Rolex and the exploration of the world’s greatest depths is a story that goes back to the 1950s, when the Piccards (father and son) took the Trieste Bathyscaphe down to the Mariana Trench, with a very special Rolex watch attached to the exterior of their submarine. The watch, known as the Deep Sea Special N°3, made the trip down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench (10,916-meter or 35,814-foot) in 1960 and is today out of reach but on display, together with the Trieste, at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. Fast forward to 2012, Rolex again broke the record together with movie director James Cameron, as it provided an experimental Deepsea Challenge that accompanied him on his historic 10,908-metre (35,787-foot) descent. And what remained until now prototypes is becoming a reality, as Rolex unveils today the Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge 126067, an 11,000m water-resistant watch and the first full titanium model of the brand.

“The ultimate watch of the deep,” the Deepsea Challenge is an automatic dive watch with unprecedented credentials, designed to withstand extreme pressure – in fact, designed to withstand the highest possible pressure to be found anywhere on the planet. This watch is the result of years of research from the brand and its scientific partners. And while the experimental watch of 2012 was attached to the manipulator arm of James Cameron’s submersible, the Deepsea Challenge is designed to be worn on the wrist.

The Deepsea Challenge 126067 is Rolex first-ever watch made entirely from titanium – with the exception of some previous prototypes. The case is made of brushed RLX titanium, an internal name for grade 5 titanium. As such, and despite a diameter of 50mm and a height of 23mm, the watch is 30% lighter than the 2012 prototype of James Cameron. Compared to the experimental model, multiple updates were made to make the watch more liveable, such as a slimmed-down sapphire crystal. The latter remains nevertheless impressive, with a 9.5mm height. If you think about it, in terms of traditional watchmaking standards, the watch is gigantic. But when you add to the equation a water-resistance of 11,000-metre, the object becomes far more impressive.

The dial, framed by a metallic (functional) element, is once again classic Rolex dive watch, with applied white gold markers and hands filled with Chromalight. The dial is “intense black” in colour, and doesn’t have the traditional glossy finish, but a matte surface. Under it is a movement from the standard range (no experimental parts needed here), the in-house, Superlative Chronometer calibre 3230 – the same as found in an Explorer or a no-date Submariner. This means 4Hz frequency, 70h power reserve and Chronergy escapement.