Rolex Submariner 5513 Review | Bob's Watches

Rolex Submariner 5513 Review | Bob's Watches

The Rolex Submariner was first introduced in 1953 as one of the world’s very earliest dive watches, and it holds the title of being the first timepiece to be water-resistant to a depth of 100 meters (330 feet). During the first several years of the Submariner’s life, Rolex released a number of different references; however all of these models featured 38mm cases and lacked crown-guards. It was not until the release of the reference 5512 in 1959 that the case of the Rolex Submariner would grow to 40mm, and crown-guards were added to the case, forever setting the standard for future Submariner dive watches.

The reference 5513 Submariner was launched in 1962 and was almost identical to its ref. 5512 sibling. It was a time only watch with a black luminous dial, a bidirectional timing bezel, and a 200 meter depth rating. Powering the very first ref. 5513 Submariner watches was the Caliber 1530 movement, which was quickly switched after only about a year or two to the non-chronometer certified Caliber 1520 movement, which would ultimately become the key feature that separated the reference 5513 from its chronometer-rated sibling, the ref. 5512.

Despite the difference in movements, real-world timekeeping performance was very similar between these two Submariner no-date models, and reference 5513 watches significantly outsold their technically superior ref. 5512 counterparts. Due to having a non-chronometer-rated movement, the dials of ref. 5513 watches do not have the additional ‘Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified’ text below the ‘Submariner’ name like the majority of their reference 5512 counterparts.

Production of the ref. 5513 lasted all the way until 1989, making it the longest running Submariner reference in the collection’s entire history, and the last Rolex dive watch to be fitted with an acrylic crystal. Additionally, due to its remarkably long production run, the reference 5513 Submariner was manufactured with a range of variation in regards to the dials, crown-guards, hands, and bezels that were used. This diversity creates a massive range of variation which adds to the excitement for modern-day vintage collectors.

Early reference 5513 Submariner watches were fitted with glossy gilt dials; however by about 1967, Rolex had switched to matte dials with white text that would be used until approximately 1982, when Rolex made the switch to gloss dials with applied white gold hour markers, marking the final evolution of the ref. 5513’s dial. Additionally, it's also worth noting that although there are only three main types of reference 5513 Submariner dials, there are dozens of slight variations that exist among the different generations.

As the Rolex Submariner 5513 was accompanied by a lower retail price than the chronometer-rated ref. 5512, it became the go-to watch for many military personnel during the 1960s and 1970s, and was even featured in a few James Bond films, equipped with various specialized gadgets and functions. As a result of its notoriety, prices for ref. 5513 Submariner watches have increased significantly within recent years, and even among this single reference, there exists a huge range in values on the open market. Certain early-production examples will sell for several times the price of later-era equivalents, simply due to the rarity and desirability of their original circa-correct components.

The reference 5513 was not the first Rolex Submariner ever created, but it is often considered to be the quintessential vintage example of the brand’s legendary dive watch, and the diversity that exists among this single reference makes it an exciting model for people to pursue and collect. A truly timeless classic and the perfect addition to any collection, the ref. 5513 Rolex Submariner is a watch that will never go out of style.

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