Lot 63

Rolex

Submariner

A very rare and charismatic vintage diving wristwatch with "gilt dial". This is the last Submariner reference without crown guards

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This attractive diver’s watch comes with a beautiful stainless steel case, which – in our opinion – remains unpolished, and the original bezel with well-preserved inlay. The glossy black "gilt dial" shows some very minor fissures, which, however, in no way detract from the radiant personality of this timepiece. The dial also features charmingly aged custard-coloured luminous indexes and Mercedes hands with a tritium and zinc sulphide coat, which we recommend cleaning. We also recommend replacing the plexiglass, which is cracked. All in all the watch boasts an attractive and harmonious patina, which makes it a charismatic and desirable timepiece waiting to be worn.

Until around 1964 the Submariner dials showed the so-called gilt printing, but Rolex changed this to get closer to its vision of the perfect diving watch. Two final experimental Submariner models without crown guards were introduced: Reference 5508, replacing the References 6536 and 6536/1. These models were fitted with new 1500 series movements; Cal. 1530 and Cal.1560 were used. Reference 5508 was guaranteed waterproof to 100m/330ft and could be delivered with or without the word "Chronometer" on the dial. This reference was produced approximately from 1958 to 1962.