Since 1959, reference 5512 was the first Submariner model to feature crown guards for added robustness and reliability. Like nearly all Submariner references before and after, the 5512 experienced several changes over the course of its 15-years production run.
The particularity of reference 5512 is that it is fitted with the observatory tested chronometer movement. This fact is stated on the dial with the white printing “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”. The present “4-Liner” meters first reference 5512 is one of the earliest matte dials made during the transitional year when Rolex rolled its production away from galvanic gilt dials.
The luminous material on this present lot has wonderfully aged into an even warm orange buttery hue. Offered in well-preserved condition, fitted with a nicely faded ‘Long 5’ insert and a beautifully aged dial and further accompanied with a riveted Oyster bracelet, this is a highly desirable example of a vintage Rolex Submariner.
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.