Rolex. A very rare British military issued stainless steel automatic wristwatch
Oyster Perpetual Submariner 'MilSub' Ref.5513, Serial No.3764794, Issue No.148/74, made circa 1974
£61,450
Auction: 22 May 2025 from 14:00 BST
Description
Cal.1520 self-winding movement with hacking seconds, matt black dial with tritium luminescent dot, triangle and baton indexes, tritium indication, steel Mercedes luminescent hands, centre seconds, stainless steel case with screw-down reverse engraved 0552/923-7697, 148/74, numbered to the inside 3764757, screw-down Oyster Triplock crown, bezel missing. Case, dial and movement signed. On grey fabric NATO strap with metal diving helmet adornment.
Dimensions
Diameter 39mm.
Provenance
Accompanied by a signed letter from the son of the original owner detailing his father's time in the British Navy on the HMS Hermes, HMS Cutlass and others before becoming a salvage diver and eventually training future divers at the HM Naval Base Rosyth in Scotland, before handing down the watch to his son in 1994, himself a RN diver.
Footnote
The Rolex Military Submariner, or ‘MilSub’ as it is known, were examples ordered in several batches by the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) between 1972 and 1979 for use by the Special Boat Service (SBS) and Special Air Service (SAS). The MOD requested modifications that matched the unusual working conditions they would be subjected to. Based on a regular Ref.5513, the movement had hacking seconds (unlike a regular 5513, the seconds stop when you pull the crown out) oversized sword hands and seconds with larger luminous, dials printed with an encircled T to show use of tritium luminescent, bezels with minute indicators the full 60 instead of just 15, a satin finished case, fixed strap bars and an engraved reverse with military designation and issue details, additionally, the serial number was repeated inside the case back. Due to the nature of their use, today, relatively few examples remain in their original ‘full spec’ configuration. We often see situations where case backs were swapped with another MilSub so the serial numbers do not match, or, commonly, as the MilSub was once regarded as lesser than a regular 5513, where the caseback engraving has been polished off and solid strap bars removed so a bracelet can be fitted. Considered by some collectors, including myself, as the ultimate vintage watch, a MilSub can worn daily and rarely attract attention, except for the few that really know watches. Finding examples from the family of a military diver that have a story attached to them are a rarity today.
The numbers on the reverse of the British Navy ordered examples use 0552 to indicate Royal Navy and 923-7697 as this is the NATO code for a divers watch, a version of the Broad Arrow insignia and issue number/ year of issue.