Rolex
One of the most famous and best-selling watch brands, Rolex is widely known for models such as the Submariner, GMT-Master II, Cosmograph Daytona, Datejust, and Day-Date. Rolex introduced all of these models over 50 years ago and has carefully refined their designs ever since. While German buyers prefer stainless steel models, high-end models featuring precious metals and diamonds are also popular in other countries. Rolex manufactures all of its movements in-house, constantly improving and conducting fundamental research. Most notably, Rolex developed its own alloy, Parachrom, for its hairsprings.
Rolex / Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge
A feast for the eyes created by the latest technology
The Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge, Rolex's first titanium case and bracelet, is water resistant to a depth of 11,000 meters. How does this record-breaking water resistance and its huge 50mm case size translate to everyday use?
Photographs by Marcus Krüger
Edited by Chieko Tsuruoka (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2024 issue of Kronos Japan]
Plus points, minus points
+point
-Very good finish
-Excellent manufacture movement
-Record-breaking waterproof performance
-point
・Difficult to obtain
・A case size that suits the wearer
Rolex rarely releases completely new models or uses new materials. They prefer to stick to the classics, and this strategy has been very successful. So, when the new Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge was announced in November 2022, it came as quite a surprise. It features a titanium case, a material unconventional for Rolex, and boasts a volume of 50mm in diameter and 23.3mm thick. Until now, this size was unthinkable for a Rolex watch manufactured in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge, launched by Rolex, is the fourth diver's watch in the current collection, following the Oyster Perpetual Submariner, Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller, and Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea. Since its inception, Rolex's diver's watch collection has evolved in both case size and water resistance. The Submariner, introduced in 1953, currently has a 41mm case, is water resistant to 300m, and has a list price of ¥1,318,900. The Sea-Dweller, introduced in 1967 with a helium escape valve, now has a 43mm case, is water resistant to 1220m, and has a list price of ¥1,911,800. This 1220m water resistance was Rolex's "maximum depth" until 2008.
In 2008, the brand introduced the Sea-Dweller Deepsea, now known as the Rolex Deepsea, with a 44mm case and water resistance to 3900m. The Rolex Deepsea is currently the only Rolex date watch without a Cyclops lens and has a list price of 2,043,800 yen. To keep the case thickness down despite its high water resistance, Rolex equipped the Rolex Deepsea with the Ringlock system, which keeps the case thickness to just 18mm.
Refined case
The next watch to be released, the Deepsea Challenge, boasts a water resistance of 11,000 meters, nearly three times that of the Rolex Deepsea. It features a Ringlock system consisting of three elements: a 9.5mm-thick sapphire crystal crystal, a RLX titanium case back, and a nitrided stainless steel ring embedded between them. This system is then enclosed in a housing made of grade 5 titanium. This carefully selected material is extremely strong and tough, preventing deformation or breakage even when the watch is subjected to pressure. This ingenious design allows for both extremely high water resistance and a compact case, something previously difficult to achieve.
However, the Deepsea Challenge's case size is unusual, so is this watch suitable for everyday wear?
To understand the true value of using the Deepsea Challenge over the long term, we spoke to freelance photographer and longtime Rolex wearer Markus Krüger about the watch's practicality, starting with its case size. He was one of the first to acquire the Deepsea Challenge in Germany in April 2023, and has been wearing it almost daily ever since.
Markus Krüger, a watch enthusiast and freelance photographer, originally wanted to be a watchmaker, but after a three-month stay in Switzerland, he decided to become a photographer instead. He has been providing photos for Kronos Germany since 1999, and this time he photographed a rare Deepsea Challenge watch, which he also owns.
Even for Krüger, whose wrist is a little on the slim side for a German man at 17cm, the test watch was very comfortable to wear. He even preferred it to the standard Rolex Deepsea, which has a case that's about 5mm thinner. However, this excellent fit isn't due to the commonly-mentioned "warm" feel of titanium, but rather to the wide 24mm bracelet, which also contributes to its excellent proportions. While this model weighs in at 250g, it's not particularly light, but thanks to the titanium material, it still doesn't deviate from the standard-sized Professional model with a stainless steel bracelet. The standard Rolex Deepsea is only 30g lighter than this model.
However, it's also true that jacket sleeves shouldn't be too tight. Without this condition, an extreme diver's watch wouldn't be suitable for everyday wear. Those who prefer ultra-thin dress watches won't find the Deepsea Challenge satisfying. Visually, however, this watch isn't as thick as its dimensions suggest. This is due to the significantly flatter caseback, which determines its appearance. The bezel and the thick, domed sapphire crystal crystal add to its thickness.
excellent visibility
The domed sapphire crystal has an anti-reflective coating on the inside, ensuring good visibility.
Compared to the glossy black of the Submariner and the matte black of the Sea-Dweller, the dial appears slightly lighter in direct sunlight, more like a matte dark gray. It's unclear whether this is due to the roughness of the dial surface or the thickness of the crystal. Under indirect lighting, the dial appears black, further enhancing the contrast with the hands and indices, which are generously coated with luminous paint. Aside from this change in the appearance of the dial, the thick crystal does not impair legibility. In fact, it creates a beautiful play of light on the dial.
Furthermore, unlike the regular Rolex Deepsea, the Deepsea Challenge does not have a date display. This is in keeping with the requirements of a tool watch—the ultimate diver's watch—and the absence of a date window allows for a symmetrical dial. We believe it looks better without a date window. However, for practicality, a calendar function is preferable.
The titanium case appears darker than stainless steel and has a satin finish that emphasizes the tool-like feel of a traditional Rolex watch. This finish matches the Deepsea Challenge's large case and its concept as a tool watch. On the other hand, the polished Cerachrom bezel insert on the unidirectional rotating bezel is the only luxurious feature, which doesn't quite fit the tool watch image. However, the beautiful chamfering, accentuated by the polishing, is reminiscent of classic Rolex watches and contributes to the watch's high-quality appearance.
The diving bezel operates smoothly, as always. Krüger noticed that the rich click that Rolex produces when turning the bezel sounds slightly brighter than usual, due to the lightweight titanium case material. This is likely due to the absence of a date adjustment and the 9mm crown, the largest ever fitted to a Rolex watch (the Rolex Deepsea has an 8mm crown, and the Submariner has a 7mm crown). Once the crown is unscrewed, setting the time is incredibly easy.
The crown of a Rolex watch is decorated to identify the material, and the new titanium material is indicated by a dot, dash, and dot symbol. The helium escape valve operates automatically, making this watch suitable for professional divers, even during saturation diving, which involves prolonged pressurization in a decompression chamber.
To ensure that all Deepsea Challenge watches meet the water resistance specifications and are tested with a 25% margin, Rolex worked with French diving specialist COMEX to develop an ultra-high-pressure tank capable of replicating the pressure found at a depth of 13,750m. Why does Rolex manufacture watches that can actually reach depths of 11,000m?
The clue lies in the engraving on the caseback. Twice, in 1960 and again in 2012, Rolex mounted prototypes on the outside of actual submersibles and sent them to the deepest depths of the Mariana Trench to test the potential of wristwatches. The new Deepsea Challenge is both a refined, production-ready version of the 2012 prototype and a record-breaking piece of equipment for deep-sea exploration.
Detail improvements
Markus Krüger, a diver's watch enthusiast who bought his first Submariner in 1986, has a high opinion of Rolex. This is because Rolex is constantly improving details as it refines its movements, such as increasing the number of balls in the ball bearings attached to the automatic rotor and making minimal changes to the clasp shape on the exterior to reduce wear and tear. The ceramic inserts built into the links connecting the titanium bracelet on our test watch are a good example of this approach. Rolex first introduced this technology to platinum models, reducing wear and prolonging the bracelet's life. The Rolex bracelet's links have very tight clearances, yet move smoothly. Like the case, they have visually sharp edges, but they're never unpleasant to the touch.
Rolex also designed the folding clasp with safety catch to be extremely functional. It features both the Rolex Glidelock extension system, which allows for fine, incremental adjustment, and a folding Fliplock extension link. These features mean that the watch can be fitted over a diving suit and precisely adjusted to fit your wrist. Krüger also expressed satisfaction with hidden improvements, such as the fact that the inside of the clasp, which bears the classic Rolex logo, is usually polished, but on this model it has a matte finish to suit professional use.
Rolex's latest-generation automatic movement, the in-house caliber 3230, runs inside a fully screwed-down case back made of RLX titanium. One of the movement's major advantages is its practical power reserve of approximately 70 hours. This power reserve is achieved thanks to the Chronergy escapement, which improves operating efficiency by optimizing the shape of the pallet fork and escape wheel, and the lightweight construction achieved by precisely skeletonizing parts using LIGA molding, a precision plating technique using X-rays. Furthermore, thanks to its nickel-phosphorus alloy, the escapement is less susceptible to magnetic fields. Additionally, the automatic winding rotor uses a low-resistance ball bearing instead of a plain bearing.
The familiar Rolex movement benefits remain. The in-house Paraflex shock absorber is designed to easily slide back into place upon impact. The balance cock is replaced by a stable, double-supported twin bridge. Another benefit is the free-sprung balance, which uses a Parachrom hairspring with a Breguet-style end curve, made from a paramagnetic niobium-zirconium alloy. A Microstella nut allows for fine adjustments without removing the movement from the case. While the movement features sunburst and other decorative elements, don't expect hand-engraving.
As always with Rolex, the movement's exceptional precision is confirmed by a certificate from the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (C.O.S.C.). Rolex's proprietary Superlative Chronometer standards are even more stringent, with an average daily deviation of within ±2 seconds. Testing the Deepsea Challenge on Krüger's wrist revealed no noticeable loss or gain over several weeks. Accuracy stability can be measured with a timegrapher. When measured in each position, the movement's daily deviation ranged from minus 1 second to plus 2 seconds per day, resulting in a calculated average daily deviation of 0 seconds over 24 hours.
Speaking of price, the Deepsea Challenge has a list price of 3,674,000 yen, which is about 1.8 times the price of the 3900m waterproof Rolex Deepsea, which costs 2,043,800 yen.
The Deepsea Challenge is a watch for everyday use. But it's not for everyone. We want you to enjoy it as a distinctive professional watch. This is Rolex's pinnacle of diver watches, the best watch Rolex has ever made.
