Can you remember where you were on March 26th, 2012?
It’s a date James Cameron will never forget. He was busy making history, becoming the first ever solo explorer of the Mariana Trench, and earning a Rolex watch nickname, the Rolex James Cameron Sea-Dweller watch.
Back in 1960, Captain Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard descended down 10,916 meters, to the floor of the planet’s oceans, in the Trieste. Their adventure made history, and while the Trieste suffered some damage (including a cracked viewing port), the Rolex Deep Sea Special came back in perfect condition.
Cameron also took a Rolex on his descent – a thicker, newer design of which only three watches actually exist. With a 51mm diameter, 28.5mm thickness and heavy Oyster bracelet, this watch is built to last – and it can withstand up to 13.6 tons of pressure. It’s rated down to 12,000 metres deep, or 39,370 feet – which is around the normal height for most flights, to offer some perspective.
Of course, Cameron’s Rolex wasn’t the only new item he took. The Deepsea Challenger is a one-of-a-kind vessel, designed specifically to be able to carry and support a human at the bottom of the ocean. It can collect samples, dive repeatedly to collect extended data and even produces 34 imagery, letting people on the ground see the deep sea better than ever before.
While James’ is now turning that footage into an amazing 3D film, the actual watch that accompanied his amazing dive is on show to some of Rolex’ biggest customers. Seeing it next to the watch used in 1960, one thing really is for sure – A Rolex is always ready for adventure.
