Watches to take to the ocean floor
Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea
When it comes to water resistance and endurance, Rolex really has no peers. In 1960 an experimental watch, the Deep Sea Special, was strapped to the outside of the US Navy’s bathyscape Trieste as it descended 10,916m to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, then the deepest known point in the ocean. Filmmaker James Cameron recently went even further, descending seven miles with a new prototype version of the DeepSea beating away on his sub’s manipulator arm. The normal Deepsea model, loaded with top-notch Rolex tech, is designed to be water resistant to 12,000m – even if no diver will ever be. £8,050
www.rolex.com
Bell & Ross BR02-92 Blue
The stylish French brand Bell & Ross is better known for square-form aviation watches, but its BR02 diving watches are some of the more formidable pieces around. In a streamlined tonneau case of pvd-coated steel, the watch is water resistant to 1,000m. It includes a decompression valve and rotating inner bezel, operated by a separate winding crown. There are different dials to choose from, but this luminescent blue version will be visible in the deepest gloom. £2,600
www.bellross.com