THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: ROLEX
MODEL: 5513
YEAR: 1968
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 40mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC

The 5513 marque of the Submariner is arguably the most iconic. It also produced the greatest variety within the model during its 25-year production run. Starting in 1963 with pointed crown guard cases and charming gilt dials and hands, it evolved through to 1988/1989 with white gold surrounded tritium markers and gloss dials.

Gilt dial 5513s were produced for only a few short years before matte dial 5513s were introduced around 1967. In the early 1970s, Rolex made another notable change to the dials, switching from meters to feet as the first measurement of the depth rating. This change was likely driven by the growing market share in the United States, which uses imperial measurements.

The present example, a 'Meters First' 5513, is as honest of a submariner as it gets. Originally dated to 1968, it came to us from the original owner, an engineer, who purchased it with his first big paycheck. Amazingly, this watch is only 47 serial numbers away from the other MF 5513 we have for sale. The dial is perfect; the tritium plots and hands have aged beautifully, acquiring an attractive light creamy patina. The case has been polished in the past, but not for a few decades - the top of the lugs shows sleeve wear that you only see on watches that have been worn and loved. The fat font 'Kissing 40' insert has muted slightly to a dark blue, completing the iconic Submariner look. 

The original folded link bracelet has perished - we've paired the watch with these lovely grey suede straps from our friends at The Strap Tailor. The movement has been freshly serviced and is running extremely well at +1 s/d, with an amplitude of 255 and a beat error of 0.3 ms. It's hard to beat an honest 5513, this would make a perfect daily watch.