Descrizione

A blend of vintage and modern, these 80s ref. 5513s have been a favorite of ours recently. This one with a "spider dial" is showing its age in a beautiful way. THE FULL STORY Here in a uniquely aged "spider dial" interaction from the 1980s, the Rolex Submariner is among the most sought-after and collectible watches ever built, both modern and vintage. Since its 1953 introduction, the Submariner has continued to transform and influence the landscape of collectible watches and consumer demand. The choice of Robert Redford, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and many, many others, the Rolex Submariner – the current production reference was recently featured in an A Week On The Wrist by Danny Milton – is arguably the most famous watch of all time. Rolex released the Submariner ref. 5513 in the early 1960s and manufactured it until 1989, which makes it one of the longest Rolex references in continuous production. It's even served as the inspiration for countless other dive watches over the decades. The ref. 5513 was initially built with a glossy dial, but Rolex switched it to matte starting around 1966. The matte dial had the longest run with the ref. 5513, but it was eventually phased out in favor of the first modern glossy dial Submariners around 1984. Depending on who you ask, a manufacturing defect or happy accident resulted in those first modern glossy dials "spidering," like the example we have here. While remaining glossy, the dial surface on these Submariners is actually cracked on the very top level of lacquer. This creates an amazing texture and mimics the look of a spider web. Viewing the watch from straight on, the cracking can sort of hide but upon rotating the watch and letting it play in the light, the spidering shines through. Beyond the dial surface, this example has an outstanding overall look on the wrist. The lume on the hour markers and hands has aged ever so slightly to a creamy light custard color that pairs well with the deeper black bezel insert. These late model ref. 5513 Submariners have begun to hold a special place in the hearts of Rolex collectors. The watch marks the end of an era as the last of its reference, plus it has that nice blend of modern and vintage feel on the wrist.