The Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea 116660 “James Cameron” is one of the most storied tool watches Rolex has produced, created to commemorate filmmaker and explorer James Cameron’s historic 2012 solo dive to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench — the deepest known point in the ocean. Introduced in 2014 as a new dial option within the existing 116660 Deepsea reference, the D-Blue dial fades from deep blue at 12 o’clock to black at 6 o’clock, evoking the descent from sunlit surface waters into total darkness, with the “DEEPSEA” text picked out in green to echo Cameron’s submersible.

Built around Rolex’s patented Ringlock System — a combination of a compression ring, sapphire crystal, and titanium case back engineered specifically for extreme-depth pressure resistance — the 44mm Oystersteel case is rated to a genuinely extraordinary 3,900 metres (12,800 feet) of water resistance, far beyond ordinary diving requirements. The unidirectional Cerachrom ceramic bezel carries a 60-minute scale with platinum-coated numerals and graduations, while the domed sapphire crystal, at roughly 5mm thick, is engineered to withstand the pressure at extreme depth. A helium escape valve at 9 o’clock allows trapped gas to vent safely during staged decompression after saturation diving.

Inside is the Rolex Calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with Rolex’s own escapement and a blue Parachrom hairspring resistant to shocks and magnetic fields, delivering dependable everyday accuracy alongside the watch’s extreme technical capability. The Chromalight display fills the broad hour markers and hands with long-lasting luminescence for legibility in total darkness.

The watch is fitted to a tapered Oyster bracelet, finished with the Glidelock extension system for fine adjustments and the Fliplock diver’s extension, allowing the bracelet to be quickly extended over a wetsuit sleeve.

Now discontinued and succeeded by the 126660 in 2018, the 116660 “James Cameron” remains one of the most recognisable and sought-after Deepsea references, prized as much for its extraordinary engineering as for the story behind its dial.

This watch is available to pickup from our boutique in Sydney CBD.

Comes as a full set down to all the links and paperwork.