With a massive timepiece capable of withstanding underwater depths greater than anything on Earth, Rolex has reclaimed the title of the world’s highest performance production diving watch.
The 2022 Deepsea Challenge is the most recent production version of the experimental watch attached to the hull of the submersible piloted to the bottom of the Mariana Trench – the world’s deepest point – by film director James Cameron in 2012.
The watch is also Rolex’s first all-titanium model, and because it’s Rolex, it’s referred to as RLX titanium rather than grade 5. It is water resistant to 11,000m (36,090ft), while Challenger Deep, the Mariana Trench’s deepest point, is 10,935m.
To put the watch through its paces, Rolex enlisted the help of long-term diving partner Comex to create “an ultra-high-pressure tank capable of reproducing a test pressure equivalent to that exerted by water at a depth of 13,750 meters.”
The massive 50mm watch is 23mm thick, 9.5mm of which is sapphire crystal glass.
While the watch’s case is larger than life, the Calibre 3230 movement is already found in the brand’s entry-level Oyster Perpetual models.
To commemorate Cameron’s dive, Rolex released the Sea-Dweller Deepsea, which is water resistant to 3,900 meters. Then, in 2022, Omega broke the record with its 6,000m water-resistant Planet Ocean Ultra Deep to commemorate its own participation in Victor Vescovo’s Five Deeps dive series.
The Rolex Deepsea Challenge is available now for $26,000 USD from Rolex.
