The first-ever all-titanium Rolex watch was unveiled by Rolex, a new Deepsea Challenge wristwatch comprised of RLX titanium. However, it’s vital to discuss Rolex and record-breaking diving watches before we get into the specifics of the new timepiece. Rolex has a long history of producing timepieces designed specifically for exploring the planet’s farthest reaches. The adventure started in 1926 with the introduction of the Oyster casing, and it subsequently broadened with the introduction of the Submariner, the company’s iconic diving watch. The Rolex Deep Sea Special, a massive prototype watch that was mounted on the exterior of the bathyscaphe Trieste, descended 10,916 metres to the Mariana Trench’s floor in 1960, making history in the process.
Later in 2012, Rolex and film director James Cameron smashed the record once more with a Deepsea Challenge prototype. Unlike the new Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge 126067, which is a piece that is readily available for purchase, these watches were purely experimental prototypes.
The 2022 Rolex Deepsea Challenge watch has an unprecedented water resistance of 11,000 metres, enabling it to reach the planet’s deepest point. The watch was created to resist the greatest pressure that can be encountered on Earth, pushing the limits of watchmaking. It is the first timepiece produced by Rolex exclusively from titanium. The massive casing, which weighs 30% less than the 2012 prototype and has a diameter of 50mm and a height of 23mm, is constructed from the grade 5 titanium alloy RLX titanium. The watch uses a mix of a typical helium escape valve and the brand’s unique Ringlock mechanism, two developments from Rolex’s many years of diving watch development, to provide unmatched water resistance.
It also includes a screw-down, ultra-thick caseback and the Triplock crown with three sealed zones. Every new RLX Titanium Rolex Deepsea Challenge watch is put under pressure comparable to what water would experience at a depth of 13,750 metres. In order to evaluate the water resistance, Comex and Rolex collaborated to create an ultra-high pressure tank. A self-winding Rolex Caliber 3230 movement with a power reserve of around 70 hours is housed inside the case. You will need to pay $26,000 if you want one.
