On January 23, 1960, the Deep Sea Special – an experimental Rolex wristwatch designed for extremely high pressure – accompanied oceanographer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh as they set a diving record in the Mariana Trench. Attached to the outer shell of the deep-sea submersible Trieste, it descended to a depth of 10,916 meters. It wasn’t until March 26, 2012 that another explorer, director James Cameron, ventured into the Mariana Trench, diving all by himself to a depth of 10,908 meters. For this purpose, a new experimental Rolex wristwatch was developed, which was attached to the manipulator arm of the submersible: the Rolex Deepsea Challenge.

Foreground, left to right: Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea (2012), Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge (2022), Deep Sea Special (1960), Rolex Deepsea Challenge (2012) and Oyster Perpetual Submariner (1986). Background, left to right: models of the Deepsea Challenger submersible and the bathyscaphe Trieste.
Back to the future and drumroll please: The new Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge is the successor to the experimental wristwatch designed for James Cameron’s dive. This wristwatch, which can withstand extreme underwater pressures, as well as being resistant to the side effects caused by helium, sets new standards in terms of innovation.

The Oyster Perpetual Deepsea
Challenge, made of RLX titanium

Waterproof to the extreme depth of 11,000 meters, the Deepsea Challenge pushes ...