917
Rolex
Ref. 5513
Submariner “MilSub”
An extremely rare and important stainless steel military diver’s wristwatch with fixed lugs and military engravings, made for the British Royal Navy
Full-Cataloguing
- Made for the British Royal Navy in 1970s
- Distinct bezel, dial and sword-like hands
- Early Milsub 5513 reference
- Crisp case condition
- Fresh to the auction market
Designed for combat readiness, the “Milsubs” featured fixed spring bars welded to the lugs to prevent any fitting failures. Another notable characteristic was the revolving bezel insert, calibrated for 60 minutes instead of the standard 15-minute bezel found in civilian models and the Ministry of Defense also mandated a hack (stop seconds) feature for precision. The watch showcases a black dial paired with wide sword-shaped hands for improved readability, along with an encircled “T” above the depth rating indicating the use of luminescent tritium. The caseback bears military engravings—the present lot is marked with the "0552" code for the British Royal Navy, "923-7697", the NATO code, followed by the issue number "530" and the year of issue "76". The inside caseback features the serial number, appropriate for a special order watch.
After decommissioning, these military timepieces were either destroyed by the MOD or purchased by civilians, with many being altered to remove military features, turning them into more “civilian” watches.
Before the introduction of the dedicated reference 5517, Rolex modified reference 5513 models to meet military standards. Consequently, the present example belongs to the early batches. This exquisite specimen is notably rare, bearing a case number of 3’927’007. PHILLIPS is pleased to present another example with a closely related case number: 3’926’998, which was offered at STYLED.
Well-preserved with crisp reference numbers engraved between the lugs and on the caseback, the “Maxi-dial” has developed an attractive patina on the large luminous plots and sword hands. Fresh-to-the-market, this impressive relic from circa 1975 comes with a Rolex letter confirming its supply to H.M. Dockyard Devonport in March 1976 and was further serviced by Rolex in 2011.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.