Pioneering underwater cinematographer Al Giddings’ legendary timepieces, including one worn in James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’, head to auction
Sotheby’s is set to auction two extraordinary Rolex Submariner watches this December, both with profound connections to the RMS Titanic’s legacy.
These timepieces, from the personal collection of Emmy Award-winning underwater cinematographer Alfred ‘Al’ Giddings, have witnessed some of the most significant deep-sea expeditions of our time.
A Tale of Two Submariners
The watches, scheduled for auction on 6th December 2024 at Sotheby’s New York, represent more than mere timepieces,they are historical artefacts that have journeyed from the North Pole to the ocean’s depths.
The first, a stainless steel Rolex Submariner Reference 1680 from circa 1976, carries an estimate of $20,000-40,000. The second, a yellow gold Reference 1680/8 ‘Nipple Dial’ Submariner from circa 1984, is expected to fetch between $30,000-60,000.
What makes these watches particularly remarkable is their extraordinary provenance. The steel Submariner has accompanied Giddings on over a dozen dives to the Titanic wreckage, while the gold model gained fame on Bill Paxton‘s wrist during the filming of James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster ‘Titanic’.
The Evolution of the Rolex Submariner
The Rolex Submariner stands as one of the most iconic diving watches ever created. First introduced in 1953, the model revolutionised underwater timekeeping with its waterproof capabilities and robust construction. The Reference 1680, introduced in the late 1960s, marked a significant milestone as the first Submariner to feature a date function.
The ‘Red Submariner’, as exemplified by Giddings’ steel model, earned its nickname from the distinctive red text spelling out “Submariner” on the dial. This variant has become particularly coveted among collectors for its historical significance and relative rarity.
The gold Reference 1680/8, nicknamed the ‘Nipple Dial’ due to its distinctive hour markers, represents Rolex’s luxury interpretation of their professional diving watch. Its introduction demonstrated that technical prowess and luxury could coexist in a professional diving instrument.
The Steel Sentinel: A Diving Legend
The stainless steel Submariner stands as a testament to Rolex’s engineering prowess. As Giddings himself attests: “The appropriate diving watch was the thing to have, and this watch performed flawlessly, emphasis flawlessly, for all those years, both underwater in different pressure environments and different submersibles: on Titanic, on the Andrea Doria, shipwrecks of Truk Lagoon, Bikini Atoll, the North Pole, Antarctica. There really was no competition; it was simply the best.”
This particular timepiece has logged an unprecedented amount of underwater time, potentially accumulating hundreds of thousands of hours beneath the waves. Its journey includes multiple expeditions to the Titanic wreckage, which lies approximately 12,600 feet below the ocean’s surface.
The watch’s survival and continued functionality after such extreme use stands as a testament to Rolex’s engineering excellence and the Submariner’s robust design. Few timepieces in history have endured such diverse and challenging environments, from the crushing pressures of deep-sea exploration to the extreme temperatures of polar expeditions.
The Golden Star: From Gift to Silver Screen
The yellow gold Submariner’s story begins with an unexpected gesture of gratitude. After Giddings provided photographs of marine biologist Dr Sylvia Earle for Rolex’s advertising campaign, T. Walker Lloyd, a Rolex employee and former marine, sent him the watch as a thank you gift. “About a month went by, and a box came in the mail that just said, ‘Enjoy, T. Walker Lloyd.’ And it was this gold Rolex. I was in shock,” Giddings recalls.
The watch would later achieve cinematic immortality when it was worn by Bill Paxton in ‘Titanic’. James Cameron, believing a gold Submariner would perfectly suit a Dive Director’s character, borrowed the timepiece for filming. “I finished my part of the movie and went back to Montana, 8 or 10 months later, I started scratching my head, ‘Whatever happened to my gold Rolex?’ and got ahold of Jim’s office. And a week or two later, it came in the mail with a thank you note, from Fox.”
This particular timepiece thus bridges two worlds: the practical realm of underwater exploration and the glamorous domain of Hollywood filmmaking, making it uniquely significant in both horological and cinematic history.
The Man Behind the Watches
Al Giddings’ career spans nearly half a century of underwater cinematography. His work has revolutionised the genre, earning him four Emmy Awards and credits on iconic films including ‘The Deep’, ‘The Abyss’, and James Bond entries ‘For Your Eyes Only’ and ‘Never Say Never Again’.
In 1992, Giddings achieved perhaps his most significant feat by producing ‘Titanic: Treasure of the Deep’. This groundbreaking documentary, narrated by Walter Cronkite, captured unprecedented IMAX footage of the Titanic wreckage using innovative lighting techniques and Soviet Mir submersibles. This work would later inspire James Cameron’s vision for ‘Titanic’.
Giddings’ pioneering spirit in underwater photography began early in his career. In 1969, he became the first person to dive with mixed gases on the Andrea Doria, and in 1973, he made history by discovering and penetrating the Japanese I-169 submarine in Truk Lagoon. His expertise has made him a sought-after authority on deep-sea operations, most recently evidenced by his role as an expert commentator during the tragic Titan submersible incident in June 2023.
The Titanic Legacy
The discovery of the Titanic wreckage in 1985 by Robert Ballard marked a pivotal moment in maritime history. Located approximately 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, the wreck had remained hidden for over 70 years following the liner’s tragic sinking on April 14, 1912.
Since its discovery, fewer than 250 people worldwide have personally viewed the Titanic wreckage. Giddings, with his seventeen completed dives to the site, stands among an even more exclusive group of individuals who have made multiple visits to the infamous shipwreck.
His documentation of the Titanic, particularly through the 1992 IMAX project, provided unprecedented views of the wreck. Using one Mir submersible as a movable lighting rig and another for camera operations, Giddings and his team illuminated portions of the great ship that had remained unseen since its sinking in 1912.
A Maritime Legacy
Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s Global Head of Watches, emphasises the unique significance of these timepieces: “If there exists a maritime counterpart to a watch that has journeyed to the moon, these are it. It is a privilege to present these remarkable treasures to the market for the first time, destined to captivate those who share a passion for history, adventure, and exploration.”
Both watches will be available for public viewing at Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries from 5th December, offering collectors and enthusiasts a rare opportunity to witness these remarkable pieces of maritime and cinematic history before they find new homes.
These Rolex Submariners represent more than just high-end timepieces; they are tangible connections to one of history’s most famous shipwrecks and the pioneering efforts to document it. Their journey from practical diving instruments to historically significant artefacts mirrors the evolution of deep-sea exploration itself.
*Images: Sotheby’s
