For the first time, this model was presented at Baselworld in 2008, with its main purpose being to replace the super-successful Sea-Dweller.
From its very introduction, it greatly polarized the opinions of the brand's supporters and of "divers" in particular, even more so – because with the launch of the DSSD the brand announced it was discontinuing the Sea-Dweller, most Rolex dealers placed much larger orders for this model (some by several times) with the idea of meeting its potential future demand (and of course to profit from its increasing price). Subsequently, Rolex realized that discontinuing the model was a mistake and in 2014 launched the new Sea-Dweller 4000, but that's another story...
The DEEPSEA has a water resistance of 12,800 feet, unique for a watch of this class, and the inspiration for this model is the legendary Deep Sea Special, produced by Rolex back in 1960 to accompany some brave men who dared to reach the previously unattainable 10,916 meters! The DEEPSEA or DSSD (as this watch is also known) has an impressive diameter of 44 mm and a thickness of 17.7 mm – you have to agree, there are not many Rolex models that approach this "giant" in size. Like the original Sea-Dweller, this one also has a unidirectional rotating bezel with 60-minute graduations, no "Cyclops" on the date, and features a helium escape valve. The thing that truly distinguishes the DSSD from its predecessor (besides the size) is, of course, the Ringlock System – a unique Rolex invention that allows this watch to reach such depths. This system consists of a 5-millimeter thick sapphire crystal, a steel ring in the middle, and a grade 5 titanium case back. To ensure a 100-percent guarantee for the water resistance of all watches of this model, Rolex invested in special equipment, constructed with the help of COMEX, and tests every DSSD at a pressure corresponding to a water column of 16,000 feet – 25% above the guaranteed rating!!! The Ring-Lock system actually "closes" ever more and tighter as the pressure increases. In 2012, director James Cameron became the first solo diver to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench (Challenger Deep), the deepest part of the ocean, and a Rolex Deepsea proudly accompanied Cameron on this historic journey. As a result of this and to commemorate this historic event, Rolex began production of a special DSSD, called the Deep Sea D-Blue with a deep blue dial and the "DEEPSEA" inscription executed in green, which has become one of the most sought-after and value-retaining watches on the secondary market (at least for now).
The watch's dial is very clean and easily legible, and the luminescence of the hands and indices facilitates its use at night. This particular model is one of the first in which Rolex replaced the green color of the luminescence with blue (which is proven to be much more pleasant to the human eye) – and the so-called Chromalight used by Rolex allows the indices to appear milky white during the day. Also, here Rolex uses the so-called "Maxi dial" style, which was launched with this very model along with the GMT II, and with which the manufacturer increases the size of the hands and markers – another one of the reasons we like this model very much.
For the case back of the watch, Rolex uses a simple solid case back (as, by the way, in all its models) – in the case of the DSSD, it is made of titanium, and on its polished outer ring, it proudly bears the full name of the model "ROLEX OYSTER DEEPSEA SEA-DWELLER 12800 ft = 3900 m". As we all know, for its watches Rolex uses noble 904L steel – the difference with the usual 316 L for other brands is in the greater resistance (especially against salt water). It is a widely known fact that Rolex can be called fanatics when it comes to the steel they use – a large part of the metallurgical processes are done in-house to guarantee a uniform quality of the raw material – many watches have passed through our hands, but no other brand devotes so much attention and effort to the quality of the final product from the point of view of the case finish – and as a result, it cannot but produce a unique quality and presence.
The overall impression is complemented by the watch's diver's bezel – its purpose is clear, to time how long you are underwater – simple, right? In previous diver models, the bezel insert was made of aluminum with minute markers printed on it, but this model introduces the ceramic bezel. Here again, the material is a special creation and is different from the massively used materials, which is why Rolex calls it - "Cerachrom." The traditional "pip" at 12 o'clock, and behold the final product – unlike the aluminum one, the ceramic one is glossier, stronger, and more scratch-resistant. Modest, isn't it? First, it was a proprietary material for luminescence, now a proprietary material for the bezel – what could possibly be next...
Certainly, one of the important reasons this watch is desired and sought-after is its in-house Caliber 3135 movement, with the famous automatic Perpetual Rotor system by Rolex, thanks to which it has a reputation for being robust, accurate, durable, and easy to service. The Parachrom used for the production of this model's movement improves accuracy and allows the power reserve to be increased to over 48 hours, and the unique Paraflex shock protection system improves the movement's robustness and its service life.
For many years, the Sea-Dweller was offered with a three-piece steel bracelet with a profile that tapers towards the clasp – with this model, the tradition is respected and from this point of view, the bracelet is just as comfortable. Where is the difference with previous generations? It is mainly in the clasp – the new DSSD is equipped with a clasp with a micro-adjustment system – called Glidelock. The idea is that you can adjust the size of the bracelet within a few millimeters on the fly. We all know that our wrists change size depending on the weather, humidity, temperature, etc. – well, the folks at Rolex offer an ideal solution for such cases, and the fact that the clasp is also equipped with a Diver extension, allowing an additional extension of 26 mm, makes it even more functional. It is important to know that this Glidelock system is offered only with the Submariner and the Deepsea – another big plus for this model. The other fact that must be noted is that the clasp is made from a solid block of steel that is machined to the required shape, and not from a bent sheet of steel – we can only think of 2 other brands besides Rolex that can boast of this.
