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Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513 - Mk4 Maxi Dial

SOLD

Straight Facts

The Rolex Submariner is a true icon - and the word icon does get thrown around a lot. If you were to ask 10 people 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 good/bad/indifferent there is no escaping it. Over its 70 year run there have been numerous changes made to the model, but this - the reference 5513 - is widely considered to be the reference to own.

The 5513 spanned almost 30 years of production (1962-1989) and underwent a series of changes that saw the earliest models born with gilt dials, and the last ones born with high-gloss dials with white gold surrounds. The present example hails from the later half of the 5513 production run where matte dials that we prize as collectors were still in use, along with ‘Maxi-Dials’. What is a Maxi Dial? Well, that is when the lume plots were made larger to improve low-light readability of the watch. The reason why? Simple - these watches hail from an era when the Submariner was still mostly used by people who needed the ruggedness and capability of a true sports dive watch. Over the life of these pieces many watches got destroyed, had their dials changed out, or just got lost in the cushions of a couch that ended up in a trash compactor (Check the cushions ASAP!)

There are Submariners, and then there are Submariners.

This - however - is not just any 5513. This is perhaps one of the nicest vintage Submariners we have ever come accross at Oliver & Clarke. The watch is perfectly preserved, unpolished, with its original Rolex case back sticker in-tact. The dial is flawless - truly, flawless, and the lume has aged to a beautiful bright pumpkin orange color. This is where those maxi-lume plots really shine as it creates such a stunning effect accross the dial and handset. The Rolex Oyster bracelet is in the same kind of condition you would expect, as is the stunning bezel insert and lume pip. This is not to be missed, and we hope to see it go off to an amazing new home.

*Some marks or spots on the dial are reflections or dust on the crystal and are due to high intensity strobe lighting used while photographing. They are not actually on the watch or visible in natural lighting.

Stainless Steel 1982 Automatic Dive

"As collectors themselves, Oliver and Clarke are on a mission to make buying vintage watches as painless as possible."

"The company focuses on good prices for its pieces, elite customer service and full transparency."

"The appointment-only space is inviting, with comfortable seating areas and exposed brick walls."

From Rolex & Patek Philippe, to Cartier & Audemars Piguet. As collectors first, we love the small details that separate the Submariner from Daytona and Calatrava from Royal Oak. This is why you'll find our curated assortment spans decades of generations of models and brands. We believe that watches don't just tell time, they tell history - and life is too short to wear a boring watch.

Oliver & Clarke