The Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea 116660 is a professional dive watch built around Rolex’s Ringlock System case architecture, rated to a depth of 3,900 metres (12,800 feet). It sits above the Submariner and the Sea-Dweller 4000 in the brand’s diving line as the deepest-rated serial production model of its era.
The D-Blue dial version, widely known as the “James Cameron,” was unveiled on 4 August 2014 to commemorate the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition, in which the filmmaker made a solo descent to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 2012. The case that pilots wear here is the standard Deepsea case; the commercial Deepsea design also served as the blueprint for the oversized experimental watch strapped to Cameron’s submersible.
The launch itself was unusual for Rolex. The D-Blue was released online, outside the brand’s normal Baselworld schedule, and it did not replace the black-dial Deepsea (ref. 116660-0001). It joined the collection alongside it as a second dial option under the same reference, carrying the sub-reference 116660-0003. It is a regular-production special edition, not a numbered limited edition.
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The defining feature is the graduated dial, which Rolex calls “D-blue.” It begins as a bright blue at the top and fades to black toward the base, a treatment meant to evoke the loss of sunlight during a deep descent. The finish is glossy and the colour transition runs vertically across the face.
The layout is a maxi dial, with oversized round and baton hour markers and broad hands for legibility. The markers are applied and filled with Chromalight, Rolex’s luminescent material with a blue emission that is documented to last up to twice as long as standard lume. The hour hand is the Mercedes style, and the seconds hand carries a luminous lollipop.
The word “DEEPSEA” is printed in green, matching the hull colour of Cameron’s Deepsea Challenger submersible, and this green text is the quickest visual identifier of the D-Blue against the standard black-dial Deepsea. The dial text reads OYSTER PERPETUAL DATE at the top, then DEEPSEA, SEA-DWELLER, and the depth rating 12800ft = 3900m, above SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED. The date sits at 3 o’clock under a Cyclops lens.
The case is 44 mm in diameter and 17.7 mm thick, in Oystersteel. Its depth capability comes from the Ringlock System, a three-part construction in which a nitrogen-alloyed steel compression ring inside the case carries the load between a domed sapphire crystal and a grade 5 titanium caseback. This lets the crystal and caseback stay comparatively thin while the watch withstands the pressure at full rated depth.
The crystal is a domed sapphire around 5 mm thick, with a Cyclops lens over the date. The winding crown is a screw-down Triplock with a triple-gasket seal, protected by crown guards, and the case also carries a helium escape valve on the left flank for saturation diving. The titanium caseback is screw-down. Water resistance is 3,900 metres (12,800 feet). The rehaut is engraved with ORIGINAL GAS ESCAPE VALVE and RING LOCK SYSTEM.
The bezel is a unidirectional rotating diver’s bezel with a black Cerachrom insert in ceramic, carrying a 60-minute graduated scale whose numerals and graduations are coated in platinum. A diver aligns the bezel’s zero marker to the minute hand at the start of a dive and reads elapsed time off the scale; the unidirectional action means an accidental knock can only shorten the indicated remaining time, not extend it.
The watch is fitted with an Oyster bracelet in Oystersteel, bracelet reference 98210, a three-piece link design with solid links and solid end links. The end fit is 21 mm at the lugs. The finish is predominantly brushed.
The clasp is a folding Oysterlock safety clasp that guards against accidental opening. It integrates two extension systems. The Glidelock allows the wearer to lengthen the bracelet without tools in small increments, with a published range of about 20 mm in roughly 2 mm steps. The Fliplock is a folding extension link that adds a further 26 mm, enough to wear the watch over a diving suit. One dealer record for this exact bracelet lists five removable screw links for sizing.
The 116660 is powered by the Rolex Caliber 3135, a self-winding mechanical movement developed and manufactured in-house. It is a certified Swiss chronometer (COSC).
The 3135 runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), uses 31 jewels, and carries a power reserve of approximately 48 hours. It is fitted with a blue Parachrom hairspring for greater resistance to shocks and temperature variation, and Paraflex shock absorbers. Functions are centre hours, minutes and seconds, plus an instantaneous date with rapid setting.
Operation follows the standard Rolex crown pattern once unscrewed: the first position hand-winds the movement, the middle position quick-sets the date, and the outer position sets the time with a hacking seconds hand for precise synchronisation. The bezel is operated independently by hand for dive timing.
The case, bracelet and bezel structure are Oystersteel, Rolex’s name for its 904L stainless steel, chosen for corrosion resistance and finish retention. The caseback is grade 5 titanium, which combines high strength with lower weight to help manage the thickness of a deep-rated case.
The crystal is sapphire, effectively scratch-proof, with an integrated Cyclops date lens. The bezel insert is Cerachrom ceramic, which resists scratching and does not fade with UV exposure, and its engraved scale is coated in platinum. The dial markers and hands carry Chromalight luminous material.
The overall material specification is aimed at long-term durability under pressure and saltwater exposure rather than dress-watch refinement.
A full set for a 2017 example of this reference includes the following:
Older version
Newer version
The factory box transition on this reference falls around 2010 to 2011, from the earlier green box to the modern wave box. A 2017 116660 should carry the wave box; an earlier-style box on a 2017 full set indicates a mismatched or replaced box. A generic or standard-size box on any full-set listing points to a service replacement rather than the original oversized Deepsea presentation box.
A 2017 example was sold with Rolex’s five-year international guarantee, which applied to purchases from July 2015 onward. Coverage was recorded on the white-and-green plastic credit-card-style guarantee card of the 2014/2015 to 2020 generation, which sits between the earlier credit-card guarantee and the full green card introduced in 2020. The card is dealer-stamped and dated at point of sale and is the primary authenticity document for the watch.
Older version
Newer version
Independent Rolex card references separate three generations across this window: the 2008 to 2014 card, the 2014/2015 to 2020 white-and-green card, and the 2020-present full green card. A 2017 example falls in the middle generation. Its original five-year guarantee has now expired, having run to 2022. A stamped and dated original card remains the key documentation for a full-set example; a blank, undated, or photocopied card is a red flag.
The Deepsea wears as a large and heavy watch. The 44 mm diameter is matched by a 17.7 mm thickness, and the steel case and bracelet give it substantial mass on the wrist. It suits medium to large wrists and reads as a tool watch with strong presence rather than a discreet piece.
The height means it sits tall and does not slip under a shirt cuff easily. The trade-off for the thickness is the depth capability and the case architecture behind it.
On the bracelet, the Glidelock and Fliplock systems give a wide comfort range, allowing quick fine adjustment as the wrist changes through the day and a large extension for wearing over a suit. This is a watch aimed at wearers who want a rugged diver with maximum water resistance and do not need it to disappear on the wrist.
This page covers the D-Blue “James Cameron” configuration of the 116660, sub-reference 116660-0003. It exists as a single build: a 44 mm Oystersteel case, black Cerachrom bezel, graduated blue-to-black D-Blue dial with green DEEPSEA text, Oyster bracelet (ref. 98210) with Oysterlock, Glidelock and Fliplock, and the Caliber 3135.
Neighbouring references
These are separate references and their specifications do not carry across to the D-Blue 116660:
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