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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 5510 Submariner}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 5510 Submariner — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges | BezelBase
|title=Rolex Submariner 5510 — Big Crown and caliber 1530 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 5510 is the transitional big-crown Submariner — the last watch in the big-crown lineage that started with the 6200, and the first Submariner to carry…
|description=The Rolex Submariner 5510 has an 8mm crown, no crown guards and caliber 1530. Production dates, dial descriptions, military provenance and auction records.
|keywords=Rolex, 5510, Submariner, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 5510, Submariner, specifications, big crown, MilSub, RAN
|image=Ref 5510 hero 2.webp
|image=Ref 5510 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510
|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510
|type=article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:12:57Z
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:12:57Z
|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:49:37Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:12:57Z
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<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] -> '''5510'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] › '''5510'''</small>


The 5510 is the transitional big-crown Submariner. It closes the big-crown lineage that began with the 6200, and it is the first Submariner to carry caliber 1530, the movement that will go on to power the early 5512 and 5513. A 6538-era case shape with the running gear of the next generation. The combination is what makes this short-run reference one of the most significant in the family.
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 5510 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510, Big Crown, gilt dial, red triangle bezel|Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510 "Big Crown" — 8mm winding crown, no crown guards, black gilt dial, red triangle bezel pip]]
</div>
 
The 5510 is a steel Submariner with an 8mm winding crown, no crown guards and caliber 1530. It followed the 6538 and is usually dated around 1958–1959, although published end dates differ. Examples include black gilt dials and Explorer-style 3-6-9 dials. Sotheby's attributes one Explorer-dial watch to Royal Australian Navy issue.


<span id="core-facts"></span>
<span id="core-facts"></span>
[[File:Ref 5510 hero 2.webp|thumb|right|340px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510|Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510]]


== Core facts ==
== Core facts ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
Line 34: Line 37:
|-
|-
| production
| production
| approximately 1957 to 1958
| Around 1958–1959 in Phillips and Antiquorum accounts; later end dates are discussed below
|-
| total produced
| No verified factory total; published estimates differ
|-
| serial observations
| Both 361,xxx and 362,xxx examples appear in auction catalogues
|-
| case
| approximately 38mm
|-
| crown
| 8mm, marked Brevet
|-
| crown guards
| none
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
| caliber 1530
| Caliber 1530; 25 jewels in the Phillips examples, 26 in one Sotheby's catalogue entry
|-
|-
| case
| depth rating
| approximately 38mm, big crown, no crown guards
| 200m / 660ft dial rating
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
| acrylic
| acrylic
|-
| water resistance
| 200m
|-
| note
| very short production run
|}
|}


Line 55: Line 67:
== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The 5510 bridges the earlier big-crown Submariners and the later crown-guard family. It is the big-crown counterpart to the small-crown 5508, and it shares the 200m depth rating of the 6538 rather than the 100m of the small-crown line.
The [[Reference:6538|6538]] and 5510 both have large crowns without protective shoulders. The 5510 uses caliber 1530. Phillips's 2024 catalogue dates its replacement by the crown-guard [[Reference:5512|5512]] to 1959.


The movement is the larger story. The 5510 is the first Submariner to use caliber 1530, which becomes the standard early movement for both the 5512 and 5513. The case and crown still belong to the older big-crown world while the running gear has already moved on.
The [[Reference:5508|5508]] is the contemporary small-crown model. Because the 5510 and 6538 look similar, the engraved reference number matters more than the outline of the case.


<span id="production-outline"></span>
<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==
== Production outline ==


One of the shortest-run Submariners, produced for roughly a year between 1957 and 1958. RolexForums collectors place production exclusively in 1958; other sources cite the broader 1957 to 1958 window. The difference likely reflects whether the reference entered design work in 1957 or actual production. Either way, the run is short enough that surviving examples are genuinely rare, and the 5510 is one of the least frequently encountered early Submariners at auction.
Phillips dates the 5510's introduction to 1958 and replacement to 1959. Antiquorum's 2019 catalogue gives late 1958–1959, while Horologium estimates the third quarter of 1958 through late 1960. Bonhams's 2007 essay extends production into the mid-1960s without identifying a dated late example. These accounts do not establish a precise factory start or end date.
 
Case evidence is more specific. Bonhams records inner casebacks stamped 1.1958; Phillips lists cases 361,913 and 362,218, and Antiquorum's tropical example is 361,848. The reference cannot be identified by a 362,xxx serial alone. Antiquorum's 2019 entry lists the outlying case number 301,833 and a 34mm diameter; those catalogue figures need confirmation against the watch.


The 5510 sits with the 6538 in the big-crown no-crown-guard line that Sean Connery wore on screen in the early Bond films, and RolexForums collectors call it the most wearable of the Connery Bond Subs. The short run also reads as transitional. Rolex was already developing the crown-guard case that would debut with the 5512, and the 5510 was a bridge rather than a long-term commitment.
Phillips's 2021 essay estimates fewer than 300 watches; Fratello gives 500. Neither entry identifies a factory production record for its figure. The total remains unverified.


<span id="movement-notes"></span>
<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==
== Movement notes ==


The 5510 is the final big-crown Submariner and the first Sub to use caliber 1530, the full-rotor automatic that replaced the bumper movement of the 6200 and that will appear in early 5512 and 5513 production. A modern winding system inside an old-style case.
The auction examples cited here use automatic caliber 1530. Antiquorum's 2008 description lists a lever escapement, Breguet balance spring and shock protection. See the [[Reference:Movements#cal-1530|caliber 1530 guide]] for the movement family.
 
Phillips lists 25 in its 2021 and 2024 examples; Sotheby's lists 26 for case 362,231 in its 2008 catalogue. Phillips also mentions chronometer-certified 5510s, but does not identify one in that essay. The catalogue statement alone cannot establish the dial or movement configuration of those watches.


RolexForums research introduces one complication. Some military-issue 5510 examples may have carried caliber 1520 instead of the 1530, which contradicts the established position that the 5510 is uniformly a 1530 watch and has not been confirmed in published reference sources. Read the 5510 as a 1530 reference, with forum-documented 1520 appearances treated as specific to certain military examples.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==
== Dial map ==


<span id="glossy-gilt"></span>
The dial descriptions below overlap: a gilt dial can also have a Swiss-only signature or have aged brown.
=== Glossy gilt ===
 
<span id="standard-gilt-dial"></span>
=== Standard gilt ===
 
The usual layout has luminous geometric hour markers and gilt text on a black dial. Bonhams's 2007 example has Mercedes hands and a white seconds hand; Christie's case 361,946 has white depth text beneath gilt wording.
 
[[File:Ref 5510 dial-detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|Dial, bezel, and Brevet crown on a 1958 5510 — Phillips New York, 2021, lot 27|alt=Dial, bezel, and Brevet crown on a 1958 5510 — Phillips New York, 2021, lot 27]]
 
<span id="swiss-only-dial"></span>
=== Swiss only ===
 
Phillips and Antiquorum describe dials signed Swiss beneath six o'clock. Swiss-only signatures also appear on the gilt dials described above.
 
<span id="tropical-gilt"></span>
=== Tropical gilt ===
 
Collectors use 'tropical' for a dial whose colour has changed, commonly from black to brown. Antiquorum's 2023 lot 460 is a brown-dial 5510, case 361,848. The cause of the colour change is unspecified.
 
[[File:Ref 5510 tropical.webp|thumb|left|250px|Tropical (brown) gilt dial, case 361,848 — Antiquorum Geneva, May 2023, lot 460|alt=Tropical (brown) gilt dial, case 361,848 — Antiquorum Geneva, May 2023, lot 460]]
 
<span id="explorer-dial-ran-milsub"></span>
=== Explorer dial (RAN MilSub) ===


The 5510 sits in the glossy gilt world: glossy black lacquer dial with gilt-colored printing. Known examples carry that format with Mercedes hands, the three-pointed hour hand with a circular lume plot on the top point, plus Submariner text and the 200m depth rating. A documented 1958 example anchors the gilt-dial format, and other sold examples confirm the reference as part of the glossy early big-crown world.
Sotheby's 2023 lot 107, case 362,153, has a 3-6-9 Explorer-style dial and fixed strap bars peened against the outside of the case. Sotheby's attributes it to Royal Australian Navy issue. Its statement that four RAN 5510s were known refers to the time the watch entered the Hammer collection, not a current count.
 
Antiquorum explicitly identifies the Explorer dial on case 362,187 as reprinted. The catalogue gives no Australian Navy provenance for it.


<span id="white-printing-transition"></span>
<span id="white-printing-transition"></span>
=== White printing transition ===
<span id="White-printing_transition_(forum-documented_only)"></span>
=== Other printing and dial descriptions ===


RolexForums collectors note a white-printing transition on some 5510 dials, where the standard gilt printing gives way to white text that foreshadows the matte-dial era of the later 5512 and 5513. Forum examples document the variant; the published reference literature does not yet catalog it.
Bonhams's 2007 essay mentions later white-print dials, but its own lot has gilt text and the essay supplies no dated example of the claimed later type. Sotheby's 2008 lot 138, case 362,231, is catalogued as an 'exclamation point' dial with a dot below the six-hour marker. The catalogue does not establish when that dial was fitted.


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


The 5510 belongs to the no-crown-guard big-crown Submariner world. Big crown here means the oversized winding crown of the 6538-era case, though the exact crown diameter may not match the 8mm Brevet crown of the 6200 and 6538 on every example.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 5510 wrist-detail.webp|The unguarded 8mm crown and gilt bezel insert, worn on the wrist
File:Ref 5510 caseback.webp|Screw-down Oyster caseback, smooth exterior with no date stamp — Phillips New York, 2021, lot 27
</gallery>
 
Auction measurements are usually about 37–38mm without the crown. The case has no crown guards and uses an 8mm crown marked Brevet, meaning patent. Phillips gives 38mm for both its 2021 and 2024 examples; Bonhams gives 37mm for its 2007 lot.
 
The bezel rotates in both directions. Auction descriptions record black inserts, including red-triangle examples, and an acrylic crystal.  


The case is approximately 38mm, in line with the late no-crown-guard big-crown specification. The bezel is the early rotating dive type, the crystal is acrylic, and the 200m depth rating follows the big-crown tradition rather than the 100m small-crown rating.
The caseback screws into the case. Bonhams records an internal 1.1958 stamp on both its early example and the watch privately owned by naval diver B. Turner. Turner's caseback also bears his name and service number. The stamp dates that caseback; it does not establish the sale date or originality of the bracelet.


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


Known fitments are the 6636/80 stretch rivet bracelet and the 7206/80 rivet bracelet. One sold example carries a 1959 Big Logo stretch rivet bracelet with possible later 80 end links; another wears an Oyster bracelet. That covers fitment without speaking to original delivery.
Auction watches carry several bracelet configurations. Phillips's 2021 lot has a riveted Oyster bracelet, end links stamped 65 and a clasp stamped 2.58. Its 2024 lot has a 'Big Logo' bracelet and a 2.59 clasp. Original delivery of those bracelets is not established by their dates.
 
Bonhams's B. Turner watch has a 93150 bracelet with 580 end pieces. Antiquorum's 2019 example has a riveted bracelet with a 1.67 clasp. The latter clasp is later than the catalogue's circa-1958 date for the watch, but the listing does not say who fitted it. A later bracelet is not necessarily a documented Rolex service replacement.
 
End-link numbers identify components; they are not year codes. A clasp date can help assess whether a bracelet is contemporary with a watch, but cannot prove that Rolex supplied the two together. Antiquorum lists an original box with its 2023 tropical example; the description does not establish a box type exclusive to the 5510.
 
<span id="bond-association"></span>
== Bond association ==
 
The 5510 is sometimes called a 'James Bond' Submariner because it resembles the big-crown 6538. Horologium notes that clear evidence of Sean Connery wearing a 5510 is absent. The nickname alone is not screen provenance.
 


<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==
== Special branches ==
[[File:Ref 5510 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510|Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510]]


The reference has no meaningful sub-branches. The 5510 is the transition: the last big-crown Submariner and the first 1530-powered Submariner. Both facts matter more than any dial or case sub-variation that has been documented to date.
The Australian Navy attribution above is different from the provenance of Bonhams's B. Turner watch. Bonhams says Turner bought his 5510 in Singapore in 1958 and used it during Royal Navy service. The lot included a diving history sheet matching his engraved service number and Rolex correspondence from 1979.  


<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==
== Historical market and auction record ==


The best observed example is an unpolished 5510 sold as the final big-crown Submariner, about 38mm, with caliber 1530 and a 1959 Big Logo stretch rivet bracelet. A second sold 1958 example with gilt dial and Oyster bracelet adds further documentation.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Serial !! Description !! Published result or estimate
|-
| [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080424/220 Phillips Geneva XX] || 220 || 2024 || 362,218 || Black lacquer dial; Big Logo bracelet || Result: CHF 190,500
|-
| [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080121/27 Phillips New York] || 27 || 2021 || 361,913 || Gilt two-line dial; Ride the Wave collection || Result: USD 144,900
|-
| [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-204-163 Antiquorum New York] || 163 (sale 204) || 2008 || not listed || Black dial; caliber 1530 || Result: USD 155,000
|-
| [https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15422/lot/115/ Bonhams New York] || 115 (sale 15422) || 2007 || not listed || Gilt dial; white seconds hand || Result: USD 93,600 including premium
|-
| [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/16805/lot/140/ Bonhams London] || 140 (sale 16805) || 2009 || 362,252 || B. Turner; 93150 bracelet, 580 end pieces || Result: GBP 24,000 including premium
|-
| [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-5510-submariner-lot-314-248 Antiquorum Monaco] || 248 (sale 314) || 2018 || 362,187 || Reprinted Explorer dial || Result: EUR 33,488
|-
| [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-5510-submariner-lot-360-460 Antiquorum Geneva] || 460 (sale 360) || 2023 || 361,848 || Brown dial; bracelet dated 58 || Estimate: CHF 120,000–180,000
|-
| [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/important-watches-2/reference-5510-big-crown-explorer-dial-submariner Sotheby's Important Watches] || 107 || 2023 || 362,153 || RAN attribution; Explorer dial; fixed bars || Estimate: USD 160,000–320,000
|-
| [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/personal-effects-hiroshi-fujiwara/rolex-submariner-big-crown-reference-5510-a Sotheby's Hiroshi Fujiwara] || — || 2023 || — || Gilt dial; caliber 1530 || Estimate: HKD 400,000–550,000
|-
| [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-5510-lot-322-315 Antiquorum Monaco] || 315 (sale 322) || 2019 || 301,833 (catalogue) || Swiss-only dial; clasp 1.67; catalogue dimensions require confirmation || Estimate: EUR 150,000–170,000
|-
| [https://harringtonsauctions.com/products/rolex-very-rare-ref-5510-oyster-perpetual-submariner-james-bond-big-crown-wristwatch-circa-1958 Harrington's] || — || Not stated || 362,000 || Black dial; riveted bracelet || Result: $93,125 including premium; currency not stated
|}
 
Results and estimates are labelled separately. The entries span different currencies, sale years and watch conditions; they do not establish a current price range.
 
 
== Related references ==


The 5510 occupies a narrow collecting niche, weighted toward collectors who follow the technical handoff from the big-crown era to the crown-guard era and place value on the 5510's role in that handoff. The very short production run means prices reflect genuine scarcity.
* [[Reference:6538|Submariner 6538]], big crown
* [[Reference:6536|Submariner 6536]], early model without crown guards
* [[Reference:5508|Submariner 5508]], small crown
* [[Reference:6205|Submariner 6205]], early Submariner
* [[Reference:6200|Submariner 6200]], big crown
* [[Reference:6204|Submariner 6204]], early Submariner
 
See also the [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date] — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
 
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080424/220 Phillips Geneva XX, lot 220, 2024] — Phillips
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-5510.html Rolex 5510] — Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080121/27 Phillips New York, lot 27, 2021] — Phillips
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-big-crown-submariner-reference-5510-unpolished Rolex Big Crown Submariner Reference 5510 Unpolished] — Eric Wind, Wind Vintage
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15422/lot/115/ Bonhams New York, lot 115, 6 December 2007] — Bonhams
* [https://greyandpatina.com/product/1958-rolex-5510-big-crown-submariner/ 1958 Rolex 5510 Big Crown Submariner] — Grey and Patina, Grey and Patina
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/16805/lot/140/ Bonhams London, lot 140, 10 June 2009] — Bonhams
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-204-163 Antiquorum New York, lot 163, 17 April 2008] — Antiquorum
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-5510-submariner-lot-314-248 Antiquorum Monaco, lot 248, July 2018] — Antiquorum
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-5510-lot-322-315 Antiquorum Monaco, lot 315, 16 July 2019] — Antiquorum
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-5510-submariner-lot-360-460 Antiquorum Geneva, lot 460, May 2023] — Antiquorum
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/important-watches-2/reference-5510-big-crown-explorer-dial-submariner Sothebys Important Watches, lot 107, December 2023] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2008/important-watches-ge0804/lot.138.html Sothebys Geneva, lot 138, 2008] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/personal-effects-hiroshi-fujiwara/rolex-submariner-big-crown-reference-5510-a Sothebys Personal Effects of Hiroshi Fujiwara, 2023] — Sotheby's
* [https://harringtonsauctions.com/products/rolex-very-rare-ref-5510-oyster-perpetual-submariner-james-bond-big-crown-wristwatch-circa-1958 Harringtons reference 5510, case 362000] — Harrington's
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5731391 Christies reference 5510, case 361946] — Christie's
* [https://horologium.com.au/2010/12/19/rolex-5510-some-notes/ Rolex 5510: Some notes] — Horologium
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/fratello-top-5-the-rarest-steel-rolex-submariner-references/ Top 5: The Rarest Steel Rolex Submariner References] — Fratello


[[Category:Submariner]]
[[Category:Submariner]]
[[Category:Working Draft]]

Latest revision as of 00:00, 29 September 2026


Submariner › 5510

Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510, Big Crown, gilt dial, red triangle bezel
Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510 "Big Crown" — 8mm winding crown, no crown guards, black gilt dial, red triangle bezel pip

The 5510 is a steel Submariner with an 8mm winding crown, no crown guards and caliber 1530. It followed the 6538 and is usually dated around 1958–1959, although published end dates differ. Examples include black gilt dials and Explorer-style 3-6-9 dials. Sotheby's attributes one Explorer-dial watch to Royal Australian Navy issue.

Core facts

detail value
reference 5510
family Submariner (no date)
production Around 1958–1959 in Phillips and Antiquorum accounts; later end dates are discussed below
total produced No verified factory total; published estimates differ
serial observations Both 361,xxx and 362,xxx examples appear in auction catalogues
case approximately 38mm
crown 8mm, marked Brevet
crown guards none
movement Caliber 1530; 25 jewels in the Phillips examples, 26 in one Sotheby's catalogue entry
depth rating 200m / 660ft dial rating
crystal acrylic

Where it sits in the line

The 6538 and 5510 both have large crowns without protective shoulders. The 5510 uses caliber 1530. Phillips's 2024 catalogue dates its replacement by the crown-guard 5512 to 1959.

The 5508 is the contemporary small-crown model. Because the 5510 and 6538 look similar, the engraved reference number matters more than the outline of the case.

Production outline

Phillips dates the 5510's introduction to 1958 and replacement to 1959. Antiquorum's 2019 catalogue gives late 1958–1959, while Horologium estimates the third quarter of 1958 through late 1960. Bonhams's 2007 essay extends production into the mid-1960s without identifying a dated late example. These accounts do not establish a precise factory start or end date.

Case evidence is more specific. Bonhams records inner casebacks stamped 1.1958; Phillips lists cases 361,913 and 362,218, and Antiquorum's tropical example is 361,848. The reference cannot be identified by a 362,xxx serial alone. Antiquorum's 2019 entry lists the outlying case number 301,833 and a 34mm diameter; those catalogue figures need confirmation against the watch.

Phillips's 2021 essay estimates fewer than 300 watches; Fratello gives 500. Neither entry identifies a factory production record for its figure. The total remains unverified.

Movement notes

The auction examples cited here use automatic caliber 1530. Antiquorum's 2008 description lists a lever escapement, Breguet balance spring and shock protection. See the caliber 1530 guide for the movement family.

Phillips lists 25 in its 2021 and 2024 examples; Sotheby's lists 26 for case 362,231 in its 2008 catalogue. Phillips also mentions chronometer-certified 5510s, but does not identify one in that essay. The catalogue statement alone cannot establish the dial or movement configuration of those watches.


Dial map

The dial descriptions below overlap: a gilt dial can also have a Swiss-only signature or have aged brown.

Standard gilt

The usual layout has luminous geometric hour markers and gilt text on a black dial. Bonhams's 2007 example has Mercedes hands and a white seconds hand; Christie's case 361,946 has white depth text beneath gilt wording.

Dial, bezel, and Brevet crown on a 1958 5510 — Phillips New York, 2021, lot 27
Dial, bezel, and Brevet crown on a 1958 5510 — Phillips New York, 2021, lot 27

Swiss only

Phillips and Antiquorum describe dials signed Swiss beneath six o'clock. Swiss-only signatures also appear on the gilt dials described above.

Tropical gilt

Collectors use 'tropical' for a dial whose colour has changed, commonly from black to brown. Antiquorum's 2023 lot 460 is a brown-dial 5510, case 361,848. The cause of the colour change is unspecified.

Tropical (brown) gilt dial, case 361,848 — Antiquorum Geneva, May 2023, lot 460
Tropical (brown) gilt dial, case 361,848 — Antiquorum Geneva, May 2023, lot 460

Explorer dial (RAN MilSub)

Sotheby's 2023 lot 107, case 362,153, has a 3-6-9 Explorer-style dial and fixed strap bars peened against the outside of the case. Sotheby's attributes it to Royal Australian Navy issue. Its statement that four RAN 5510s were known refers to the time the watch entered the Hammer collection, not a current count.

Antiquorum explicitly identifies the Explorer dial on case 362,187 as reprinted. The catalogue gives no Australian Navy provenance for it.

Other printing and dial descriptions

Bonhams's 2007 essay mentions later white-print dials, but its own lot has gilt text and the essay supplies no dated example of the claimed later type. Sotheby's 2008 lot 138, case 362,231, is catalogued as an 'exclamation point' dial with a dot below the six-hour marker. The catalogue does not establish when that dial was fitted.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

  • The unguarded 8mm crown and gilt bezel insert, worn on the wrist
    The unguarded 8mm crown and gilt bezel insert, worn on the wrist
  • Screw-down Oyster caseback, smooth exterior with no date stamp — Phillips New York, 2021, lot 27
    Screw-down Oyster caseback, smooth exterior with no date stamp — Phillips New York, 2021, lot 27

Auction measurements are usually about 37–38mm without the crown. The case has no crown guards and uses an 8mm crown marked Brevet, meaning patent. Phillips gives 38mm for both its 2021 and 2024 examples; Bonhams gives 37mm for its 2007 lot.

The bezel rotates in both directions. Auction descriptions record black inserts, including red-triangle examples, and an acrylic crystal.

The caseback screws into the case. Bonhams records an internal 1.1958 stamp on both its early example and the watch privately owned by naval diver B. Turner. Turner's caseback also bears his name and service number. The stamp dates that caseback; it does not establish the sale date or originality of the bracelet.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Auction watches carry several bracelet configurations. Phillips's 2021 lot has a riveted Oyster bracelet, end links stamped 65 and a clasp stamped 2.58. Its 2024 lot has a 'Big Logo' bracelet and a 2.59 clasp. Original delivery of those bracelets is not established by their dates.

Bonhams's B. Turner watch has a 93150 bracelet with 580 end pieces. Antiquorum's 2019 example has a riveted bracelet with a 1.67 clasp. The latter clasp is later than the catalogue's circa-1958 date for the watch, but the listing does not say who fitted it. A later bracelet is not necessarily a documented Rolex service replacement.

End-link numbers identify components; they are not year codes. A clasp date can help assess whether a bracelet is contemporary with a watch, but cannot prove that Rolex supplied the two together. Antiquorum lists an original box with its 2023 tropical example; the description does not establish a box type exclusive to the 5510.

Bond association

The 5510 is sometimes called a 'James Bond' Submariner because it resembles the big-crown 6538. Horologium notes that clear evidence of Sean Connery wearing a 5510 is absent. The nickname alone is not screen provenance.


Special branches

The Australian Navy attribution above is different from the provenance of Bonhams's B. Turner watch. Bonhams says Turner bought his 5510 in Singapore in 1958 and used it during Royal Navy service. The lot included a diving history sheet matching his engraved service number and Rolex correspondence from 1979.

Historical market and auction record

Sale Lot Year Serial Description Published result or estimate
Phillips Geneva XX 220 2024 362,218 Black lacquer dial; Big Logo bracelet Result: CHF 190,500
Phillips New York 27 2021 361,913 Gilt two-line dial; Ride the Wave collection Result: USD 144,900
Antiquorum New York 163 (sale 204) 2008 not listed Black dial; caliber 1530 Result: USD 155,000
Bonhams New York 115 (sale 15422) 2007 not listed Gilt dial; white seconds hand Result: USD 93,600 including premium
Bonhams London 140 (sale 16805) 2009 362,252 B. Turner; 93150 bracelet, 580 end pieces Result: GBP 24,000 including premium
Antiquorum Monaco 248 (sale 314) 2018 362,187 Reprinted Explorer dial Result: EUR 33,488
Antiquorum Geneva 460 (sale 360) 2023 361,848 Brown dial; bracelet dated 58 Estimate: CHF 120,000–180,000
Sotheby's Important Watches 107 2023 362,153 RAN attribution; Explorer dial; fixed bars Estimate: USD 160,000–320,000
Sotheby's Hiroshi Fujiwara — 2023 — Gilt dial; caliber 1530 Estimate: HKD 400,000–550,000
Antiquorum Monaco 315 (sale 322) 2019 301,833 (catalogue) Swiss-only dial; clasp 1.67; catalogue dimensions require confirmation Estimate: EUR 150,000–170,000
Harrington's — Not stated 362,000 Black dial; riveted bracelet Result: $93,125 including premium; currency not stated

Results and estimates are labelled separately. The entries span different currencies, sale years and watch conditions; they do not establish a current price range.


Related references

See also the Submariner family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

Sources

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