The “James Cameron” is the Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller fitted with the D-Blue dial — a gradient that runs from bright blue at twelve down to black at six, with “DEEPSEA” printed in green. It first appeared in August 2014 on reference 116660, carried over to the 126660 in 2018, and continues on the current 136660 launched in 2022. All three are 44 mm cases rated to 3,900 metres.
Why is it called the James Cameron?
On 26 March 2012 the film director piloted the submersible Deepsea Challenger to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench — the first solo descent to the deepest point in the ocean. Rolex strapped an experimental oversized watch, the Deepsea Challenge, to the sub’s manipulator arm, and it surfaced still running. Two years later Rolex released the D-Blue dial to mark the dive: the blue-to-black gradient mirrors the fading light of the descent, and the green DEEPSEA lettering matches the green hull of Cameron’s submersible. Rolex has never used the director’s name officially, but collectors adopted it almost immediately, and “James Cameron” now outranks “D-Blue” in everyday usage. The statistic worth quoting: Cameron’s dive bottomed out at 10,908 metres — nearly three times the 3,900 m depth rating of the production watch that commemorates it.
References
| Reference | Years | Key spec | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 116660 D-Blue | 2014–2018 | Cal. 3135, 44 mm, 3,900 m Ringlock case | Discontinued |
| 126660 D-Blue | 2018–2022 | Cal. 3235, 44 mm, wider bracelet and lugs | Discontinued |
| 136660 D-Blue | 2022–present | Cal. 3235, 44 mm, revised proportions | In production |
Super clone availability
Grand Watch Club currently lists two James Cameron super clones, both based on the 126660 D-Blue, priced between £434 and £904. The entry price buys a Japanese-movement build; the £904 Swiss SuperClone tier runs a Swiss clone movement with a sweep and feel closer to the genuine calibre 3235. Both reproduce the gradient dial, the green DEEPSEA lettering and the heavy 44 mm case profile. One honest caveat from the collector’s side: treat any clone’s depth rating as cosmetic — these are watches for the wrist, not instruments for saturation diving.
- Super Clone Rolex Deepsea James Cameron Dial 126660 — £434
- Super Clone Rolex Deepsea James Cameron Dial 126660 – Swiss SuperClone — Swiss movement — £904