173
Rolex
Ref. 5513/5517
Submariner "Milsub"
A very rare “double reference” stainless steel military diver’s wristwatch with rotating bezel, fixed bar lugs, and military engravings, made for the British Royal Navy
Full-Cataloguing
- Military issued Milsub
- Rare double reference 5513/5517 with correct engravings
- Correct dial configuration, sword hand and fixed spring bars
- Fresh to the market - consignor acquired the watch from the family of the original owner
Rolex military-issued Submariners rank among the most coveted of all vintage Rolex sports watches. Produced in limited numbers at the request of the British Ministry of Defence (MOD), these watches were issued to servicemen for active duty and specialist operations. Research suggests that approximately 1,250 examples were delivered between 1971 and 1979 across references 5513, the double-reference 5513/5517, and 5517—today known collectively among collectors as the “MilSub.”
Rather than creating an entirely new model, Rolex adapted the Submariner to meet strict MOD specifications. These modifications resulted in a distinctly purposeful aesthetic: broad sword-shaped hands for maximum legibility, an encircled “T” on the dial indicating tritium lume, and a fully graduated 60-minute bezel in place of the civilian 15-minute scale. The MOD further required a hacking seconds function and permanently fixed spring bars welded to the lugs to prevent strap failure in the field. Military casebacks were engraved according to naval inventory standards; the present example bears the “0552” code for the British Royal Navy, the NATO stock number “923-7697,” the individual issue number “695,” and the year of issue “77.” As expected for a special-order military watch, the serial number is also repeated inside the caseback.
The present watch is a highly desirable double-reference example, stamped 5513 between the lugs and 5517 beneath the lug—considered the rarest configuration among MilSubs.
Issued to a Royal Navy Clearance Diver stationed at HMS Rooke (HM Naval Base Gibraltar), the watch served as a vital professional instrument during decades of underwater operations connected to the RFA/RMAS Fleet Mooring Lighter 482(M) at the South Mole of HM Dockyard Gibraltar. Over the course of his career, he progressed from Chargeman within the Ministry of Defence dockyard operations to Royal Navy P&GS(E) in the Naval Mooring and Salvage Department, a senior supervisory role responsible for mooring and salvage operations.
Most compelling, however, is the watch’s provenance. The present example has never before appeared on the public market and was acquired by the consignor in Gibraltar directly from the family of its original owner, with whom it had remained since the time of issue. Preserved as a cherished family heirloom for nearly half a century, it is accompanied by an exceptional archive of documents including original photographs of the owner in Standard diving dress or “Hard Hat” diving equipment, a personal letter from the family recounting its history, diving certifications spanning from 1963 to 1979, medical fitness records and documents relating to his promotion to a senior role within the MoD Naval Base. Having never left Gibraltar since its military service, the watch carries a rare and unbroken connection to the place where it was issued and worn.
Retaining its correct sword hands, encircled-T dial, fixed spring bars, and original military engravings, the present example stands as an outstanding MilSub. It is only missing the fully graduated bezel insert, likely replaced during servicing. Fresh to the market and preserved with extraordinary documentation and direct family provenance, it represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of the most historically significant and evocative military wristwatches ever produced.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.