January 23, 1960: The Bathyscaphe Trieste and Rolex reach a depth of 10,916 meters below the surface of the sea
50 years later, this deep dive into uncharted waters not only remains an unmatched record but constitutes a milestone in underwater exploration and in increasing awareness of the need to better protect the oceans.
Date: January 23, 1960
Location: Pacific Ocean: The Mariana Trench, approximately 200 miles from the island of Guam
Depth reached: 10,916 meters, a feat unsurpassed to this day
Scientific discovery: marine life thriving in the total absence of light
Geneva, January 22, 2010 – Fifty years ago, Rolex and the bathyscaphe Trieste made history when US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh, accompanied by Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard, piloted the US Navy vessel to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in the heart of the Mariana Trench, some 200 miles off the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean. Strapped to the outside of the Swiss- designed submersible was a Rolex watch. A third-generation Rolex prototype of the Deep Sea Special was specifically engineered to withstand the tremendous pressure that would be encountered, approximately eight tons per square inch, at a depth of over 10,900 meters (35,000 feet) in the Challenger Deep.
When the Trieste and her intrepid crew of two surfaced over eight and a half hours later, they had completed the deepest dive ever undertaken by a vessel – manned or unmanned – and the Rolex Deep Sea Special was in perfect working condition. “Happy to announce that your watch works as well at 11,000 meters as it does on the surface”, Piccard wrote in a telegram addressed several days after the dive to the Rolex headquarters in Geneva.
Their successful voyage to the still deepest known place in the Earth’s oceans not only set a record that has never been broken, but also constituted an important milestone in the exploration and knowledge of the underwater world, an environment that was little known at the time despite its crucial role for man and his survival on earth.
Nearly seven miles below the surface, Walsh and Piccard used the light from their mercury vapor lamps to witness something never seen before: marine life at the very bottom of the ocean, previously believed to be unsustainable under such pressure and in the total absence of light. A discovery that astonished the global scientific community and contributed to increasing awareness of the need to better preserve our oceans.
Protecting the “blue heart of the planet”
“We are very dependent on the natural systems that sustain us. If we take care of the ocean and the rest of the natural world, we’re really taking care of ourselves”, said Sylvia Earle, the pioneering US marine biologist and Rolex Testimonee who has dedicated her life to the protection of what she calls the “blue heart of the planet”.
Walsh and Piccard’s achievement brought Rolex and its extraordinary technology into the public consciousness for its scientific value. Moreover, special notice of the feat was also taken by the elite diving community who would come to treasure Rolex watches as essential tools of their trade. In water, Rolex is in its element and the name of its iconic waterproof wristwatch, the Oyster, is no accident.
In the years following the Trieste’s “deepest dive”, the Rolex Submariner was the watch of choice for the US Naval School for Deep Sea Divers and for the US Navy’s SEA-LAB program which also provided robust developmental testing, in advance of the Rolex Sea-Dweller’s introduction in 1967.
From the creation of the Oyster in 1926 to the utmost test of its prowess in Mercedes Gleitze’s 1927 English Channel swim, on to the introduction of more and more sophisticated waterproof models since then to the present, Rolex has continuously sustained its commitment to being at the forefront of manufacturing watches that resist water and are ultimately compatible with water-related activities and underwater research.
Rolex milestones include: the Submariner created in 1953, originally waterproof to a depth of 100 meters and today to 300 meters (100 feet); the Deep Sea Special prototype of 1960 that withstood the pressure at Earth’s deepest point; the Sea-Dweller presented in 1967, waterproof to 610 meters (300 feet) and featuring a helium valve to protect it during deep dives; the 1978 Sea-Dweller 4000, waterproof to 1,220 meters (4,000 feet); the revolutionary Rolex Deepsea of 2008, waterproof to 3,900 meters (12,800 feet).
TIMELINE – ROLEX DIVERS’ WATCHES 1953-2008
1953 Launch of the first Submariner. The watch, equipped with the new, patented Twinlock system, was waterproof to a depth of 100 meters. Later in the same year, the Submariner became waterproof to the astounding depth of 200 meters.
1954 The Submariner was unveiled at the Basel fair in the spring.
1960s Rolex supplies French elite diving company COMEX with Submariner and Sea-Dweller models issued to its specialist divers. Additionally, Rolex Submariners are used by the US Naval School for Deep Sea Divers and the US Navy’s revolutionary SEA-LAB program.
1967 The Sea-Dweller, equipped with a graduated, rotatable bezel and its patented helium-escape valve is launched and is waterproof to 610 meters.
1970 Creation of the Triplock system. Rolex fixes a third gasket to the inside tube of the crown. The Sea-Dweller 2000 is now equipped with a Triplock crown.
1978 Birth of the Sea-Dweller 4000, waterproof to 1,220 meters.
1979 The Submariner is waterproof to 300 meters.
2003 A special 50th anniversary edition of the legendary Submariner, fitted with a green bezel, marks the half-century since the first Submariner was created.
2008 Birth of the Rolex Deepsea. Equipped with the new, patented Ringlock system, this new generation divers’ watch can withstand depths of up to 3,900 meters.
ROLEX DEEPSEA
The new Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea is a product of man’s inherent desire to push the boundaries of his dreams and his potential.
Waterproof to an extreme depth of 3,900 metres (12,800 feet), this new-generation diver’s watch confirms the supremacy of Rolex in the mastery of waterproofness and demonstrates an ever-present pursuit of excellence.
Entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex, the Rolex Deepsea is a totally new watch that benefits from important technical innovations. It is equipped with a Ringlock System, a new case architecture patented by Rolex, which allows the watch to resist the colossal pressure exerted by water at great depths. It is the first watch to feature a bracelet with a double extension system making it easily adaptable for greater comfort in wear over a diving suit.
CASE ARCHITECTURE AND WATERPROOFNESS
A watch developed for extreme depths, guaranteed waterproof to 3,900 metres (12,800 feet), the Rolex Deepsea required the design of a case with a unique architecture, the Ringlock System. This innovation patented by Rolex consists of a combination of three distinctive features:
• The high-performance ring Set inside the middle case of the watch between the crystal and the case back, the high-performance nitrogen-alloyed stainless steel ring withstands the pressure exerted by water on the crystal and the case back.
The middle case is made from 904L steel.
• The sapphire crystal To resist pressure, the synthetic sapphire crystal is slightly domed and substantially thicker than the crystals of other Oyster models.
• The case back The case back is made of a titanium alloy, an extremely resistant stainless material. It is held in place against the high-performance ring by means of a 904L-steel ring.
The helium valve is made of high-performance stainless steel. Its size is adapted to the dimensions of the case to achieve optimal waterproofness. The helium valve is a safety feature which, during the decompression phase, releases the gases that infiltrate into the watch during caisson dives.
Indeed, between dives at great depths, professional divers use pressurised caissons in which they breathe high-pressure gas mixtures, notably containing helium, a very volatile gas that penetrates into the watch. As the diver resurfaces, the helium valve prevents damage to the watch.
The Triplock winding crown, equipped with three seals and screwed onto the case, completes this ingenious waterproof system.
DISPLAY AND LEGIBILITY
The bezel
The Rolex Deepsea is equipped with a unidirectional rotatable bezel with a 60-minute graduated black Cerachrom disc that allows the diver to precisely track his dive time.
Engraved in the Cerachrom, the numerals and the graduations are filled with platinum through the use of a PVD technique patented by Rolex.
The zero marker of the graduated bezel, represented by a triangle, is visible longer at night or in the depths of the ocean thanks to a capsule containing a new luminescent material that emits a blue glow.
The dial
To enhance legibility, the gold indexes and hands are wider and partially coated with the same new luminescent material and also emit a blue colour.
The movement
The Rolex Deepsea is equipped with calibre 3135, known for its chronometric precision, its reliability and its robustness; it also features a Parachrom hairspring with high resistance to shocks and magnetic fields.
Certified as a chronometer by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), the movement has a 48-hour power reserve.
The bracelet
Manufactured from solid 904L steel, the Rolex Deepsea bracelet can be adjusted for wear over a diving suit up to 7 mm thick thanks to a double extension system: • Fliplock extension links, • the new Glidelock clasp, allowing fine adjustments.
Complete information about Rolex Deppsea in the book:
