The Rolex Submariner reference 5512 was introduced in 1959 and was the first Submariner to feature crown guards for enhanced protection. Over the 15 year production, the 5512 went through various design nuances with chronological significance, these details of subtlety that excites vintage Rolex collectors.
The present 5512 is undoubtedly part of the early production recognizable by its exceptional details such as the perfectly preserved glossy gilt dial with chapter ring, gilt two-liner text and pointed crown guards known to be the second generation since the first offered square crown guards. Yet another desirable and important detail sits at 6 o’clock, presented underneath the index is a dot which is identified by collectors as the “exclamation mark dial”. Such dials were in production only for a short period of time between 1961 and 1962 and are intended to be a signifier to identify a lower radiation count due to health hazards. Absolutely correct to the period and bearing an 818’XX serial and inside caseback engraved “III.62”, all details indicate the present specimen belongs to the third quarter of 1962.
Boasting a strong case retaining its unaltered factory bevels and thick lugs, the present 5512 is well-preserved in an attractive condition with vintage charm.
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.
