AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Rolex explorer diver vi tagr12/13/2023 ![]() ![]() Early Rolex Single Red Sea-Dweller in space (Photo: Dr. Joe MacInnis made it even into space on the wrist of Canadian astronaut Dr. One of the earliest examples, a so-called ‘Single Red Sea-Dweller’ or ‘SRSD’ belonging to Canadian explorer Dr. The Sea-Dweller holds two records for the deepest human offshore and hyperbaric dives with 1,752 ft/534 m and 2,300 ft/701 m respectivelly. More information about this and other fascinating chapters of Rolex’s history can be found at the end of this write-up in related articles.Ī further milestone was the Rolex Sea-Dweller with patented ‘Gas Escape Valve’ or helium release valve specifically developed for saturation diving in late 1967. Rolex Deep Sea Special exhibition model (Photo: Hodinkee) Simultaneously the effort culminated in the famous Rolex ‘Deep Sea Special’ models, whose final version withstood the crushing pressure of 16,000 pounds per square inch at the deepest point in the ocean, the Mariana Trench, in January 1960 attached to the outside of the Bathyscaphe ‘Trieste’. ![]() From the Journal Suisse: First Rolex Submariner presented at the Basel Mustermesse in May 1954 On the one hand this led to the development of the legendary Rolex Submariner which was tested extensively throughout 1953 and presented to the public at the Basel Mustermesse in May 1954. In the early 1950s, Rolex began working on special diving watches that could withstand unimaginable depths. Just three years later, as can be seen in the Italian advertisement below, the guaranteed waterresistance of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual (automatic) was increased to 200 ft/60 m. Movie scene from ‘Hell Raiders of the Deep’ Since the divers used oxygen rebreathers that were limited to a maximum depth 40 ft/12 m, a guaranteed waterresistance of 100 ft/30 m was more than enough. These were the very first professional diving tool watches. 2533 with signature cushion case for the manned torpedo crews of the Italian Navy. In 1936, Rolex produced the oversized Oyster Special Ref. ![]() Rolex Oyster 4-piece case construction 1926 (Photo: Rolex) In 1926, finally, Rolex perfected the waterproof wristwatch with the creation of the famous Oyster case consisting of a patented “hermetically sealed” 4-piece casing in combination with a patented screw-down crown. A special protective case-in-case with screw-down bezel patented by Jean Finger was introduced in the early 1920s for the Rolex Hermetic. As early as the 1910s, Wilsdorf started using waterproof cases made by Swiss watch case maker François Borgel. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, was obsessed with creating the perfect wristwatch that was not only accurate but also protected against dust, perspiration, water, heat and cold. > Click here to go directly to the letter from the Rolex archives confirming the story A Brief History Of The Rolex Oyster While no Rolex watch made it to the summit in 1953, the 6098 became the basis for both, the Explorer and the Submariner. 6098 watches, the same model the British expedition that conquered Mount Everest in late May 1953 was equipped with. In many of the underwater scenes, Bruno Vailati and his fellow divers wore Rolex Oyster Perpetual Ref. In mid 1952, an Italian expedition lead by Bruno Vailati embarked on an adventure to the Red Sea which resulted in the film ‘Sesto Continente’, the first full-length, full-colour underwater documentary in history. Already in 1939, Rolex Oyster Perpetual ‘Bubbleback’ models had a depth rating of real 200 ft/60 m of sea water. Famous are of course the Rolex Oyster references 25 used by Italian Navy divers of the Decima Flottiglia MAS during the Second World War. Rolex Oyster watches were good for diving to considerable depths long before the Rolex Submariner saw the light of day. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |