Rolex has collaborated with filmmaker James Cameron on the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge, a divers’ watch in RLX titanium guaranteed to a depth of 11,000m.
The watch was inspired by an experimental piece that accompanied Cameron on his journey into the Mariana Trench on 26 March 2012, a 10,908m descent that saw the watch attached to the manipulator arm of Cameron’s submarine
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge
The new watch is capable of surviving similarly challenging environments with innovative and functional design elements. Surplus gas can effortlessly escape from the watch thanks to a helium escape valve, while a Ringlock system – a patented design of the case architecture – lets the watch withstand extreme pressure. Crafted from RLX titanium, a grade-five titanium alloy celebrated for its exceptional robustness and lightness, the timepiece is both technically impressive and comfortable to wear.
Slimmed-down proportions make the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge suitable for daily wear. An elegant crystal silhouette lends the watch a neat form, while extension systems on the bracelet mean the watch can be worn over a diving suit up to 7mm thick.
Filmmaker James Cameron, an Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge on his wrist, posing with a model of the bathyscaphe Trieste (right). ©Rolex/Duncan Cole
Engraving on the case back pays tribute to the two experimental dives that inspired the watch: the 1960 voyage of oceanographer Jacques Piccard and US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh on the Trieste; and James Cameron’s solo 2012 journey.
While both expeditions were accompanied by experimental Rolex watches, this new piece hones the original design, at 30 per cent lighter and capable of withstanding everything from open-water diving to submersible dives and hyperbaric chambers.
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