Last week, in the same week in which his blockbuster movie “Titanic” premiered in 3D, James Cameron was making headlines elsewhere, descending 35,756 feet (6.77 miles/10.89 km) to reach the “Challenger Deep”, the ocean’s deepest point located in the Mariana Trench, in his Deepsea Challenger submersible.

The attempt was part of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, a joint scientific expedition by Cameron, National Geographic and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research and exploration. Cameron is the only individual ever to complete the dive in a solo vehicle and the first person since 1960 to reach the very bottom of the world in a manned submersible. During the dive, he conducted the first manned scientific exploration of the “Challenger Deep.”

In 1960, an experimental Rolex Deep Sea Special watch was strapped to the hull of the Trieste and emerged in perfect working order after withstanding the huge pressure exerted nearly 7 miles (11 km) below the surface. The Deepsea Challenger submersible carried a new, experimental wristwatch, the Rolex Deepsea Challenge, attached to the manipulator arm, renewing the pioneering engineering challenge the Swiss watchmaker took up 52 years ago.

“Rolex warmly congratulates James Cameron and the Deepsea Challenge expedition team for their successful dive into history, in the vanguard of a new and exciting era of marine exploration,” said Gian Riccardo Marini, Chief Executive Officer of Rolex SA. “The achievement is a product of their passion, courage, skill and the highest standards of excellence and innovation in advancing human knowledge. We are delighted to be part of Deepsea Challenge, perpetuating half a century of tradition in deep-sea diving.”

The voyage took 2 hours 36 minutes and Cameron spent around three hours exploring the ocean’s surface, collecting samples for research and documenting his adventures with still photographs and video images in high-resolution 3D. “This journey is the culmination of more than seven years of planning for me and the amazing Deepsea Challenge expedition team,” said Cameron. “Most importantly, though, is the significance of pushing the boundaries of where humans can go, what they can see and how they can interpret it. Without the support of National Geographic and Rolex, and their unwavering belief that we could successfully make it to the deepest point in the ocean — and back — this would not have happened.”

The “Challenger Deep” has only been reached once before in a manned descent, on Jan. 23, 1960, by then U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh — who is a consultant on the Deepsea Challenge expedition and was aboard the expedition ship Mermaid Sapphire during Cameron’s successful attempt — and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard in the bathyscaphe Trieste. Walsh and Piccard spent about 20 minutes on the ocean floor before returning to the surface.

Details on the expedition can be found at www.deepseachallenge.com; on Twitter by following @DeepChallenge or using #deepseachallenge; or on Facebook.