One of the most notable releases at Watches & Wonders from Rolex is the new Deepsea in 18K yellow gold with a blue dial and blue cerachrom bezel insert. The new Rolex Deepsea Yellow Gold Blue Dial ref. 136668LB features a blue lacquer dial —the identical hue of blue as the ‘Smurf’ Submariners— bearing the name ‘DEEPSEA’ in powdered yellow. The dial features large Chromalight hour markers and hands, filled with luminescent material that emits a long-lasting blue glow for excellent legibility in dark conditions.
With this release, the Deepsea becomes its collection, no longer associated with the Sea-Dweller. This is the first Rolex Deep-Sea divers’ watch cased in 18K yellow gold —case diameter 44 mm— with an RLX titanium case back to guarantee waterproofness to a depth of 3,900 meters —12,800 feet.
Its Oyster bracelet in 18K yellow gold is equipped with an Oysterlock clasp, which prevents accidental opening, and Glidelock system, allowing fine adjustments of the bracelet without using any tools —and allowing it to be worn comfortably over a diving suit.
By operating its exclusive foundry, Rolex has the unrivaled ability to cast the highest quality 18K gold alloys. According to the proportion of silver, copper, platinum, or palladium added, different types of 18K gold are obtained: yellow, pink, or white.
The 60-minute graduated, unidirectional rotatable bezel of the Rolex Deepsea enables divers to precisely and safely monitor their dive and decompression times. The triangular ‘zero’ marker of the graduation is visible in the dark thanks to an embedded capsule containing a luminescent material emitting a long-lasting blue glow. The graduation on the bezel is coated via PVD —Physical Vapour Deposition— with a thin layer of yellow gold. The domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal is 5.5 mm thick to properly withstand the pressure of such depths.
The helium escape valve on the new Rolex Deepsea is made of RLX titanium. This valve works to protect Rolex watches created for diving at great depths. Known as saturation diving, this technique relies on the use of special breathing mixes containing a significant proportion of helium, a gas with atoms so tiny they can penetrate the case of the watch through the waterproof seals. During the decompression process, the helium escape valve automatically activates to evacuate this gas, without compromising the waterproofness of the watch.
The new Rolex Deepsea Yellow Gold Blue Dial ref. 136668LB is powered by the Rolex automatic calibre 3235 with paramagnetic blue parachrom hairspring, Paraflex shock absorbers, and a bi-directional rotor which provides a power reserve of 70 hours. This COSC movement has a deviation of -2/+2 sec/day.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the new Deepsea Yellow Gold Blue Dial ref. 136668LB wears massive and high on the wrist. The watch wears bigger than its actual case size and more like a 45-46 mm watch. As far as weight, we put the watch on the scale and it registered 315 grams —without the movement or titanium case back as this was a prototype with no movement inside. Our guess is that with these components, the watch must weigh around 340 grams —similar weight to that of an AP Royal Oak Offshore ‘Brick’.
Sticker Price USD 52,100. For more info on Rolex click here.
