Probably the toughest watch in the world...

[sandbender]

Well, if not the toughest, it must be up there in the top ten.

The Rolex Deepsea Challenge experimental watch.

[video=youtube;15uNQ0Tt31k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15uNQ0Tt31k[/video]

The watch was built as part of the publicity for James Camerons descent to Challenger Deep.


I think if you wore this day to day you would end up being a bit lopsided.

 

[Rod Paradise]

Fantastic workmanship, not sure of the purpose - in event of the watch being exposed to the pressure at the bottom of the trench he's in a bad way anyway... and if the watch keeps going we've not even got confirmation of when it happened

 

[Silverback 1]

Superb video,a Rolex watch is No.1 on my wishlist,when you see that video you can understand a bit more as to why they are so pricey.
Thanks for posting.

 

[JonathanD]

It's not the first Rolex that went down there. This one did it decades ago...

 

[geordienemisis]

I have had a love for Rolex for years I have never owned one, I will one day. I'm getting a Omega Seamaster soon which to me is a very close second.

 

[Shewie]

Nice, my Accurist is good for 50m and I don't think I'll ever do that

 

[Gailainne]

I bought my Rolex Oyster when I was 23 years old, working in Saudi Arabia, it will turn 30 this year. Still makes me smile when ever I have occasion to wear it, not dove with it for a few years tho 120 ft was the maximum I ever went to.

Stephen

 

[demographic]

So is it going on the outside of the sub then?

If its not then he could have managed fine with something that doesn't weigh as much as a half brick.
And if it ever gets that pressure on his wrist I suspect that James Cameron wouldn't be worrying about what the date was.

Err, nice but totally pointless. Expensive ballast?

 

[JonathanD]

Nice, my Accurist is good for 50m and I don;t think I'll ever do that

Which means it is guaranteed water resistant for surface swimming only. You can't actually go down to 50m with it, or even jump into a pool with it. Watches are static tested for water resistancy. Even a 200m resistant watch is only guaranteed for skin diving, not scuba. Rolex are the only watch company that guarantees water resistancy to those parameters and not the official water resistancy standards the rest of the watch companies use. Remember that even just surface swimming at say 1 metre, when you are moving your arm through the water at speed, you are creating more pressure than you'd find at 20 metres down.

 

[sandbender]

"... Remember that even just surface swimming at say 1 metre, when you are moving your arm through the water at speed, you are creating more pressure than you'd find at 20 metres down..."

I didn't know that, thanks.

"...I bought my Rolex Oyster when I was 23 years old, working in Saudi Arabia, it will turn 30 this year..."

I was eighteen and should have been spending my money on something more useful, mine will be thirty this year too.

 

[JonathanD]

Remember too that most power showers nowadays can create direct pressure far in excess of a watches WR rating. You'd be surprised at how many Brietlings, Omegas, Tags and even Rolexes get water ingress due to someone wearing their watch in a very hot, very powerful shower. Not good for watches. The other thing is sunbathing in your watch and then jumping into a cold pool. The watch can then actually suck water into the movement through the seals, even on a divers watch by doing this, due to the immediate shock contraction of case/glass and air inside the watch.

And yeah, the Rolex Deepseas (both old and new one) are both on the outside of the vessel. It's purely a test of engineering and PR for them, they won't be for sale to the public in that exact form.