The Vintage Rolex Submariner 5512

July 4th, 2020

The Rolex Submariner is one of the world’s most recognised watches. And the vintage Submariner 5512 is an iconic model in the brand’s catalogue.

This sought-after vintage reference was in production for nearly 20years. Rolex made several upgrades to watch during its production period.

However, the Submariner 5512 today has a booming market among vintage Rolex watch aficionados.

While the watch’s value is appreciating with time, you are likely to secure a premium if you sell your vintage Rolex 5512.

Today, let’s us explore more about the vintage Rolex Submariner 5512. The timepiece holds a historically significant position in the brand’s history and also comes with notable design variations.

A Brief History of the Rolex Submariner 5512

Introduced in 1959, the Rolex Submariner 5512 marked a turning point for the frontrunner diving watch collection of the brand.

• The Submariner reference 5512 feature a bigger 40mm case diameter.
• Moreover, the watch comes with crown guards, unlike its early siblings.
• Today, Rolex equips all its Submariner models with crown guards and a 40mm case.

However, the brand continued to produce the reference 5512 from 1959 till nearly 1980.

And during its 20years of the production run, the watch received several modifications and updates.

Rolex Submariner 5512: Crown Guard

The reference 5512 was the first Submariner watch to feature crown guards. Thus, Rolex improved the design of these protective shoulders encircling the winding crown over the years.

While the earliest versions sported square crown guards, the latter references featured tapered crown guards, followed by pointed ones and ultimately, rounded crown guards.

Rolex Submariner 5512: Dials

Like the crown guards, Rolex also refined the dial style of the reference 5512 throughout the years.

• The Rolex Submariner 5512 flaunted a glossy dial and gilt-styled writing until the middle of 1960s.
• Later the manufacturer shifted to black matte dials with contrasting white text.
• However, Rolex also offered the Submariner 5512 with different text line throughout its history.

For example, early 5512 iterations sported only two-lines of text on the dial’s bottom side, highlighting the name “SUBMARINER” and depth rating.

However, the movement of the Submariner 5512 was replaced with a chronometer-graded calibre.

Eventually, Rolex added two more text lines on the dial – “SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED”.

Another significant dial variation of the Submariner 5512 is the way the brand engraves the depth rating.

• On early versions of the Submariner 5512, the dial featured the meter depth rating first like (200m=660ft).
• However, Rolex started to display the feet of the depth rating first from nearly 1967 – (600ft=200m).

Rolex Submariner 5512: Movements

When Rolex introduced the Submariner 5512 in 1959, the watch ran on a non-chronometer movement Calibre 1530.

Later, the brand upgraded the Submariner 5512, offering a chronometer-rated Calibre 1560 movement.

• However, when the Submariner 5513 made its debut in 1962, it was powered by the Calibre 1530 movement.
• And this reference stayed as an alternative to the Submariner 5512 till the 1980s.

Overall, the Rolex Submariner reference 5512 is significant in the brand’s diving watch history. This is primarily because the watch characterises many essential design features that are still found in modern Submariner watches.

Want to sell your vintage Rolex watch?

If you are looking to sell vintage Rolex watches for the best price in London, get in touch with the vintage Rolex buyers at The Luxury Hut.

At The Luxury Hut, we specialise in dealing with all vintage Rolex models for competitive prices.

To establish how much you can get for your vintage Rolex, fill up our simple online form and get a free valuation today.

Or call on 0207 242 5411 to book an appointment at our Hatton Garden office in London.

Whether you want to sell a vintage Rolex Submariner 5512 or a vintage Rolex Daytona 6265, you can rest assured you will secure the best possible price for it without any hassle.

Thus, get in touch with us today!

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