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For movie fans, James Cameron is the famous director who has brought many blockbuster hits to the world, including "The Terminator" (1984), "Aliens" (1986), "Titanic" (2003), and "Avatar" (2009). For Rolex enthusiasts, he is known as the central figure of the deep sea exploration "Deep Sea Challenge," which led to the creation of the Sea-Dweller Deep Sea D-Blue (Ref. 116660).
"Actor's Watch" focuses on the watches worn by actors active in movies and television, and in this 182nd installment, we will be introducing the favorite watch of film director James Cameron.
Rolex
Submariner [Ref.16800]
After his huge success with "Aliens" (1986), James Cameron rose to the ranks of top film directors, and bought himself a Rolex Submariner, which he had always wanted, as a reward. Since then, he has been a fan of Rolex diver's watches, including the Submariner and Sea-Dweller.
The above photo is a scene from the set of Titanic (1997), and if the watch he is wearing in this photo is a "reward watch" he bought after the success of Alien 2, then it is most likely a Rolex Submariner (Ref. 16800), given its age. Titanic was filmed with a life-size replica of the Titanic floating in a huge pool, and the set was apparently quite flooded, so it is interesting to wonder if he purchased the Submariner in anticipation of this.
Sea-Dweller Deep Sea [Ref.116660 D-BLUE]
James Cameron directed the sci-fi film "The Abyss" (1989), which was set in the deep sea. The original story was a short story that the director wrote when he was in high school, which suggests that he had been fascinated by the deep sea since he was young.
In March 2012, James Cameron, supported by the National Geographic Society and Rolex, boarded the deep-sea exploration vessel "Deepsea Challenger" and reached the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, known as the deepest ocean floor in the world, alone. He survived with a Rolex Deepsea Challenge, a prototype Rolex watch that was attached to the outside of the exploration vessel.
Two years later, in 2014, the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea D-BLUE (Ref. 116660) was released to celebrate James Cameron's deep sea adventure. The blue to black gradation dial was designed to represent the ocean, from the bright surface to the dark depths.
Seiko
Hybrid Divers "Arnie" [Ref.H558-5000]
James Cameron bought himself a Rolex Submariner as a reward after the success of "Aliens" (1986), but what kind of watch did he wear before that? I looked into it and found this photo.
James Cameron, wearing an aloha shirt, is holding an alien egg in his left hand. This is probably a photo from the time of "Aliens," and the watch he is wearing on his right arm is a Seiko Hybrid Diver ( Ref. H558-5000 ).
In fact, this watch was worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in films such as "Commando" (1985) and "Predator" (1987), and is affectionately known among Seiko fans as "Arnie," a nickname for Arnold. The fact that both the director and leading actor in "The Terminator" (1984) are wearing it suggests that one of them may have given it as a gift or recommended it to the other, or there may be some other connection.
summary
What did you think?
The competition ended with three masterpieces of diver's watches - the Submariner, Sea-Dweller, and Hybrid Diver - that embody James Cameron's passion for the deep sea since his youth.
Director James Cameron, whose life's work "Avatar 3" and "Avatar 4" are scheduled for release in 2025 and 2029, respectively, is also currently writing a new script for "Terminator." The story of the new film seems to be deeply involved with the evolution of AI, and in an interview, he said that he is waiting for the development and direction of real-world AI technology to become clearer.
Although the details of the project, including Schwarzenegger's appearance, have not been revealed at all, it would be great to see the two men, who both use the same "Ref. H558-5000", team up again. Even "True Lies 2" would be fine!
See you later!
