Rolex Vintage Submariner 5512

Vintage Watch Condition Examination:

This watch is in great, honest vintage condition. The case is strong with normal signs of wear. The inside caseback is stamped “5513” which is common for these 5512s. Rolex would often times use 5512 and 5513 caseback interchangeably and we have seen this many times before. The bezel ring has remained sharp and the “Long 5” bezel insert has faded throughout to a lovely grey color. The pip at 12 is a later replacement. This watch has retained it’s correct non-triplock crown. The dial is in great, attractive condition and has developed a fine patina throughout. When looking at the dial under a bright light the fine patina/ spotting on the dial has a brownish hue adding to the overall vintage charm. The dial has remained glossy. The hands have developed patina and the lume on the dial and in the hands has aged to an attractive pale yellow color. The minute hand shows signs of a partial lume repair/ relume. The folded bracelet is in great condition; it has a bit of stretch between the links.

Description: Rolex Submariner 5512

The Rolex 5512 (Circa 1964) is an important reference in Submariner history; It was the first Submariner to feature crown guards, a detail that all Subs would have going forward and still do today. Throughout the production of the 5512 Rolex made many different variations, from glossy dials to matte dials with many slight updates and changes. The 5512 may look nearly identical to the 5513 (that came out in 1962, three years later) but the main difference would be that the 5512 has the chronometer certified movement (COSC). Since the 5512 had a COSC movement, they were more expensive than the 5513 and were not as popular, we see less of them in general. The 5512s would typically have four lines of text at the bottom of the dial and the 5513 always has two; that is one good way of telling apart the references at a glance Its not always that simple, early examples of the 5512 also have two lines of text, but still have the COSC movement. Overall the 5512 is a cult favorite and we see many collectors gravitate towards these especially after they have gone down the rabbit hole.

This example is circa 1964 and has a gilt, glossy dial. Gilt refers to the color of the Rolex crown, “Oyster Perpetual” and depth rating while glossy is referring to the surface of the dial, its shiny aka glossy. There is something special about these glossy dial Subs that give the watch a completely different look. In addition to the lovely dial, the bezel has perfectly faded throughout adding to the overall charm of the watch.