Mens Vintage Rolex Submariner 5512 Stainless Steel

Vintage Watch Condition Examination:

This Submariner is in overall great, honest condition. The case is in good condition with normal signs of wear. The bezel ring is sharp and the bezel insert is in great condition with light wear. The bezel insert is a later service replacement. The dial, hands, crown, crystal and bracelet are later service replacements. The matte dial is in good condition with light wear and patina. The lume has developed some patina and aged to an attractive pale yellow color. The hands have developed patina and the lume in the hands show a bit of wear; the lume in the hands is close to matching the color of the lume on the dial. The bracelet is in great condition with light stretch.

Description: Vintage Rolex Submariner 5512

The Rolex ref. 5512 (1961) 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. Rolex came out with the 5512 in 1959 and 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.

The example we have here is circa 1961 and has a pointed crown guard case (PCG). This watch is all "serviced up" meaning that the dial, hands, bezel, and bracelet are later service replacements. Since this watch is circa 1961 it would have been born with a glossy dial and now it has a later matte one. It was common that these watches would have components changed to make them more functional at the time. Its nice that this has a matte service dial because it still has that vintage look and charm with patina. These "all serviced up" 5513s offer a great value and are perfect for those looking for an entry into the world of vintage Rolex and this has the pointed crown guards as a nice bonus.