Deepsea Challenge: The First Rolex Made of Titanium Dives to 11,000 Meters

One of the most recognized luxury brands in the world – Rolex is no stranger to producing top-tier diving watches that push the boundaries of exploring the ocean depths. As early as 1926, Rolex debuted its innovation, a water-resistant watch with an Oyster case, and then in 1953, the first diving watch, the Submariner.

To this day, Rolex continuously builds its collection of diving watches, and although each new model has more advanced capabilities, with the latest they have surpassed all their previous efforts. The new Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge is their first watch entirely made of titanium and offers record water resistance – diving to a depth of 11,000 meters.

A Tribute to Explorers

The new Deepsea Challenge is inspired by the experimental watch with which filmmaker and explorer James Cameron descended into the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the ocean. A lot of decades have passed since then during which Rolex has invested a huge budget in the research and development of a ‘diver’ with unprecedented capabilities.

As reported by Yahoo Life, the first step was to determine what material such a watch should be made of, and they ultimately chose RLX titanium, which is both strong and lightweight, resistant to air and seawater. Despite its 50 mm dimension, the Deepsea Challenge is 30 percent lighter than the experimental model worn by James Cameron.

Additionally, thanks to the patented Ringlock system, it can withstand water pressure at great depths. Engraved on the back of the Deepsea Challenge are ‘Mariana Trench’ and the dates when Cameron in 2012, and explorers Jacques Piquard and Don Walsh in 1960, descended to the deepest point on the planet.

The watch is sold at a price of $26,000, which, experts claim, is not such a high amount considering the beastly performance of Rolex’s innovation.