Rolex Submariner*** 5513*** 1971
ROLEX Vintage Submariner Ref. 5513 No Date, beautiful patina, 1971
Serial: 3890869
Circa: 1971
Reference: 5513
DIAL: Black matte dial with luminous triangle, dots and rectangle hour markers. ‘Mercedes’ hands with central sweep seconds.
660ft=200m and SWISS – T < 25 indicated on the dial.
CASE: 40mm, stainless steel with black rotating bezel
MOVEMENT: Caliber 1520, Self-winding mechanical movement with 17 jewels
BRACELET: Rolex stainless steel heavy fliplock bracelet
CONDITION REPORT: Overall excellent & original condition, no visible blemishes or stains on the dial. Hour markers show signs of aging with an even cream colored patina.
NOTES:
The Rolex Submariner came to life in the 1950’s when director Rene P. Jeanneret pushed the company to develop an elegant ‘sporty’ watch. The Submariner was developed in 1953 introduced at the 1954 Basel Watch Fair.
Rolex claimed its new timepiece was water resistant and could withstand depths of 200 meters (or 660 feet). This was something no other watch company had been able to accomplish before. Coincidentally, this was the same year Jacques Cousteau released the underwater movie The Silent World. Also, Cousteau was a close friend of the Rolex director Rene P. Jeanneret, who was also an amateur diver. Of course, Rolex made certain the famous oceanographer was prominently wearing a Rolex Submariner in all of the film’s shots.
The Submariner design soon included the signature ‘Mercedes’ hands and the oversized ‘Trip Lock’ crown, which have been in use ever since. The reference 5513 was introduced in 1962, and replaced the reference 5508. The 5513 was produced from 1962 through June or so of 1990, which must be one of the longest continually produced references in Rolex history. The reference 5513 used calibers 1520 and 1530. Curiously, the caliber 1530 was used in both the 5513 and 5512 calibers for a time. The 5512 carried the C.O.S.C. certification while the 5513 using the same caliber did not have the chronometer certification. Today, the 5513 with matte dial and tritium hour markers is one of the most sought after Submariners.
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