Iconic and timeless with an attractive presence, the present Rolex Submariner ref. 5513 with a 6.1 million serial from circa 1979 features a desirable Maxi II dial with large tritium hour markers. Introduced in 1978, “Maxi II” dials are usually found in the 5 million to early 6 million serial cases, distinguished for the “SUBMARINER” line being printed above the depth rating on a matte dial. Other defining features of this dial variant include: the depth rating being longer than the line above topped with a lack of serif on the “f”, and that the “=” sign is directly aligned with the centre of the “A” in “SUBMARINER”.
The present example belongs to one of the last examples that has left the Rolex manufacture with a Maxi II dial. Offered in attractive overall condition with an attractive dial that has aged in uniform fashion, the present timepiece is a nice option for vintage collectors to sport on a daily.
Founded 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.