Rolling In The Deep

The most extreme of Rolex’s tool watches takes no prisoners, says Leonard Richman.

- Leonard Richman

The first thing that you would notice when you strap on the Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea is its incredible heft. The timepiece wraps snugly around the wrist with substantial weight, reminding you that it is no ordinary dive watch, but the most technically distinguished professional divers’ wristwatch that Rolex has ever made.

But before you dismiss the above statement as hyperbole, consider the evolutionary path that the Rolex Deepsea has taken. One can, in fact, trace the origins of the Rolex Deepsea all the way back to the brand’s first waterproof wristwatch—then a world-first—from 1926. And in 1967, the helium escape valve (another world-first invention from Rolex), which helps decompress air pressure in a dive watch, effectively set the course for the brand to become a respected name in the field of dive instruments.