Rolex Submariner Ref. 5512 - 'Meters First' Unpolished

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 is a matte dial example dating to circa 1967. It is known within the collector community as a 'Meters First' 5512 for its printing of the depth rating on the dial beginning with meters, followed by the equivalent in feet. This is the only execution of matte dials with this configuration. This example comes to us in fantastic overall condition, with an unpolished case that retains thick and symmetrical lugs with those gorgeous chamfers nicely preserved, and shows normal signs of wear throughout. The bezel assembly also appears to be unpolished, retaining defined finishing and shows matching wear. The insert inside is a correct 'Long-5' unit, exhibiting a gently fade and has a patinated Tritium pip. Inside, the 'Meters First' dial is beautifully preserved and devoid of any major wear or imperfections. The Tritium plots exhibit a light, uniform patina throughout with a perfectly matching handset. Last but not least, this piece comes fitted to a correct 'rivet' Oyster bracelet with a signed blade clasp.