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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 5517 Submariner}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 5517 Submariner — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges | BezelBase
|title=Rolex Submariner 5517 'MilSub' — Military Issue, 1971–1974 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 5517 is the MilSub — the British military Submariner, purpose-built for the Royal Navy and never sold through any retail channel. Approximately 1,200…
|description=The 5517 is a Submariner reference associated with British military procurement. Surviving records show fixed bars, full-minute bezels, sword-hand examples, and T SWISS T tritium dials across several case-marking groups.
|keywords=Rolex, 5517, Submariner, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 5517, MilSub, Royal Navy, military Submariner, broadsword hands, T SWISS T
|image=Ref 5517 hero.webp
|image=Ref 5517 hero 3.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517
|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517
|type=article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:13Z
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:13Z
|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:35:41Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:13:09Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
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}}


<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] -> '''5517'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] › '''5517'''</small>


The 5517 is the MilSub: the British military Submariner, purpose-built for the Royal Navy and never sold through any retail channel. Production ran to roughly 1,200 units, and only around 180 are accounted for in collector databases. A 1978 example sold at Sotheby's in November 2023 for 482,600 CHF, the highest MilSub auction result on record, putting the 5517 alongside the earliest and rarest Submariners despite being a 1970s watch.
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 5517 hero 3.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517|Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517]]
</div>
 
The 5517 is a Submariner reference associated with British Ministry of Defence procurement. Auction records show dedicated 5517 cases and double-reference 5513/5517 cases, with examples dated in the 1970s. Collectors commonly group surviving cases into batches, but Rolex has not published a complete batch register.


<span id="core-facts"></span>
<span id="core-facts"></span>
[[File:Ref 5517 hero.webp|thumb|right|340px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517|Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517]]


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


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
|-
! detail
! detail
Line 31: Line 34:
|-
|-
| family
| family
| Submariner (no date, military-issue)
| Submariner, military procurement reference
|-
|-
| distribution
| distribution
| Royal Navy (British military), no retail
| British Ministry of Defence procurement; surviving records include Royal Navy and Army issue
|-
| production
| approximately 1971–1979 in the surviving auction and reference records
|-
| total program output
| estimates vary by source, roughly 1,100–1,500 delivered; surviving population estimates also vary
|-
| 5517-batch-3 specific
| Phillips reports an estimate of about 250 produced and 50 known for one 5517-only subset
|-
|-
| movement
| movement
| caliber 1520 (disputed; forum collectors argue 1570)
| caliber 1520, 26 jewels in the major-house lots cited here; inspect the individual movement
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm, fixed bars (soldered, non-removable spring bars)
| 40mm Oyster, fixed lug bars (friction-welded permanent spring bars)
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
Line 46: Line 58:
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| 60-minute (full-minute markings around entire bezel)
| full 60-minute graduated bezel on documented military examples
|-
| hands
| sword hands on documented 5517 examples; some earlier military 5513 cases are recorded with Mercedes hands
|-
|-
| dial
| dial
| T SWISS T designation (tritium)
| matte black with T SWISS T (tritium); Maxi I and II generations on later examples
|-
|-
| caseback
| caseback
| broad arrow, circled T, military service number
| Royal Navy: 0552 / 923-7697 / [issue]/[year] + broad arrow. Army (W10): W10 / 6645 / 99 / 923-7697 / [issue]/[year] + broad arrow. T-circle is a DIAL marking, not caseback.
|-
| hands
| Mercedes (early batches), broadsword/plongeur (Batch 3)
|-
| total production
| approximately 1,200 units
|-
| accounted for
| roughly 180 examples
|}
|}


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== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The 5517 sits outside the ordinary retail no-date Submariner line. The 5513 was used by various military forces, but those were standard commercial watches procured through military channels. The 5517 was built for British military diving with specifications that appear on no retail Submariner: fixed bars soldered into the lugs, a 60-minute bezel graduated all the way around, a T SWISS T tritium dial, and military caseback markings. Each was a Ministry of Defence requirement rather than a Rolex commercial choice.
The 5517 sits outside the ordinary retail no-date Submariner line in the cited records. The surviving military examples show fixed bars, full-minute bezels, luminous-dial markings, sword hands on many examples, and military caseback engravings. These features are associated with Ministry of Defence specifications; the surviving records do not document the requirement for every individual part.


The 5514 (COMEX) and the 5517 are the two non-retail branches of the 5513 era, and they sit in different worlds. The 5514 was a civilian-professional watch issued to a French commercial diving company. The 5517 was military, issued to the Royal Navy.
The 5514 COMEX and 5517 are separate non-standard branches of the 5513-era Submariner. The 5514 is associated with COMEX; 5517 records include British military issue. Earlier military Submariner references, including A/6538 examples, predate the 5517.


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


Production ran in three batches, each with its own caseback and hand signature. Total output was roughly 1,200 units, of which about 180 are accounted for in collector databases and auction records. The remainder are lost, destroyed through military use, or sitting undiscovered. The scarcity is a structural part of how the watch trades.
Collectors describe three broad case-marking groups, but the surviving evidence is incomplete and the production totals are estimates from secondary and auction sources.


<span id="batch-1-5513-case-engravings-between-12-lugs"></span>
<span id="batch-1-5513-engravings-only"></span>
=== Batch 1: 5513 case engravings between 12 lugs ===
=== Batch 1: 5513 engravings only ===


The first batch still carries 5513 lug engravings, the clearest sign that the 5517 starts as a military adaptation of the commercial case rather than a separate case family.
Some early military cases carry 5513 markings between the lugs. Auction and specialist records also show both sword and Mercedes hand configurations among early military 5513 cases. The available sources do not establish how many were delivered with each hand set or how many later changed hands during service.


Serial bands fall between roughly 3M and 4M, putting the run in the early 1970s — about 1971 to 1974. The lower boundary is not fixed from factory records.
<span id="batch-2-5513-5517-double-reference"></span>
=== Batch 2: 5513/5517 double-reference ===


<span id="batch-2-5513-engravings-plus-5517-stamp-under-7-lug"></span>
Some cases carry 5513 between the lugs and a 5517 stamp under a lug. This double-reference format is a collector classification supported by auction examples; it does not by itself prove a factory transition sequence. The cited major-house lots place several double-reference examples in the 3.926M serial band — Phillips New York 2019 lot 28 (case 3,926,768, c.1972, issue 688/77), Phillips Hong Kong 2017 lot 807 (case 3,926,923, c.1974, W10 Army issue 941/79), Antiquorum Monaco 2022 lot 77 (case 3,926,842, c.1975, W10 issue 960/79), Sotheby's 2023 lot 64 (case 3,926,898, c.1973), Bonhams 2018 lot 90 (392xxxx, c.1972). Issue years 77 and 79 dominate the cluster.
=== Batch 2: 5513 engravings plus 5517 stamp under 7 lug ===


The second batch keeps the 5513 engravings between the twelve lugs and adds a 5517 reference stamp under the seven lug. Some examples carry both styles on the same caseback at the same time, the dual-marking pattern that captures the transition from repurposed 5513 cases to dedicated 5517 production. The Sotheby's December 2019 lot, sold as a 5513/5517 c.1974, fits this transitional character.
<span id="batch-3-5517-only-engravings"></span>
=== Batch 3: 5517 engravings between lugs ===


Serial bands run between roughly 4M and 5M, mid-1970s production, about 1975 to 1977.
Some later cases carry 5517 between the lugs without a 5513 marking. The cited major-house lots place several such examples in the 5.339M serial band: Phillips Geneva XIV 2021 lot 152 (case 5,339,827, c.1978), Sotheby's November 2023 lot 3 (case 5,339,705, c.1978, issue 853/78), the Phillips MilSub-discovery article reunited pair (case 5,339,667, c.1978). The cited examples are dated around 1978. Phillips reports an estimate of about 250 produced and 50 known for one 5517-only subset; that figure is not a factory production record.


<span id="batch-3-5517-engravings-between-lugs-with-broadsword-hands"></span>
The 3.9M and 5.3M clusters recur in the cited auction records. A missing serial band in those records is not proof that no intermediate cases exist.
=== Batch 3: 5517 engravings between lugs with broadsword hands ===
 
The third and final batch carries 5517 engravings between the lugs and the broadsword hands that most collectors now picture when they say MilSub. This is the late, full-spec form of the reference.
 
Serial bands run between roughly 5M and 6M, late-1970s production, about 1977 to 1980.
 
All three serial bands are collector approximations cross-referenced from auction records, private sales, and reference catalogues rather than factory data. The Royal Navy never published procurement lists by serial number, and Rolex does not confirm military issue dates. The ranges are internally consistent across auction catalogues and represent the current collector consensus, not factory boundaries.


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


The 5517 movement is disputed. Published source work leans toward caliber 1520. Forum collectors argue for caliber 1570. Both readings stay alive until direct movement evidence surfaces.
The major-house lots cited here describe caliber 1520 with 26 jewels. That is the working movement attribution for the 5517 examples in this article. A movement should still be checked on the individual watch; the absence of a 1570 description in these lots does not establish what every surviving case contains.
 
The 5517’s distinction from a standard 5513 in the cited records is its case, bezel, dial, hands, and military engravings; the movement descriptions are the same caliber 1520 family.


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


<span id="t-swiss-t-designation"></span>
<span id="standard-t-swiss-t-dial"></span>
=== T SWISS T designation ===
=== Standard T SWISS T military dial ===
 
The 5517 dial carries the T SWISS T designation, with the letter T flanking SWISS at the bottom of the dial. Both T markers signal a tritium radiation source, the isotope used for watch luminescence in this era. The dual-T format was legally required under UK regulations for tritium-lumed watches. It is one of the cleanest single-glance separators between a MilSub dial and a commercial 5513 dial.
 
<span id="standard-military-dial"></span>
=== Standard military dial ===


The dial carries the SUBMARINER model text and, on most examples, Rolex Oyster Perpetual above centre. Most MilSub dials carry no depth rating, in metric or imperial; the Ministry of Defence did not call for one. Military identity is carried by the T SWISS T marking, the caseback engravings, and the case modifications, not by a separate dial design.
Documented military dials use a circled-T or T SWISS T marking to identify tritium. Dial text and depth-rating lines vary by example; the cited auction records should be used for the individual watch. The dial marking is one authentication feature alongside the case, bezel, hands, and engravings.


<span id="maxi-i-dial"></span>
<span id="maxi-dial-generations"></span>
=== Maxi I dial ===
=== Maxi dial generations ===


The Sotheby's 2023 lot is described as a Maxi I dial. Maxi follows the same logic as on the late 5513: enlarged lume plots for legibility, in the last years of matte-dial production. The 1978 production date lines up with Maxi I placement on the 5513 timeline.
Some late 5517 examples are described with Maxi dial terminology used for contemporary 5513 watches. The labels and date ranges are collector classifications, not a published Rolex 5517 register. The Sotheby's 2023 lot 3 (case 5,339,705, c.1978) catalogues a Maxi I dial. Maxi III ("lollipop") arrives c.1978 in the 5M–6M range — the latest 5517 dial generation surfaced in major-house lots.


<span id="broadsword-hand-variants"></span>
<span id="sword-hand-variants"></span>
=== Broadsword hand variants ===
=== Sword hand variants ===


Third-batch examples carry broadsword (plongeur) hands, wider and more sword-shaped than the standard Mercedes hand and absent from every retail Submariner. On a wrist or in a photograph, they are the fastest visual cue that the watch is a MilSub.
Sword or “gladiator” hands are documented on 5517 examples. Earlier military 5513 records also show Mercedes hands. The sources do not provide a complete delivery or service-replacement count, so hand originality must be assessed from the individual watch and its provenance.


<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 ==


<span id="fixed-bars"></span>
<span id="fixed-lug-bars"></span>
=== Fixed bars ===
=== Fixed lug bars ===


Fixed bars are the key structural identifier. Strap bars are soldered permanently into the lugs rather than fitted as removable spring bars, so the strap cannot detach underwater if a bar fails. They are sized for NATO-style fabric pass-through and will not take a standard Oyster bracelet.
The military examples use fixed bars attached to the lugs, intended for fabric straps. The construction affects bracelet fit and should be inspected for original welds and lug geometry; the sources do not establish the same production method for every batch.


<span id="minute-bezel"></span>
<span id="full-60-minute-bezel"></span>
=== 60-minute bezel ===
=== Full 60-minute graduated bezel ===


The 60-minute bezel carries minute gradations all the way around rather than only at five-minute intervals, giving the diver minute-by-minute elapsed-time tracking for decompression. It was a Ministry of Defence requirement and appears on no retail Submariner of the period.
Military examples are documented with bezels graduated for all 60 minutes. Some early military 5513 records show different inserts; the cited material is not a complete parts register for every 5517 case.


<span id="case-engravings-and-caseback-markings"></span>
<span id="caseback-engraving-formats"></span>
=== Case engravings and caseback markings ===
=== Caseback engraving formats ===


Military-issue watches carry specific engravings on the caseback and between the lugs, varying by batch as set out above. Correct, matching military markings are the primary authentication test for any 5517.
The caseback records combine Rolex case and serial markings with military identification marks. Rolex reference and case-number markings sit on the inner caseback. Military identification — broad arrow, NATO stock numbers, service numbers — sits on the outer caseback. Royal Navy / SBS issue uses the 0552 prefix: ''0552 / 923-7697 / [issue]/[year]'' plus the broad arrow. Army / SAS / W10 issue uses the W10 prefix: ''W10 / 6645 / 99 / 923-7697 / [issue]/[year]'' plus the broad arrow. The T-circle is a dial marking, not a caseback engraving, and articles that describe it as caseback-side conflate two separate authentication tells.


The dual-engraving pattern splits cleanly between maker and customer. Rolex reference and production markings sit on the inner caseback. Military identification (broad arrow, circled T, NATO stock numbers, service numbers) sits on the outer caseback. The inside/outside split holds across all three batches and is the first place a serious buyer looks.
Documented issue numbers in major-house lots: 688/77, 691/77, 853/78, 941/79, 960/79, 395/75. The broad arrow identifies British government property. A civilian-market watch with that mark needs a documented chain of custody; the mark alone does not explain how it left service.


The broad arrow is the British government property mark, stamped into the outer caseback and present on most 5517 examples. Any broad-arrow watch in the civilian market either left service through official decommissioning or carries an unclear chain of custody. The mark itself is never a civilian or retail marking.
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
 
The circled T is the UK legal requirement under the Radioactive Substances Act for tritium-containing items. It typically appears next to the broad arrow, marking military ownership and regulatory compliance in the same engraving block.
 
Many examples carry a NATO stock number beginning 0552, the Ministry of Defence procurement prefix, and a correctly formatted 0552 number is consistent with authentic MOD procurement. An individual service number or unit identifier is often engraved alongside, linking the watch to a specific sailor or diving unit. Cross-referencing a service number against Royal Navy records, where accessible, is the most rigorous provenance check available for the reference.
 
<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==


Military-issue watches were delivered on NATO-style fabric straps rather than metal bracelets, in keeping with the fixed-bar design. The bars do not take a standard Oyster bracelet, and the NATO pass-through is deliberate: the strap continues beneath the watch even if one bar fails, so the watch stays on the wrist. Packaging followed procurement logistics. Watches arrived in military stores packaging, not standard Rolex retail boxes.
The cited military examples are shown on fabric straps, and the fixed bars constrain bracelet fit. Packaging and original delivery accessories are less consistently documented than the watches themselves; do not infer a complete packaging standard from one lot.
 
<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==
[[File:Ref 5517 hero 2.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517|Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517]]
[[File:Ref 5517 hero 3.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517|Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517]]
 
<span id="batch-3-broadsword"></span>
=== Batch 3 broadsword ===
 
Third-batch broadsword examples are the most collected and most valuable form of the reference. Dedicated 5517 engravings, broadsword hands, fixed bars, and the 60-minute bezel are the full-specification MilSub in one watch.
 
<span id="batch-1-transitional"></span>
=== Batch 1 transitional ===


First-batch examples with 5513 engravings show the 5517 before it developed its own caseback identity. They are the earliest military-specific Submariners in the 5517 programme.
[[File:Ref 5517 hero 2.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517 on military strap|Rolex Submariner Ref. 5517 on military strap]]


<span id="authentication-warning"></span>
<span id="authentication-warning"></span>
== Authentication warning ==
== Authentication ==


The 5517 is one of the most faked Rolex references in the market. Extreme value (consistently above $200,000 at auction), a comparatively simple base watch (a modified 5513), and the difficulty of verifying military provenance combine to make the reference a fraud target.
The 5517’s military parts and provenance make authentication difficult. A standard 5513 can be altered with replacement parts, so case, bezel, dial, hands, engravings, movement, and provenance must be checked together.


The conversion path is short: a standard 5513 takes fixed bars, a 60-minute bezel, military caseback engravings, and broadsword hands. Each step is within reach of a skilled watchmaker, and the finished result can be visually convincing to anyone who has not handled a genuine example.
Phillips documents examples with caseback and movement or case-number histories that require explanation. A non-matching number requires documented service or issue history. A matching set still needs the same provenance and physical checks.


Three checks carry most of the authentication weight. First, documented provenance: a chain of custody connecting the watch to a specific Royal Navy unit or service number, verifiable against military records where those records are accessible. Second, physical inspection by a specialist who can read fixed-bar construction, caseback engraving depth and consistency, bezel graduation quality, and hand proportions against genuine military specification. Third, cross-reference against known examples; with only about 180 accounted for, the specialist community is small enough that most genuine watches are tracked.
“5513-T-MOD” and “5517-T-MOD” are dealer and collector terms rather than Rolex references. Use the documented reference, case marks, parts, and provenance instead.


The fake problem is not theoretical. Specific fraudulent conversions have been documented at auction and through private dealers, and authentication should be treated as the load on any 5517 purchase.
Replacement bezels, hands, relumed dials, and added T markings are known inspection questions. The cited sources do not support a fixed value penalty. Check provenance, case construction, engravings, bezel, dial, hands, movement, and known examples together.


<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 ==


Three auction results frame the 5517 as a consistent six-figure reference across different examples.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Serial !! Batch / config !! Hammer
|-
| Phillips Geneva XIV || 152 || 2021 || 5,339,827 || Batch 3, c.1978 Maxi, Henry Hudson letter || CHF 504,000 incl. premium
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches I Geneva || 3 || 2023 || 5,339,705 || Batch 3, c.1978 Maxi I, issue 853/78 || CHF 482,600
|-
| Phillips Bacs & Russo Geneva || - || 2025 || - || 5517 39mm || USD 401,270
|-
| Antiquorum Monaco || 353-77 || 2022 || 3,926,842 || Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1975, W10 issue 960/79 || EUR 260,000
|-
| Phillips New York "Game Changers" || 28 || 2019 || 3,926,768 || Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1972, Royal Navy issue 688/77 || USD 218,750
|-
| Bonhams London Knightsbridge || - || 2022 || - || Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1975, original Royal Navy diver provenance, caseback 691/77 || GBP 195,600 incl. premium
|-
| Phillips Bacs & Russo Geneva || - || 2024 || - || 5517 || USD 123,283
|-
| Wannenes Italy || - || 2025 || - || 5517 39mm || USD 182,178
|-
| Fellows Birmingham Luxury Watch Sale || 129 || 2020 || - || 5517, MOD engravings || GBP 174,800 incl. premium (Fellows house record)
|-
| Phillips Hong Kong || 807 || 2017 || 3,926,923 || Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1974, W10 Army issue 941/79 || HK$ 1,625,000
|-
| Sotheby's New York || 238 || 2018 || - || 5517 c.1978, MOD engravings || not publicly listed
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches II Geneva || 64 || 2023 || 3,926,898 || Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1973, Maxi Mk I pumpkin patina || not publicly listed
|-
| Bonhams London Fine Watches || 90 || 2018 || 392xxxx || Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1972, military engravings removed, inner caseback I.72 || GBP 72,500 incl. premium
|-
| Phillips New York "Winning Icons" || 48 || 2017 || - || 5513/5517, 1979, W10 Army Air Corps || not publicly listed
|}


Sotheby's, November 2023: a MilSub c.1978 sold for 482,600 CHF and reset the auction ceiling for the reference. That result is now the reference point for a full-spec late watch.
The table records a CHF 504,000 Phillips 2021 result and a CHF 482,600 Sotheby’s 2023 result. Those are individual auction outcomes, not a universal price hierarchy. Double-reference and 5513 examples differ in condition, provenance, and completeness, so the results should be compared lot by lot.


Sotheby's, November 2018: a 5517 c.1978 sold for 218,750 CHF, documented with caliber 1520, military issue numbering, and a Rolex presentation case, against an estimate of 150,000 to 300,000 CHF.
Auction descriptions emphasize batch or case markings, military documentation, condition, and completeness of the dial, hands, bezel, and caseback. These features explain differences between lots but do not create a fixed ranking.


Sotheby's, December 2019: a 5513/5517 c.1974 sold for $262,500. The lot bridges the 5513 and 5517 designations, consistent with the Batch 1 and Batch 2 examples where 5513 and 5517 markings coexist on one caseback.
<span id="related-references"></span>
== Related references ==


Three results above $200,000 in their respective currencies, inside a five-year window, for a watch produced in roughly 1,200 units with only 180 accounted for. The rarity is structural rather than statistical. It was made for one client, in limited procurement batches, to be used operationally, and most of these watches had hard lives.
The 5517 is the dedicated Submariner of the [[Reference:milsub|MilSub]] program, used in the third Royal Navy batch after the first two ran on 5513 cases. It sits inside the [[Reference:submariner-5xxx-family|5xxx Submariner family]] with the chronometer 5512, the long-run civilian 5513, and the COMEX 5514.


The value drivers are also specific. A 5517 reaches prices above $250,000 because it carries genuine military provenance rather than retail stock, period-correct tritium lume aged naturally across five decades, and physical specification unavailable on any retail watch (fixed bars, 60-minute bezel, broadsword hands). Each factor adds value on its own; together they produce results that regularly clear pre-auction estimates.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 5517 hero 3.webp|Rolex Submariner 5517 military-issue case and dial
File:Ref 5517 hero 2.webp|5517 on a military fabric strap with fixed bars
File:Ref 5517 hero.webp|5517 reference example
</gallery>


The market runs on batch type, completeness of military documentation, and physical condition. Third-batch broadsword examples in full-spec condition, with documented provenance, the service number on the caseback, the matching inside number, and an original T SWISS T dial in an unpolished case, sit at the top of the MilSub market.
== 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, 2020)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/inside-mike-woods-for-exhibition-only-a-private-rolex-collection-on-limited-display Inside Mike Wood's "For Exhibition Only": A Private Rolex Collection On Limited Display] — Tim Vaux (Hodinkee)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-submariner-reference-points Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Submariner] — Stephen Pulvirent (Hodinkee, 2019)
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-milsub-submariner-reference-5513 Rolex MilSub Submariner Reference 5513] — Eric Wind (Wind Vintage)
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/151026516/a-cool-new-discovery-on-a-vintage-rolex-milsub An Unexpected Discovery on a Vintage Rolex Submariner MilSub] (Phillips)
* [https://danielbourn.com/the-rolex-milsub/ The Rolex Milsub — Rolex 5517 The Rolex Military Submariner] — Daniel Bourn
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/rolex-milsub-military-submariner/?lang=en The Rolex Milsub: the MIL-itary SUB-mariner] (Italian Watch Spotter)
* [https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/5513-7-double-reference-rolex-royal-navy-milsub 5513/7 Double Reference Rolex Royal Navy MilSub] (Hairspring)
* [https://www.drsd.com/watch-info/mil-sub/the-military-submariner.html The Rolex Military Submariner 5513] (drsd.com)
* [http://5513mattedial.com/MaxiDials.html Maxi Dials — 5513 Matte Dial Review] — Beaumont Miller II
* [https://www.fellows.co.uk/blog/watches/2020/08/24/rolex-milsub-sells-for-over-165000-smashing-fellows-house-record/ Rolex MilSub Sells for Over £174,000 Smashing Fellows House Record] (Fellows Auctioneers, 2020)
* [https://corradomattarelli.com/products/the-british-military-submariner-ref-5517 Military Submariner — A Watch Made by History] — Corrado Mattarelli (OnlyVintage Magazine listing)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/rolex-milsub-submariner-ref-5517.html The Rolex MilSub Submariner Ref. 5517 resource page] (editorial)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080221/152 Rolex Submariner MilSub Ref. 5517 — Phillips Geneva XIV lot 152] (Phillips, 2021)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/important-watches-part-i-2/military-submariner-reference-5517-a-stainless?locale=en Full Spec Military Submariner Reference 5517 c.1978 — Sotheby's Important Watches Part I lot 3] (Sotheby's, 2023)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-ge1804/lot.238.html?locale=en MilSub Submariner Ref 5517 c.1978 — Sotheby's lot 238] (Sotheby's, 2018)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080119/28 Rolex Military Submariner Double Reference 5513/5517 — Phillips New York Game Changers lot 28] (Phillips, 2019)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080316/807 Rolex Military Submariner Ref. 5513/5517 — Phillips Hong Kong lot 807] (Phillips, 2016)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-5513-5517-under-the-lug-submariner-so-called-milsub-lot-353-77 Rolex Ref. 5513/5517 Military Submariner — Antiquorum Monaco 2022 lot 77] (Antiquorum, 2022)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27662/lot/44/ Rolex Royal Navy Military Submariner Ref. 5513/5517 — Bonhams Knightsbridge 2022] (Bonhams, 2022)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24632/lot/90/ Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513/5517 Military — Bonhams 2018 lot 90] (Bonhams, 2018)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [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
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/inside-mike-woods-for-exhibition-only-a-private-rolex-collection-on-limited-display Inside Mike Wood's 'For Exhibition Only': A Private Rolex Collection On Limited Display] — Tim Vaux, Hodinkee
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/important-watches-part-i-2/military-submariner-reference-5517-a-stainless?locale=en Full Spec Military Submariner, Reference 5517, Circa 1978] — Sotheby's, Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-ge1804/lot.238.html?locale=en MilSub Submariner, Ref 5517, Stainless Steel Military Wristwatch Made for the British Armed Forces, Circa 1978] — Sotheby's, Sotheby's


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