The joy of vintage watches is that they offer a wonderful glimpse into the past. One is able to imagine who wore the watch and the great life events that person may have experienced. It is rare, however, to have that past thoroughly documented, and even rarer to possess clear photos of the original owner wearing the watch. The present lot, a beautiful example of a Rolex Submariner reference 5512 with a much-desired glossy dial with gilt chapter ring, is accompanied by such documentation that vividly tells the captivating story of its original owner.
It was purchased by the original owner's grandmother for her grandson, Carlton Carlson, in the early 1960s and subsequently gifted to him on the occasion of his high school graduation. The watch traveled with its owner to the Pacific Theater as Carlson had reported for duty with the United States Navy as a Builder Constructionman Apprentice. She had it engraved 'Carlton From Grandma 1963', crisply visible on the caseback to this day. Carlson pointed out to his grandmother the watch he coveted most of all - the Submariner, captivated by Rolex's advertisements of the time, as he had just received his scuba diving license and wished to have a proper diving watch.
This lot is further accompanied by a letter dated January 24th, 1964 from Carlson's commanding officer in the U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 10 (known popularly as the "Seabees") Commander J.M. Bannister, to Carlson's mother Mrs. Gulah H. Carlson, along with newspaper clippings discussing elements of Carlson's military service. One details Carlson's involvement in "the largest combat amphibious operation since Inchon, Korea in 1950". This indicates that Carlson, and his watch, were among the first Seabees to enter what would become the Vietnam War. Indeed, in the compendium The U.S. Naval Institute on Marine Corps Aviation, Carlson's unit and its commanding officer are noted for "constructing the first SATS ever installed in a combat environment" - SATS being shorthand for Short Airfield for Tactical Support, and the "combat environment" being Chu Lai, Vietnam. The 10th battalion, nicknamed the "Men of Ten," was decommissioned in June 1976. It is known that Carlson wore his 5512 constantly during his two tours in Vietnam, but wore it only sporadically after he was discharged.
With all this rich history, one cannot forget to expound on the rarity of finding such an early 5512 in such exceptional condition, regardless of the provenance. The present watch has so many desirable attributes of an early 1960s reference 5512: the pointed crown guards, a stunning and virtually flawless glossy black dial, perfectly preserved gilt chapter ring with the coveted "4-liner" designation printed in both silver and gold gilt, the exclamation mark at 6 o'clock, and a Mark I 'fat font' bezel insert. The current Submariner, preserved in unpolished original condition, is a storied example ready to accompany its discerning new owner on any sort of future adventure.