The Mariana Trench is the deepest point of the earth's ocean, a whopping 10,916 (nearly 36,000) feet underwater. Last year, a milestone in deepwater exploration was achieved: James Cameron accomplished the first solo dive to and scientific exploration of the Mariana Trench. To commemorate Cameron's expedition, today Rolex released a new version of the Deepsea Sea-Dweller with a unique gradient dial that fades from blue to black. The dial is an obvious visual reference to the ocean's depths, the lowest point being completely absent of any light whatsoever.
The Mariana Trench was first reached in 1960 by Captain Don Walsh and Jacques Picard in an underwater submersible known as the Bathyscaphe Trieste. Strapped to the Bathyscaphe Trieste was an experimental dive watch from Rolex, the Deepsea Special. Naturally, timekeeping is essential during underwater expeditions and devices have to be specially made to withstand phenomenal amounts of pressure at such depths.
For Cameron's expedition, Rolex continued their association with deep sea diving by creating a hefty 51mm megadiver, known as the Deepsea Challenge, built to withstand depths of 12,000m. It was strapped to the sophisticated submersible known as the Deepsea Challenger used on the expedition.
On the Deepsea model released today commerating Cameron's expedition, all other specifications (beside the dial and green "DEEPSEA" insignia) remain the same as the existing Deepsea Sea-Dweller. Bright blue Chromalight luminescence is used to ensure optimum visibility in darkness and Rolex's patented helium escape valve add to the intended utility of the watch for underwater diving.
For more information, visit Rolex online.