Gilt 5513 Rolex Submariner
A true gilt dial just hits different. See, there is no one perfect 5513 dial; there are some less common such as the ‘Bart Simpson’, some more common such as the latter productions with white gold surrounds, some common yet gorgeous such as Maxi dials, some a bit bizarre such as 80s Spider dials, and some that fall into the category of lore such as the Explorer dial, Milsub, or Comex. For every niche of Submariner interest, there is a 5513 to suit. Yet, very few offer the warmth and brilliance of where it all started: beautifully golden gilt gloss.
Now what’s so great about gilt? What is gilt? Why did Tudor reference it on the Black Bay 58? Technically, gilt is anything covered in a layer of gold. But here, it references a style of dial production. The love for gilt dials is in part for their sheen, their gloss, but also just how time-intensive they were to produce. In the early days of Submariner dial production, the first step was to electroplate a brass blank in a layer of gold, then stamp or print the desired words. Next, a galvanic black paint was applied to cover the whole thing. The black paint layer would be etched away around the raised sections to reveal the underlying gold text or indices. Rolex would then occasionally also print text in white. Finally, the whole thing would be covered in a clear lacquer. This created a depth around the edges of text, a warmth to the whole dial, and has been heavily referenced by Wilsdorf in Tudor releases since. Make no mistake though, printing in gold paint, as is done today, is not the same as what we see here.
Then there’s the 5513 itself. This Submariner can trace its lineage back through the 6538, 6200, and even 6202 Turn-O-Graph. But I would argue that the 5513 is where the fully-assembled DNA of the modern Submariner line began. A stout case with screw-down crown, sharp crown guards on a 39mm case, rotating diver’s bezel, and the iconic dial arrangement. This is recognizable instantly to anyone as a Submariner even today, whereas a 6536 might only be known by those of us who identify as watch addicts. It is simply the most iconic diver from the ultimate era of dive watches. In production for just 4 years, from 1962-1966, simple gilt 5513s are some of the most attractive Submariners ever to my eye.
This example has a beautifully preserved dial with strong gilt everywhere. It dates to 1965, after the transition to a steel handset, post-underline dial, but still with a gilt dial and meters first depth rating. Lume is all matched and a lovely gold tone. Its case still displays sharp bevels and it comes on a 7206 rivet. Case serial and bracelet date not mentioned. It comes from a Shanghai retailer on Chrono.
Find this 5513 here from Gravity Vintage on Chrono24 for 66500 EUR.