Launched in approximately 1962, reference 5513, along with reference 5512, were the first Submariner models to be fitted with crown guards. Its predecessors, such as reference 5508 or 6536/1 all featured a 'small crown', which Rolex deemed too delicate for a robust tool watch.
The present watch is not just a very attractive reference 5513 but has a number of exclusive features that makes it amongst the most collectible of all Submariners. The most striking feature is the so-called “Explorer dial” or “3-6-9 dial”. While the vast majority of Submariners were fitted with regular round hour markers (for 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11) and rectangular batons (for 3, 6 and 9), the present watch bears this extremely rare dial configuration with thin batons (for 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11) and Arabic numerals (for 3, 6 and 9). The only common numeral style both versions feature is the typical triangular marker at 12.
Mostly seen on the Explorer I, hence its name, this type of dial also appears on "Big Crown" Submariners, references 6200, 6538 and 5510 and the later references 5512 and 5513 with crown guards. In production for only the first half of the 1960s, references 5512 and 5513 with explorer dials are incredibly hard to find and sought-after
When analyzing this watch closer, one can spot another extremely exciting detail: an underline underneath the depth rating. The now nicknamed "underline" was used in the early 1960s to indicate a transition from radium to tritium on the dial. Furthermore, this dial configuration is correct for the 997xxx serial range. The watch itself is preserved in excellent and attractive condition, with sharp bevels and crisp edges throughout. It displays pointed crown guards, which is characteristic of the period.
