What is the Rolex Deepsea James Cameron dial?

The Rolex Deepsea D-Blue AKA James Cameron

The Rolex Deepsea has long been Rolex's flagship dive watch with an impressive depth rating of 3900m which is in part to do with their state-of-the-art ring lock system. The Rolex Deepsea D-Blue aka James Cameron, is a watch that shares the same characteristics as the standard black dial Rolex Deepsea except it has a different dial: There James Cameron dial.

The Rolex Deepsea D-Blue (James Cameron) was first released in August 2014 to commemorate the filmmaker and explorer, James Cameron and his voyage to the deepest part of the ocean, the Marina Trench.

The expedition was going to be the first time in over 50 years anybody had been to the deepest part of the ocean and only the second time any vessel had made it as deep as the Marina Trench. On both expeditions, Rolex Deepsea watches were present but this time, James Cameron and his Rolex watch was going to spend 3 hours at the bottom to research the area, giving the Rolex watch plenty of exposure to the pressures of the deep.

After a 7-hour, 14-mile, vertical round trip, James Cameron returned to the surface with his Rolex watches in perfect working order, the Deepsea Challenge had been a success and the Rolex watches he took were still in perfect working order.

To commemorate such an impressive feet of engineering and adventure, Rolex released the James Cameron dial for the Rolex Deepsea watch. The new dial was released in 2014, the colour is a gradient of black to blue which resembles the view from the vessel as it submerged. The model name "DEEPSEA" is painted on the dial with the same colour green as the submarine used on the expedition.

Rolex Deepsea James Camerons

All three references can be seen above from left to right.
JC mk1: 116660, JC mk2: 126660, JC mk3: 136660

The Rolex Deepsea Mark 1

The Rolex Deepsea James Cameron MK 1 (reference 116660) came out in August 2014 and it remained in production until 2018 when it was replaced by the MK 2. The MK1 was the chunkiest of all James Cameron Deepsea watches but it was the original so for this reason, it is very popular.

Watch specifics:
BRAND: Rolex
MODEL: 116660
WATER-RESISTANT: 3900M
MOVEMENT: Automatic
CALIBER: 3135
MATERIAL: Steel
CASE DIAMETER: 44MM

The Rolex Deepsea Mark 2

The Rolex Deepsea James Cameron MK 2 was released in 2018 with the new reference of 126660. This model benefits from some serious upgrades including the movement. The MK1 JC had a 3135 movement but this new model had a 3235 movement which benefited from increased accuracy and an extended power reserve.

The watch had an improved aesthetic too, the lugs had been slimmed down and the bracelet reshaped which, in our opinion, was a subtle and classy improvement. The dial was altered slightly, with a Rolex crown now being found between the word "Swiss made: just below the 6 o'clock position on the dial.

Watch specifics:
BRAND: Rolex
MODEL: 126660
WATER-RESISTANT: 3900M
MOVEMENT: Automatic
CALIBER: 3235
MATERIAL: Steel
CASE DIAMETER: 44MM

The Rolex Deepsea Mark 3

The latest and current James Cameron Deepsea reference is the 136660. This model was released earlier this year at the end of March 2022 marking the end for the now-old 126660 reference.

Once more there were some design changes but this time the movement and timekeeping functions remain the same as the MK2. Now, the watch has a slightly slimmer bezel, an enlarged date window, an RLX Titanium case back, and the divers extension link has been removed.

Watch specifics:
BRAND: Rolex
MODEL: 126660
WATER-RESISTANT: 3900M
MOVEMENT: Automatic
CALIBER: 3235
MATERIAL: Steel
CASE DIAMETER: 44MM

The Rolex Deepsea Challenger

As we write this blog the Rolex Deepsea Challenger has just been released. This watch looks almost identical to the watch that was taken to the Marina Trench and has the same depth rating of 11,000m, almost three times more than the Deepsea D-Blue but capable of diving to the deepest part of the ocean.

This is the first time Rolex has managed to mass produce a watch capable of diving to the deepest part of the ocean and they have made the watch from RLX Titanium, a material developed in house at Rolex.

The Deepest known seabed on planet earth is known as " Challenger Deep" and it forms part of the Marina Trench. No prices for guessing why Rolex named their latest flagship watch the Deepsea Challenger then.

Will Rolex discontinue the Rolex Deepsea James Cameron dial?

We believe the Rolex Deepsea D-Blue (James Cameron) will be discontinued at some point. The dial was made to mark an occasion and we certainly don't think it will remain in production forever. The new Deepsea Challenger being released could mark the end for the James Cameron dial, it has to come sooner or later.

Is the Rolex James Cameron a good investment?

In short, yes. We believe that this particular model will be a collectors timepiece in years to come because of the story behind the dial and the beautiful gradient finish that Rolex has achieved. Different models could be more collectible than others and we recommend finding yourself a good example for your collection as these will be the most valuable examples. When this dial is discontinued, we don't think it will return and we expect to see a surge in demand and price when the watch is discontinued.

What is the Rolex Deepsea James Cameron dial?