Rolex over the years: the Ringlock system, a patented case architecture that enables the watch to withstand extreme pressure; the helium escape valve, which allows surplus gas to escape from the watch during decompression in a hyperbaric chamber.
Then there’s its Triplock crown, with three sealed zones; and the Chromalight display, whose long-lasting luminescence provides exceptional legibility.
To test the water-resistance of each Deepsea Challenge, Rolex specially developed, in partnership with Comex (Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises), an ultra-high-pressure tank capable of reproducing a test pressure equivalent to that exerted by water at a depth of 13,750 meters (45,112 feet).
At the heart of the Oyster case is caliber 3230, a movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. A consummate demonstration of technology, this self-winding movement contains several patented components:
The Chronergy escapement and the Parachrom hair- spring, insensitive to magnetic fields, as well as Paraflex shock absorbers.
Thanks to its barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency, caliber 3230 offers a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
Like all Rolex watches, the Deepsea Challenge carries the Superlative Chronometer certification and boasts chrono-metric precision of the order of –2 /+2 seconds per day.
The Deepsea Challenge is engraved with the words “Mariana Trench” as well as the dates “23-01-1960” and “26-03-2012” on the case back, in tribute to two historic dives into the Mariana Trench:
that of oceanographer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh aboard the Trieste, in 1960, and James Cameron’s solo descent in DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, in 2012.
Both expeditions took experimental Rolex watches with them. The design of the watch that accompanied James Cameron’s dive presented a sizeable challenge for the brand in a short production time.
Tested to withstand a depth of 15,000 meters (49,200 feet) and 17 tons of pressure on the crystal, it was developed in only a few weeks, thanks to the extensive experience of the Rolex teams in the domain of deep-sea divers’ watches.
Throughout the seven-hour dive, three hours of which were spent at the bottom filming and collecting samples, this experimental watch flawlessly withstood the tremendous pressure, as the 1960 watch had also done.
Today, the Deepsea Challenge marks a new milestone in the human and technical adventure that Rolex engineers and deep-sea explorers have shared for decades. Since the very start, waterproofness has been a fundamental pillar of Rolex’s watchmaking expertise.
In 1926, the Oyster case was unveiled – a completely hermetic construction in which the bezel, case back and winding crown screwed down against the middle case.
For nearly a century, Rolex has developed ever more advanced systems – such as the Twinlock and Triplock crowns, and the Ringlock system to protect the inside of its watches.
To meet the needs of deep-sea diving professionals, in 1953 Rolex released the Submariner, which was guaranteed waterproof to 100 meters (330 feet) and today to a depth of 300 meters (1,000 feet).
In 1967, the brand launched the Sea-Dweller, a divers’ watch fitted with a helium escape valve and guaranteed waterproof to 610 meters (2,000 feet), then to 1,220 meters (4,000 feet).
The Rolex Deepsea, presented in 2008, is a watch made for the challenges of the deep. Equipped with the Ringlock system, it can resist the pressure exerted at 3,900 meters (12,800 feet).
With the Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge, whose waterproofness is guaranteed to 11,000 meters (36,090 feet), the deepest depths open new horizons.
Thoughts? Someone said that Rolex hadn’t responded to Omega’s ULTRA DEEP because they’d already been there, done that. So were no longer concerned with the superfluity of making wristwatches that could reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench. I guess they were wrong.
Rolex, known for their impeccable timing were just waiting for the perfect occasion such as the ten year anniversary of the Deep Sea Challenge Watch. While Rolex were temporarily dethroned in this realm, the brand whose emblem is a crown once again rules the deep.
But at 50mm in diameter and costing around 26’000USD this is just another Blancpain X-Fathoms. It is fantastic to look and is indeed inspiring but with its size and hefty price tag it will only be for select few which just ain’t me.
But would that be you? Would you consolidate your entire collection for one of these? Or should we just wait and see what Rolex has in store for us?
Because like Omega did with the SM PO Ultra Deep perhaps, just perhaps a baby brother such as an SD DSC will be along next.
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