Rolex Deepsea D-Blue: James Cameron’s Dive

Rolex has long been dedicated to the “spirit of adventure” and has a long history of exploration. They were the first watch on the top of the world and the first watch on the bottom of the ocean.

In 2012, movie director and deep-sea explorer James Cameron was the first man to reach the deepest known part of the ocean, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, on a solo dive. As part of the expedition, Rolex engineered a special watch, The Deepsea D-Blue Dial, which went on the expedition with Cameron. Only two other individuals have made this dive: Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh, on the Bathyscaphe Trieste expedition in 1960. Rolex was also a part of this pioneering expedition when they set the record, still held today, for the deepest depth, 10,916 meters (35,814 feet) achieved by man.

James Cameron’s expedition holds several records, including the first solo dive to the bottom of the trench and the longest time spent at the bottom, 3 hours. They were also able to collect tons of data that has furthered the field of marine biology, including the discovery of new species of sea cucumbers and squid worms.

The Deepsea has several innovations that allow it to remain working on the bottom of the ocean. The Ringlock System allows the watch to sustain pressure equivalent to that found in the Mariana Trench, approximately 3 metric tons. This system is composed of a steel central ring that forms the backbone of the system, a 5 mm thick domed sapphire crystal and a grade 5 titanium case back. The Deepsea also incorporates Rolex’s Helium Escape Valve technology. This advancement allows the watch to release helium, without allowing water to get into the watch case, during the decompression process, preventing the crystal from being forced from the watch case due to pressure differential.

The watch also features a very cool two-color gradient dial, from “brilliant blue to bottomless black.” Although this design element doesn’t help the watch to function on the bottom of the ocean, the innovative Chromalight display does make the watch readable in relative blackness. The blue luminescence lasts up to twice as long as that of other luminescent materials.

Diamond Banc is always on the lookout for unique Rolex watches to purchase from the public. If you have a Rolex Deepsea D-Blue Dial Diamond Banc could offer between $9,000 – $9,500, depending on the condition of the watch. If you love your watch, the history behind it, and don’t want to part with it, Diamond Banc can also provide you with a loan using the watch as collateral. Once you’ve paid off your loan, you will get your watch back.

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