The Deep Sea Sea-Dweller model was first introduced at Baselworld in 2008, with its main purpose being to replace the highly successful Sea-Dweller. From its very introduction, it greatly polarized the opinions of the brand's enthusiasts and '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 that model (some several times larger) 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, they launched the new Sea-Dweller 4000, but that is another story...
The DEEPSEA has a water resistance of 12,800 feet, unique for a watch of its 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 must 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 its 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 a special facility, constructed with the help of COMEX, and tests every DSSD at a pressure equivalent to a water column of 16,000 feet – 25% above the guaranteed rating!!! The Ringlock System in fact 'seals' itself ever more tightly 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. In 2014, Cameron's film about his historic descent to the bottom of the Mariana Trench was released, its name being... 'Deepsea Challenge', and to commemorate this in a worthy manner, Rolex released a shorter series of this watch, namely the D-Blue – and the timepiece offered today is precisely of this modification!
The differences with the standard DSSD are only in the dial; here it features a gradient from black at the bottom to sky blue at the top, and the 'DEEPSEA' inscription is rendered in green. These seemingly insignificant differences, however, immediately placed the model among all the other 'most wanted' Rolex models that have nicknames, are sought after by collectors, and trade on the secondary market for more than their officially announced prices. There is another fact that should not be overlooked – in 2018, due to the release of the new model, sales of this one were discontinued, making it one of the shortest-production Rolex models – I suppose there is no need to explain what this fact will lead to in the near future!!!
The watch's dial is very clean and easily legible, and the luminescence of the hands and indexes facilitates its use at night. The 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 and harmless to the human eye) – and the so-called Chromalight used by Rolex allows the indexes to appear milky white during the day. Also, here Rolex uses the so-called 'Maxi dial' style, which was launched with this model along with the GMT II, and with which the manufacturer increases the size of the hands and markers – another reason I really like this model.
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 904L steel – the difference with the usual 316L for other brands is its greater resistance (especially against salt water). It is a well-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 consistent quality of the raw material – many watches have passed through my hands, but I can say with absolute certainty that no other brand devotes so much attention and effort to the quality of the final product in terms of case finishing – and as a result, a unique quality and presence is inevitable.
The overall impression is complemented by the watch's diving bezel – its purpose is clear, to time your duration underwater – simple, isn't it. In previous diver models, the bezel insert was made of aluminum with printed minute markers, but this model introduces the ceramic bezel. Here again, the material is a special formulation and is different from commonly used materials, which is why Rolex calls it - 'Cerachrom.' The traditional 'pip' at 12 o'clock, and behold the final product – unlike aluminum, the ceramic is glossier, stronger, and more scratch-resistant. Modest, isn't it? First, their own luminescent material, now their own bezel material – one wonders what's next...
Certainly, one of the important reasons this watch is desired and sought after is its in-house Caliber 3135 movement, with Rolex's famous Perpetual Rotor automatic system, thanks to which it has a reputation for being robust, accurate, durable, and easy to service. The Parachrom used in the production of this model's movement improves accuracy and allows the power reserve to be increased to over 48 hours, while the unique Paraflex shock protection system enhances the movement's robustness and its operational 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 maintained, and from this perspective, the bracelet is just as comfortable. Where is the difference from previous generations? It is mainly in the clasp – the new DSSD is equipped with a clasp featuring a micro-adjustment system called Glidelock. The idea is that you can adjust the size of the bracelet by a few millimeters on the fly. We all know that our wrists change size depending on the weather, humidity, temperature, etc. – well, Rolex offers an ideal solution for such cases, and the fact that the clasp is also equipped with a Diver's extension, allowing an additional 26 mm of length, 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 machined from a solid block of steel, cut to the required shape, and not from a folded sheet of steel – I believe that besides Rolex, only 2 other brands do this.
