Fifty One East, the premium luxury retail chain in Qatar, and Rolex, a leading brand of the Swiss watch industry, yesterday revealed the new and unique Rolex Deepsea Challenge. The event at Fifty One East Lagoona Mall gave invitees the chance to discover the world of deep sea exploration in a unique exhibition devoted to the only two watches – both made by Rolex – that have ever been to the deepest point in the ocean, the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. The event was attended by Saoud al-Darwish, vice chairman of Darwish Holding, and Yann Du Pasquier, area sales manager of Middle East, Rolex.
The Rolex Deepsea Challenge exhibition will be on display for the first time in Qatar exclusively at Fifty One East Lagoona Mall until November 10, highlighting Rolex’s unrivalled ties with exploration of the world’s deepest frontier. The display brings together the stories of two record-breaking underwater expeditions in the Pacific Ocean and two watchmaking exploits. If an experimental Rolex Oyster wristwatch, the Deep Sea Special, was a part of the first manned dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench on January 23, 1960, a specially developed Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea Challenge, repeated history along with filmmaker and explorer James Cameron on March 26, 2012, attached to the exterior of his submersible.
Al-Darwish explained that the Rolex Deepsea Challenge bore witness in a spectacular way to the privileged ties that link Rolex to the underworld exploration. “We are very proud to be the only store in Qatar showcasing this unique watch,” he said. “At Fifty One East we offer luxurious goods selectively sourced from acclaimed brands that complement our rich heritage of integrity and quality, and Rolex Deepsea Challenge is yet another shining example. I would really encourage our valued customers to come and experience this unique exhibition while they can.”
The Rolex Deepsea Challenge descended to a depth of 10,898m, defying extreme technical challenges during an expedition that opened a new chapter in deep-sea exploration. This experimental watch, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 12,000m, was exclusively developed and manufactured for the expedition. The 14.3mm thick sapphire crystal, specially made from high-purity aluminum oxide, withstood the equivalent of more than 13 tonnes of pressure during the dive.
Cameron’s dive was the only one of its kind since the bathyscaphe Trieste’s pioneering manned dive in 1960 at the same location. Piloted by US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard, the Trieste reached a depth of 10,916m with an experimental Rolex Deep Sea Special watch strapped to its exterior.
“These are the only watches that have successfully been taken so deep in real-life conditions, an achievement that demonstrates Rolex’s mastery of waterproof watches even in the most extreme conditions known to humanity,” Du Pasquier explained.
The exhibition also showcases models of Cameron’s submersible, the Deepsea Challenger, and the Trieste.
For decades, Rolex has accompanied the explorers of the deep. The relationship between the marine world and Rolex dates back to 1926 with the launch of the Rolex Oyster, the world’s first waterproof wristwatch.
From the Oyster Perpetual Submariner, the iconic divers’ watch, first launched in 1953, to the Rolex Deepsea, launched in 2008 and rated for a depth of 3,900m, the latter being the commercial version of the watch (priced at QR41,400) used for Cameron’s historic dive.