An incredibly rare Rolex Deep Sea Special will go on sale this November at Phillips’ Geneva Watch Auction. Made in 1965, the Rolex Deep Sea Special is one of the brand’s rarest and most important dive watches of all time. Presented in a two-tone stainless steel and gold case, the watch features a domed crystal that was strong enough to withstand the extreme pressure and withstand a depth of over 10,000 meters (35,000 feet) below sea level. 
“The Deep Sea Special fully deserves the Special in its name, the sheer idea of a watch that can withstand a dive of 10,000 meters (that is 10 km) is simply mind boggling! However, more than the technical aspects and sheer rarity of this piece, it is its historical significance that needs to be highlighted. The DSS is the watch that defined what Rolex is today, it is the philosophy behind its creation that led Rolex to focus on tool watches in general and dive watches in particular. Without the Deep Sea Special there would be no Submariner or Sea Dweller as we know it. The DSS is a watch that was never available for public purchase and the arrival on the market of an example is a once in a decade event for collectors and watch aficionados to celebrate. We are humbled to have been entrusted with such an incredible piece of horological history.” said in a statement Alexandre Ghotbi, Head of Watches, Continental Europe and Middle East.
This vintage piece is so rare that only five of its kind have been sold to the public, most notably, the “Deep Sea Special” numbered 3, which was strapped to the Bathyscaphe, is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. Other museums include the Beyer Museum, London Science Museum and Piccard Museum Nyon (Switzerland).
The caseback is engraved with the number 35, date of the record-setting dive (January 23, 1960) and its water-resistance rating (10,908 meters/35,789 feet).
Estimated to fetch 1.2m – 2.4m CHF (approximately $1.3m – $2.6m USD) Rolex Deep Sea Special No. 35 will be offered as part of Phillips The Geneva Watch Auction: XIV taking place on November 5-7. Any takers for the most badass Rolex dive watch ever?
