The Rolex Submariner is a true icon — and the word "icon" does get thrown around an awful lot. If you were to ask ten people at random to draw you their idea of a watch looks like, chances are they would draw or describe something that looks like a Rolex Submariner. It’s the dive watch of reference, and good/bad/indifferent there is no escaping it. Throughout its 70-year production, there have been countless small changes made to the model, with the Reference 5512 representing a very interesting period in the Submariner story.
The Ref. 5512 was originally sold alongside the 5513 as an up-market chronometer certified version of the venerable dive watch icon. During its production run, the 5512 series transitioned from the glossy gilt dials of the early 1960s, to matte dials in the later examples — as well as a bevy of different case and crown guard shapes.
The piece that we have here hails from the early years of the 5512 production run where gilt printed dials were still in use by the brand. Gilt dials are when the lettering and fonts are punched out of the dial so that the brass ‘gilt’ color shows through creating a golden text appearance. These are not very easy to produce and were ultimately discontinued by Rolex in the later half of the 1960s, as they couldn’t be produced in the same quantity as a matte dial - but nothing shines and glistens quite like these gilt dials.
This example dates to circa 1966 and features a sharp case housing a clean glossy '4-liner' dial, a 'fat font' bezel insert showing a light fade, and a robust solid-link Oyster bracelet with a fliplock clasp and divers extension.
A strong example of a coveted Reference!
Condition:
Case: Professionally refurbished case is sharp and thick with one significant scratch on left case profile.
Dial: Very well preserved with light aging and even patina to luminous elements. Later handset.
Bracelet: Rolex solid link oyster bracelet.
Shipping:
All watches will be shipped via FedEx Insured Priority Overnight shipping. International shipping will be shipped via FedEx International Priority Express, always fully insured. This service is included in the listed price and will not incur any additional fees. All watches are shipped 1-2 business days after receiving payment confirmation by Chrono24. We are unable to ship watches on Saturday or Sunday.
Our Policy:
We service or perform necessary maintenance to the extent necessary to all of our watches, unless otherwise noted. All watches are listed and sold running and functioning as intended.
Our Guarantee:
Through rigorous vetting of each watch offered, we’re able to guarantee authenticity of our pieces. Ultimately, your satisfaction is our mission, as is helping you get YOUR perfect watch. If you have any questions at all, we will get back to you ASAP.
Each of our timepieces are vetted, evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our experienced team of experts and watchmakers prior to sale. We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise disclosed. We guarantee the authenticity of each watch in perpetuity.