By Kien Lee
A masterful storyteller, filmmaker and adventurer, James Cameron is the consummate “multi-hyphenate” before the term even came into existence. The auteur has inspired through his own seemingly limitless ability to imagine, explore and evolve.
For James Cameron, Rolex has always been a symbol of the perpetual quest for excellence. This resonates with him not only for his work as a filmmaker but also as an explorer and Rolex Testimonee. The mysteries of the ocean have always captured his imagination. From a star-crossed romantic tragedy set on the Titanic (1997) which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, to a science fiction thriller in The Abyss (1989), Cameron would remain drawn to the mysterious watery depths of the Earth.
He is an enthusiastic explorer of the ocean's depths, having made a dozen submersible dives to the wreckage of the original Titanic, sunken 3,700 metres below. In 2001, four years after the titular movie, he would release the documentary about the ill-fated oceanliner, Ghosts of the Abyss.
True to the legacy of its founder who was committed to support explorers who ventured into the unknown, Rolex continues to support the explorers of today and took an active part in the historic DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition led by Cameron.
On 26 March 2012, the expedition's state-of-the-art submersible made a historic 10,908 metres (35,787 feet) descent into the Mariana Trench. The DEEPSEA CHALLENGER carried an experimental divers' watch, the ROLEX DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, on its robotic manipulator arm. The timepiece worked perfectly throughout the dive at extreme pressures, affirming Rolex's position as the leading brand in waterproofness.
Imagination is a force that can actually manifest a reality. Don't put limitations on yourself "
James Cameron
In 2022, Rolex unveils the new Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge, guaranteed waterproof to an astrounding 11,000 metres (36,090 feet). This technical achievement has far exceeded the Rolex Deepsea, which was presented in 2008, resistant to the pressure exerted at 3,900 metres (12,800 feet).
Ten years after that historic dive, Cameron and Rolex have shown that mankind extending the edge of what is possible is truly a perpetual act in motion.
New Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge is waterproof to a depth of 11,000 metres (36,090 feet)
Foreground, left to right: Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea (2008), Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge (2022), Deep Sea Special (1960), Rolex Deepsea Challenge (2012) and Oyster Perpetual Submariner (1986). Background, left to right: models of the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible and the bathyscaphe Trieste.
Cameron continues to endlessly push the boundaries, through his remarkable dive to the deepest point in the world's oceans, to 3D reconstructions, and in extending the scope of the movie canvas through digital enhancements. He works tirelessly to find solutions to the most complex challenges with the aim of reinventing the art of filmmaking.
In 2022, James Cameron will finally unveil the sequel to the epic science-fiction film Avatar (2009), with Avatar II: The Way of Water. With the original, Cameron broke new ground with his use of 3D filming techniques, raising the popularity of 3D-viewing and IMAX-moviegoing experiences.
With the upcoming release, Cameron is set to raise artistic and technical benchmarks once again, amongst them through the use of cutting-edge motion capture technologies complemented by hyper-realistic CGI improvements. With Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 completed and some parts of Avatar 4 already shot, the ambitious scope of the Avatar arc is highly anticipated by audiences worldwide.
James Cameron remains on a perpetual quest for excellence, to perfect his vision, expand his knowledge and enrich his art. These are the exact same values celebrated by Rolex — believing in unlimited human potential, in continuous improvement and lasting excellence, in always pushing the boundaries and taking the long-term view.
