HOT NEWS: Rolex present us soon the new, 45 mm DeepSea Challenger, 11 km Waterproof..

[gwalker]

Omg reports out the watch failed at a depth of around 9500m. Completely imploded. Wow.







































HaHa. J/K. Trying to lighten it up in here.

[BOA]

[Subfiend]

Jim Cameron tweeted a little while ago that today, Sunday, March 25, 2012, is the culmination of seven years of work. In other words, it's dive day.

[horseco]

The real accomplishment would be making a watch that's normal sized that can do this... Then I would be impressed... Making the watch the dimensions of two cans of tuna fish stacked on top of each other is just silly...

[Gharddog03]

Crazy!

[horseco]

Originally Posted by Gharddog03

Crazy!

Looks this thick to me...

[10:10:31 28]

Not sure what the point is of making a watch that can withstand X meters depth when the person wearing it cannot.

[10:10:31 28]

Originally Posted by ecsub44

No one in their right mind thinks this is a practical watch. But that's not the point. We will likely see some "improvement" to the rest of the Rolex line as a result of this.

Just like your example. I 100% guarantee that SOMETHING came out of that development that made it's way into a very real, useable product. It surely wasn't a waste.

I think the SOMETHING we will see will simply be the DEEPSEA CHALLANGE watch itself. You know they will be selling it soon enough.

[horseco]

Originally Posted by 10:10:31 28

I think the SOMETHING we will see will simply be the DEEPSEA CHALLANGE watch itself. You know they will be selling it soon enough.

The thought of a tuna fish can sized Rolex makes me sad... There are already brands that make Flava Flav style over sized watches, Breitling, Hublot, Panerai, U-Boat & Audemars ROO... Please Rolex, don't let this THING be available for sale... You just know some jackass celebrity will be wearing one with a tuxedo at the Oscars...

[padi56]

Originally Posted by horseco

World record for deepest dive on SCUBA at 1,083 feet/330 meters. No human has survived past that depth without a pressure suit... To make a watch that if used to its potential would be suicide, seems pointless to me...

If I remember the deepest recorded dive just on scuba gear was in the Red Sea a quite few years back ,by a guy called Nuno Gomes total depth was just over 318m.Now it only took him about 20/30 minutes to reach that depth,but because of breathing different gasses at that depth and pressure.A little over 12 hours with all the safety stops to finally return to the surface safe, and without any decompression treatment.Now at these extreme depths,there are several diving related problems to overcome nitrogen decompression sickness, oxygen toxicity,sheer dehydration and the different affects of the gases when changing over tanks containing the different gas mixtures.Now while breathing the high helium mix the gas wants to leave the blood while the nitrogen wants to rush in.

Now this dive would have not been possible without a huge back up and very careful planning.Gomes is in a very small group of guys that have gone over 250m with just scuba gear.Plain fact there have been more guys to go to the moon,that have got past 250m underwater just on scuba. But most recreational divers today stick to around 40m max depth on just air.

[ecsub44]

Originally Posted by 10:10:31 28

Not sure what the point is of making a watch that can withstand X meters depth when the person wearing it cannot.

There is no practical point. It exists purely for research, design, and marketing reasons.

[amaninspired]

Originally Posted by ecsub44

There is no practical point. It exists purely for research, design, and marketing reasons.

Exactly! The point is just to show off the technology and demonstrate what can be done.

In effect, they are also doing it for the best reason of all: just to prove that they can.

As others have already observed, there's no obvious point to a Bugatti Veyron. Why then did VW build one? To prove that they can and to push the technology. If projects like this were not undertaken, no advances would ever be made. It might seem something of a folly, but it's not pointless as some suggest.

[horseco]

Originally Posted by amaninspired

Exactly! The point is just to show off the technology and demonstrate what can be done.

In effect, they are also doing it for the best reason of all: just to prove that they can. If projects like this were not undertaken, no advances would ever be made. It might seem something of a folly, but it's not pointless as some suggest.

I agree that R&D are essential, but case strength hasn't been an issue for Rolex in 5 decades or more... Hublot has pioneered scratch resistant 18k gold, that's progress... I just wish Rolex would have spent the money on something more innovative, useful or even revolutionary... Instead we have a product that is as moot as an argument over if Superman could beat up Batman... Its seems like an adolescent bragging contest... Make this watch in a standard Subc case & I will be impressed...

[gwalker]

Originally Posted by amaninspired

Exactly! The point is just to show off the technology and demonstrate what can be done.

In effect, they are also doing it for the best reason of all: just to prove that they can.

As others have already observed, there's no obvious point to a Bugatti Veyron. Why then did VW build one? To prove that they can and to push the technology. If projects like this were not undertaken, no advances would ever be made. It might seem something of a folly, but it's not pointless as some suggest.

They Veryron was cutting edge and probably the most amazing car made at the time not a copy of something was done 50 years ago. It's cool but this IS NOT groundbreaking. The thing is huge. It's not a watch it's just a huge chunk of metal that tells time. I've said this on about every thread but this is cool (and I am a marine biologist) but this was done in 1960 when the ideas of cell phones and pcs seemed like scifi. It's a publicity stunt for Cameron and Rolex. Nothing more nothing less. If you think there was much R and D done here I'll have some oceanfront property in AZ. Make something as big and thick as that and it's going to be pretty waterproof. Rolex just took what they already had and supersized it. No new tech there.

[horseco]

Originally Posted by gwalker

They Veryron was cutting edge and probably the most amazing car made at the time not a copy of something was done 50 years ago. It's cool but this IS NOT groundbreaking. The thing is huge. It's not a watch it's just a huge chunk of metal that tells time. I've said this on about every thread but this is cool (and I am a marine biologist) but this was done in 1960 when the ideas of cell phones and pcs seemed like scifi. It's a publicity stunt for Cameron and Rolex. Nothing more nothing less.

Agreed...

[gwalker]

Originally Posted by horseco

Agreed...

Woods Hole Oceanagraphic Inst Has an ROV that costs only $4m that has been studying the deepest parts of the oceans for a few years now. It's safer, cheaper, and better scientifically than a manned sub.

[aeon888]

I hear Rolex is planning to make a bulletproof and nuclear bomb proof watch after this... a bird told me. Even if the wearer would die after a nuclear fall-out, his watch would survive the blast.

Just for the sake of innovation and research, they say. ;)

[Philipp]

‎James Cameron has started his descent to the deepest point on Earth.

Stay tuned here or on Twitter (#deepseachallenge) for updates from the deep.

http://twitter.com/#!/deepchallenge

;-)

[Dr. Robert]

I read the test dive was un-manned.......is there a crew on the non-test dive?

[Philipp]

"RELEASE, RELEASE, RELEASE!" @JimCameron's last words before starting the descent to the Mariana Trench

[Philipp]

Sub now at 21k ft, 2.9 knots

http://twitter.com/#!/deepchallenge

[psv]

James Cameron now the deepest solo diver in history, 3rd deepest ocean diver ever...25550 ft.

[Philipp]

Originally Posted by psv

James Cameron now the deepest solo diver in history, 3rd deepest ocean diver ever...25550 ft.

Less than 40 minutes to the bottom by estimate 26700 ft now. 2.5 knots speed going down.

28560 ft now all ok


http://twitter.com/#!/PaulGAllen

[Megalobyte]

Bad news guys, apparently James forgot to screw the crown in.

[psv]

#Deepseachallenge sub now deeper than everest at 32160 speed 2.0 knots not long to seabead now

[Boothroyd]

Originally Posted by Megalobyte

Bad news guys, apparently James forgot to screw the crown in.

[gwalker]

Thanks for the updates.

[Boothroyd]

Congratulations! 35,756 feet!!!

[Philipp]

Originally Posted by Boothroyd

Congratulations! 35,756 feet!!!

JimCameron is the first person in history to solo dive to the deepest place on Earth, a record 35,756ft/10,898m

[psv]

James Cameron ‏ @JimCameron

Just arrived at the ocean's deepest pt. Hitting bottom never felt so good. Can't wait to share what I'm seeing w/ you @DeepChallenge