In 1962, Rolex released one of their most important Submariner references, the 5513, which had one of the longest production spanning 27 years seized in 1989. The release would be one of the very first Submariner models that set the tone of the design language that is still in play today. At the beginning of its production, the reference featured glossy lacquered black dials with gilt texts with a “meters first” dial while later examples from 1970 onwards featured the more common “feet first” dial. With these glossy dials, Rolex only produced them for an estimated total of 4 years making these early ref. 5513s rare and highly desirable.

The present Rolex Submariner ref. 5513 with a 1.3 million serial from circa 1966 fitted with a “glossy” black lacquered “meters first” “SWISS-T<25” dial is one of the last iterations of the glossy dial before the transition to matte dials. Offered in attractive overall condition boasting a crisp case, clean insert and a nice dial with desirable lume plots, the present ref. 5513 is a nice example for vintage Rolex lovers to add to their collection.