Wristwatch · Genève
Montre-bracelet étanche automatique
VerifiedThe case, with its gold and steel extension bracelet and screwed back, was designed to withstand very high pressure. The dial is protected by an extremely thick glass dome. The winding-stem is screwed to the case to increase water-resistance.
Technical facts
- Inventory number
- MIH I-554
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Place of production
- Genève
- Dating
- 1960
- Materials and techniques (catalogue wording)
- or, acier, laiton
- Dimensions (catalogue)
- Dimensions: 62.2 x 48.5 x 36.0 mm; poids: 244.0 g
- Inscriptions (catalogue)
- 35789 FEET 10908 METRES 1 23.1.60 (Fond du boîtier); ROLEX (Cadran); ROLEX GENEVA SWISS 23 fine rubies n° 1530 (Mouvement)
Historical significance
- The case, with its gold and steel extension bracelet and screwed back, was designed to withstand very high pressure. The dial is protected by an extremely thick glass dome. The winding-stem is screwed to the case to increase water-resistance.
- The self-winding movement, which is fitted with a central rotor, has a lever escapement, a balance with screws, and a balance spring with a Breguet overcoil.
- As early as 1953, Professor Auguste Picard and his son Jacques took a watch like this down to a depth of 3,150 metres on the outside of their bathyscaph. The watch shown here was named "Bathyscaph" by Rolex. Attached to the hull of the Picards' submarine, it reached 1960 a depth of 10,908 metres in the Mariana Trench.
Photographs
Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.
Sources & references
- Musée international d'horlogerie, online collection record, inv. I-554: https://collection.mih.ch/fr/collection/item/38944/
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.