This picture by Reeve Jolliffe shows Victor Vescovo being congratulated by Don Walsh (who dived to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 1960). Victor Vescovo had just returned after he descended nearly 11km (seven miles) to the deepest place in the ocean - the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench. It is only the third time humans have reached the ocean's extreme depths. The first dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench took place in 1960 by US Navy lieutenant Don Walsh and Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard in a vessel called the bathyscaphe Trieste. Movie director James Cameron then made a solo plunge half a century later in 2012 in his bright green sub. https://www.sea.museum/2018/10/16/a-tale-of-two-watches The latest descent, which reached 10,927m (35,849ft) beneath the waves, is now the deepest by 11m - making Victor Vescovo the new record holder (born 1966 is an American private equity investor, retired naval officer, and undersea explorer)…….But most importantly what watch was he wearing???? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/scien...d-breaking-journey-to-the-bottom-of-the-ocean
Was the watch strapped OUTSIDE of the vessel? Doesn’t really matter what watch being strapped to the man sitting somewhat comfortably inside the vessel.
Actually good point... I know what the sub was wearing outside the sub... what he actually wore in the sub...
Yeah, the Titanium 9300, like mine. Solid line going around the bezel, not a dashed line like the newer blue steel models.
I think you just blew all the watch brands ambassador programmes out of the water :0) These days reading the forum I am thinking a round of golf and drum solo next to the speaker stacks is a tougher test than being strapped to a submarine anyway. When I see someone with that much cash, who can pull together a major advanced technical project and is brave enough to go somewhere we have only visited three times (we made the moon six times) I am interested what watch they pick.
Omega made several special watches that were attached to the manipulator arm of the sub. The crew were given Titanium Planet Ocean watches.
I do not have a link but I do know someone on the crew. Whether or not this means Omega took Rolex Down or not I am not so sure. Rolex was still the watch on a man's wrist on the deepest dive in the ocean at 1550 ft.
If they had watches external to the sub on the arm and went all the way down, then they beat Rolex that did the same thing.
The thought had crossed my mind.... I thought Seiko and the stock Seadweller failed due to the crystal impinging on the hands... they needed that huge dome to make it work.
It would be cool if they were successful though. Bring back some of the old school tool watch rivalry by pushing each other to be better. I know they do that now but it’s more fun when there are actual events attached to the competition.
@HiDive Very good spot / inside info.. (several special watches that were attached to the manipulator arm of the sub)...There are also three temporary deep landers on the mission so perhaps they could carry an external watch as well? @nurseford25 that is a fair comment. I think compared to an Apollo mission and say a moon buggy ride without underplaying the technical challenge a deep sea watch mission appears a much more predictable / gradual environment. Therefore I imagine it is easier / cheaper to rig a suitable test (and test it repeatedly). On that basis a watch failure seems unlikely. Having said that the pressure at 11,000 meters is around 1,086 bars (15,750 psi). The 5 Deeps is (not surprisingly) a 5-dive mission with the last one (the Arctic) due on the 19/09/2019. I imagine if Omega do have external watches, they won’t make a splash until the whole mission is completed (probably by the same watches) and everyone is safety accounted for back on dry land. https://fivedeeps.com/home/expedition/pacific/ One last thought… Imagine exploring a place so far from humanity that any message you send takes seven seconds to be heard. In some respect that is more remote than the moon — radio waves sent back-and-forth during the Apollo missions took just 2.5 to 2.7 seconds to transmit. Photo ©ReeveJolliffe©
The watches on the sub did not fail and they were not stock models just as the Rolex was not a stock deepsea model on Cameron's dive. Of course a stock Seadweller would fail at that depth if it was sent down there just like a stock Planet Ocean or Ploprof would fail. The Deepsea Challenge watches were tested in a hydrostatic chamber at a pressure equivalent to 1500 bar / 15000 meters, so they would be able to go anywhere in the Ocean. I would have to guess that Omega did some similar testing on whatever watch they sent down there so that they would be sure it would survive. Like I said before no man has been in the ocean to a depth greater than 1550 ft. so all of this stuff is just company bragging rights, it serves no practical purpose.