Rolex Deepsea Challenge 126067 RLX Titanium

Rolex just has released its most desirable model yet, alongside the GMT, the no-date Submariner and the regular Deepsea Sea Dweller; the Deepsea Challenge 126067.

The original Deepsea Challenge was a non-commercial prototype, built in just 8 weeks for James Cameron’s solo descent to the Mariana Trench, back in 2012. Cameron sank its deep-diving submersible, the Deepsea Challenger, to a depth of 10,908 meters with the Rolex prototype attached to the external robotic arm of the ship. While some of the sub’s systems failed, the watch continued to function normally throughout the whole dive.

Now, available to the general public for an entry price of $26000, the new iteration of the Challenge is an improved and more wearable version of the original prototype. Also it’s the first Rolex ever fully built in Titanium.

This Deepsea always have been a big watch. While the regular Deepsea Sea Dweller measures 44mm in diameter and 17mm thick, the Challenge is 50mm in diameter, 23mm thick and 61mm from lug to lug. The sapphire crystal is 9.5mm thick.

The watch looks heavy and bulky but thanks to the light RLX Titanium, it only weights 215 grams while keeping its 11,000 meters water resistance rating.

The Challenge sports a scratch-proof black unidirectional Cerachrom ceramic bezel with platinum dust markers. The no-date dial is finished in matte black, a nice touch that take us back to the beloved Rolex tool era during the 1960 decade. Hands and markers are lumed with white/blue Chromalight pigment for excellent visibility in dark conditions underwater. Last but not least, caliber 3230 automatic under the hood, one of the most reliable Rolex movements ever.