Rolex Submariner 5513 Review: The Timeless Vintage Rolex?

In the world of Rolex, most people’s minds go straight to rarity, unattainability, and exclusivity. And in so many cases that rings true – except (and you may find this hard to believe) for the Submariner. That’s right, Rolex’s stalwart and most ubiquitous watch is also, kind of, its most accessible on the secondary market… and I am talking vintage and neovintage here. Sure, there are rare examples like Explorer dials (we will get to that in a bit), and early ref. 1680 Red Submariners that fetch a pretty penny at auction or from a vintage dealer. But there’s a very real reason for that. Those watches in particular fall into a bucket shared by many collectible rarities: They were only produced for a very short period of time. But there were many variations of vintage Subs, some rarer than others. And some still that weren’t rare at all. And the best example of that is the Rolex 5513, a Submariner model so common that it was one of Rolex’s most popular and best selling over the course of its – wait for it – 17-year run.

Rolex 5513 History

The Rolex Submariner ref. 5513 was in production from 1962 until 1989, and while there are some pockets of special ref. 5513 models within that run, it is for the most part of one the brand’s longest-selling and most-produced Submariners, or even sports watches full stop (the Explorer ref. 1016 has entered the chat).

In 1962, Rolex had been producing its Submariner reference 5512 for about three years. The 5512 was a no-date Submariner that was – in true Rolex fashion – chronometer certified. This was something of an unnecessary luxury for a dive watch at the time. Real divers did not seek peak accuracy in their diving instruments. They just needed to reliably time compression and decompression. This notwithstanding, the 5512 was Steve Mcqueen’s personal Rolex of choice (not, ahem, the Explorer II). Then came the 5513 which was a 5512 in all ways but the chronometer certification. It was a no-date Sub, which meant that it had some design differences as well.

The Rolex 5513 Dial

The main difference between a Rolex Submariner 5513 and the ref. 5512 is the number of lines of the dial which, in turn, are inextricably linked to accuracy. The 55512 bares four lines of text to account for the watch name, the depth rating, and the Superlative Chronometer identifier. The 5513, on the contrary, bore only 2 lines of text. Simply Submariner and the depth rating. Purists love the dial layout of the 5513 because – um – it’s pure. There is an elegant symmetry to the original 5513 models with painted markers and sparse writing. Of course other hallmarks of this watch are core to the Submariner DNA: Black dial, white polygonal indexes, Mercedes hands, and the minute markers painted on the outer track.

Design Evolution

Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513 "Gilt Dial"

But like I alluded to earlier, there was more than one way to 55 a 13. One way undercuts my dial descriptions above as the early 1960s and initial run of the watch was done in a gilt dial configuration meaning that the text and painted minute markings were not printed in white, but rather a golden tone.

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513 "Explorer Dial"

Some of the earliest 5513 models had what is called an Explorer dial which means that instead of elongated rectangles it had the numbers 3, 6, and 9 at the appropriate locations on the dial. This is so named for the dial layout of the Rolex Explorer. This variation of the reference 5513 was only produced for three years making it one of the rarer examples and highly coveted by collectors. There would be other variations in limited runs like the single and double underline dials, the open chapter ring dials, and even something called the “Bart Simpson" which was a reference to a unique design of the Rolex coronet on the dial that evoked the hair of a certain animated TV prankster.

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513 Matte "Meters First" Dial

The early to mid-1960s 5513 models had glossy black dials which would change in 1967 with the cornerstone model: The Matte Dial 5513. This edition saw Rolex really land on the the tool watch aesthetic that would inform all no-date Submariners for all coming time. The early matte dial 5513s were called "meters first" dials because the meters measurement appeared before feet in the depth rating text. 

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513 "Feet First" Dial

This would change in 1969 when feet was put before meters and those watches are now referred to as “Feet First” 5513 Submariners. The initial run of these matte dial feet first submariners would go on to production run from 1969 until 1982 making them fairly accessible today on the secondary market at prices that won’t break the bank.

A Quick Military Interlude

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513 "MilSub"

In 1972, Rolex spec’d its 5513 Submariner for Military use. These have gone on to carry the name “MilSub.” The key design characteristics of this watch are sword hands, an arrow tipped seconds hand, a circled “T” on the dial to signify the use of tritium, and a fully graduated bezel. Additionally, the lugs on this watch were fixed therefore meaning it could only be paired with a single-piece strap like a NATO. These MilSubs are highly coveted and were only in production for about four years.

The End of the Rolex 5513

1982 began a further shift for the ref. 5513 as somewhere between then and the end of the line for the watch (1982), Rolex introduced its next design shift. This would be punctuated by a more luxury-leaning look and feel. We’re talking piano-key black gloss dials, markers as well as markers with white-gold surrounds. This is a format that I am very familiar with because I happen to own one just like that, only with a twist. I have told this story many times but I grew up lusting after my Dad’s watch. He wore a ref. 5513 daily. I have since learned that he owns one of the last of the “Feet First” matte dial models given that his from 1982. Now I know Rolex continued producing matte dials into the ‘80s, but his was one of the last of that series of watch.

In 2002, shortly after my grandfather passed away, my father and I found a watch hidden in the back of his desk drawer. It had a bezel that had gone missing at some point and the dial was fogged up from watch damage. We could just barely make out that it was a Submariner, but I could tell because I knew my Dad’s watch so well. It turns out the watch was a “Meters First” ref. 5513 from 1967. In 2003, we sent the watch to Rolex for service. This was before watch forums were truly a thing, and before I was anywhere close to reading them even if they were. Given the damage to watch Rolex performed a complete overhaul using available parts in their service department to deliver a watch they considered to be like-new.

The result was a watch closer in looks to a Submariner at the very end of its run in 1989. This means no more large maxi-markers. Instead the applied markers are more refined and smaller with the white gold surrounds. The luminescent material is not the tritium the watch once hard but rather Luminova. This is signified by a simple “Swiss” designation at the bottom of the dial where it would have also made mention of tritium.

A Quick Word on Movements

Accuracy and Rolex are synonymous. From Kew Observatory ratings to chronometric excellence, Rolex has vied for the top spot in the industry from day one. The 5513 is a departure from that ethos. And it is not as if its the only time Rolex zagged away from chronometer certification (see the Precision series), but it is more under the microscope due to the fact that its a Submariner.

The ref. 5513 utilized the caliber 1530 at the beginning of its run before the brand transitioned to the 1520. You may be wondering why the subtractive name instead of an additive one. This actually had to do with Rolex making some cost-saving measures on the new movement to maintain the accessibility of the 5513. This meant a flat hairspring instead of a Breguet overcoil and, of course, continuing with the disinterest in certifying it. Back in the 1960s and early ‘70s the ref. 5513 was a sub $300 watch. While not cheap by any means, this was still not a luxury item and these movement were a way to keep up with that ideal (much the same way Rolex treated Tudor during this time. 

Final Thoughts

In the end, you can find a ref. 5513 from 1975 until 1989 on the secondary market for very reasonable prices all things considered. And this can be attributed to its long production run and the way it was manufactured. Both the 5513 and the 5512 carried the torch for the Submariner, and modern models still look shockingly similar to a glossy late-1980s example of the 5513. That is, except for the fact the modern renditions carry four lines of text like the 5512 and there no longer exists a non-chronometer choice today.

The 5513 could very well be my favorite watch of all time for what it represents. I think its popularity (a result of its positioning) led to the growth of Rolex in the pivotal ‘60s, and ‘70s period when the brand truly entered the mainstream.  It is one of Rolex’s last true tool watches having been created for military use as well as civilian and stands as approachable and attainable (by Rolex pricing standards) still on the market today. Rolex hasn’t made a watch like it since, and likely never will again. You can learn more about the Submariner and its history over at rolex.com