Lieutenant Don Walsh, USN, and Jacques Piccard in the bathyscaphe TRIESTE. credit Steve Nicklas, NOS, NGS
Retired US Navy Captain Don Walsh is one of only two people in history to have descended to the earth's deepest ocean floor. Only one very special timepiece can make that claim. On Friday, January 22 at 11am, people across southern California have an exclusive opportunity to see both.
Rolex South Coast Plaza will host a celebration of the historic 1960 exploration known as the "Deepest Dive." Company executives and officials will gather to pay tribute to Capt. Walsh and unveil – for the first time ever in public – the authentic Rolex Deepsea timepiece that survived the nearly 36,000-foot descent inside the submersible bathyscaph TRIESTE piloted by the naval officer.
The public is welcome to visit the store throughout the day, and pictures and autographs will be permitted. Once inside, guests can meet Capt. Walsh and view the prototype Rolex watch that managed to survive a crushing 8 tons of pressure per square inch as it plunged to depths of the Mariana Trench – more than 7 miles beneath the ocean's surface. The steel-encased timepiece made the dive strapped to the outside of the bathyscaph.
The event commemorates a trip that revealed the existence of marine life at depths many in the scientific community then considered impossible. Underscoring the degree of difficulty and risk, a dive of that scope has never been attempted or achieved since.
A third-generation prototype designed exclusively for the dive, the Deepsea Special represents one of the crown jewels in the pantheon of legendary Rolex diving watches. It secured its place in history when, Jacques Piccard, the Swiss engineer who, along with his father, Auguste, designed the TRIESTE, sent a telegram in 1960 saying, "Happy to announce that your watch works as well at 11,000 metres as it does on the surface."
In addition to the famed timepiece, visitors that day can also view several other rare Rolex diving watches. The display includes watches from the Submariner and Sea-Dweller collections, as well as the new generation Rolex Deepsea timepiece.
"What Captain Walsh, Mr. Piccard and the Rolex team accomplished 50 years ago stands as a seminal moment in the history of deep sea scientific exploration," said Terry Weiner, Rolex South Coast Plaza President & CEO. "We are thrilled to host and pay tribute to their magnificent achievement, and hope our many guests will take advantage of this truly rare opportunity to not only meet them, but see what their contribution inspired."
Rolex South Coast Plaza is located 3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, Carousel Court, Level 2. For more information about the anniversary celebration, please telephone the store directly at (714)241-8088.