For Her Eyes Only

The ultimate ladies’ timepiece, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust has been worn by history’s most influential women

- Annie Darling

In 1982, American oceanographer Sylvia Earle was photographed climbing out of an underwater chamber clad in a wetsuit. A scuba mask was fastened to her head, an oxygen tank was strapped to her back and a Rolex wristwatch was secured to her wrist.

Earle was made a Rolex ambassador that same year after gaining notoriety in 1979 when, while attached to a small submarine, she dropped into the Pacific Ocean off the Hawaiian island of Oahu. By the time she reached the seabed and unfastened herself, she was 381 metres beneath the surface and had set the world record for the deepest untethered dive.

The explorer has since led more than a hundred expeditions and has logged over 7,000 hours underwater. She also founded non-profit enterprise Mission Blue, which is backed by Rolex as part of the watchmaker’s Perpetual Planet initiative. Launched in 2019, Perpetual Planet hopes to further global efforts aimed at protecting the health of our oceans.