Rolex has introduced a new version of its Oyster Perpetual Deepsea, the Deepsea D-Blue Dial, to coincide with National Geographic’s release of Deepsea Challenge 3D. The film is about filmmaker and explorer James Cameron’s (Aliens, Titanic) expedition to the deepest known point on Earth, Challenger Deep. Located off the southern end of Guam nearly 11,000 metres beneath the sea’s surface, Challenger Deep had only been reached three times prior to Cameron’s attempt, which took place in March 2012.Cameron’s attempt was made in the Deepsea Challenger, a deep-diving submersible that was purpose-built in secret in Sydney. Rolex’s connection to the project is twofold – the manufacture was a partner in the project, and had strapped an experimental Deepsea Challenge watch to the submersible’s robotic arm to be subjected to the actual pressure experienced during the dive. Needless to say, the timepiece emerged unscathed and performed normally throughout the Deepsea Challenger’s descent and ascent.The Deepsea D-Blue Dial pays tribute to the partnership between Rolex and Cameron, and was unveiled yesterday in New York at the US premiere of the film. Its unique feature is the ‘D-Blue’ dial, which has a deep blue to pitch black gradient from 12 to six o’clock to mimic the gradual loss of light as one dives deeper into the ocean. Dial colour aside, its features are identical to the usual Deepsea model. This includes the 44mm steel case and titanium caseback, which are constructed of Rolex’s patented Ringlock system. The Ringlock system’s case architecture functions similarly to a Super Compressor – higher outside pressure forces the components tighter together, in turn improving the seal and keeping out water. Unlike Super Compressor watches, however, the Deepsea has an external dive bezel, which arguably demonstrates a superior design implementation.

Given its water resistance of 3900m and helium escape valve, this watch is more than capable of compression diving at greater than normal depths. With the bezel’s graduations coated in platinum, however, you see a timepiece that manages to fill the roles of both tool and luxury watch.