Beirut, 12 July 2016- A&S Chronora invites you to discover the world of deep sea exploration in a
unique exhibition devoted to the only two watches – both made by Rolex- that have ever been on
manned dives to the deepest point in the ocean.
The Rolex Deepsea Challenge exhibition will be on display for the first time in Lebanon
exclusively at the Automobile et Touring Club du Liban (ATCL) in Jounieh from 18 to 21 July 2016,
marking Rolex’s unrivalled ties with exploration of the world’s deepest frontier.
The interactive display brings together the stories of two record-breaking underwater expeditions
in the Pacific Ocean and two watchmaking achievements.
On 26 March 2012,film-maker and explorer James Cameron made an unprecedented solo dive to
Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, with the experimental Rolex Deepsea Challenge watch attached
to the exterior of his submersible.
The Rolex Deepsea Challenge descended to a depth of 10,908 metres, defying extreme technical
obstacles and crushing water pressure as the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition opened a new chapter in
ocean exploration. This experimental watch, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 12,000 metres,was
exclusively developed and manufactured by Rolex for the expedition.
Cameron’s dive was the only one of its kind since the bathyscaphe Trieste’s pioneering manned dive
in 1960 to the same location. Piloted by Don Walsh and Swiss ocea nographer Jacques Piccard, the
Trieste reached the ocean floor at a record depth of 10,916 metres. An experimental Rolex Deep Sea
Special watch was strapped to its exterior.
Both dives remain unsurpassed and these are the only watches that have suc cessfully been taken
so deep on manned dives in real-life conditions, a record that demonstrates Rolex’s mastery of
waterproofness even in the most extreme conditions known to mankind.
The exhibition hosted by A&S Chronora showcases both watches and retraces the expeditions through
interactive displays as well as models of Cameron’s submersible, the Deepsea Challenger. and the
Trieste, allowing visitors to discover how Rolex, and Rolex watches,played a pioneering role in the
conquest of the deep.
For decades. Rolex has accompanied deep-sea explorers. The relationship between the marine world
and Rolex dates back to 1926 with the launch of the Rolex Oyster, the world’s first waterproof
wristwatch. From the Oyster Perpetual Submariner, the iconic divers’ watch, first launched in 1953,
to the Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller, created in 1967 and waterproof to 1,220 metres,and the Rolex
Deepsea, launched in 2008 and rated for a depth of 3,900 metres,Rolex watches are icons of
precision, reliability,innovation and waterproofness.