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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Submariner 5xxx family}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Submariner 5xxx family — BezelBase
|title=Rolex Submariner 5xxx family — Rolexopedia
|description=The 5xxx Submariner family is the core no-date vintage Submariner story. Understanding how the Submariner became the thing most collectors picture in…
|description=An overview of Rolex Submariner references 5508, 5510, 5512, 5513, 5514, and 5517, with sourced notes on their cases, movements, and special-use variants.
|keywords=Rolex, submariner-5xxx-family, Submariner, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, submariner-5xxx-family, Submariner, specifications, reference guide
|type=article
|type=Article
}}
}}


<div class="rp-lead">[[File:Ref 5508 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Submariner 5508|Representative 5508 from the 5xxx Submariner family.]]</div>


The 5xxx Submariner family is the core no-date vintage Submariner story. Understanding how the Submariner became the thing most collectors picture in their heads starts here.
The [[Reference:5508|5508]], [[Reference:5510|5510]], [[Reference:5512|5512]], and [[Reference:5513|5513]] are no-date Submariners from the late 1950s through the end of the [[Reference:5513|5513]] run around 1989–90. The [[Reference:5514|5514]] and [[Reference:5517|5517]] are related branches associated with COMEX and British military use. Their dates and details vary by reference; the pages linked below cover each one separately.
 
It begins with the last no-crown-guard watches, runs through the transitional big-crown [[Reference:5510|5510]], then settles into the crown-guard commercial core of [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]]. From there it breaks into special-issue branches like the COMEX [[Reference:5514|5514]] and military [[Reference:5517|5517]].


<span id="core-map"></span>
<span id="core-map"></span>
== Core map ==
== Core map ==


* [[Reference:5508|5508]]: small-crown, no crown guards, last of that mainstream branch
* [[Reference:5508|5508]]: small-crown, no-crown-guard Submariner.
* [[Reference:5510|5510]]: big-crown transitional bridge to the later family
* [[Reference:5510|5510]]: big-crown, no-crown-guard reference with disputed production dates.
* [[Reference:5512|5512]]: chronometer crown-guard no-date Submariner
* [[Reference:5512|5512]]: crown-guard, no-date reference generally fitted with a chronometer-certified movement; early examples need individual assessment.
* [[Reference:5513|5513]]: non-chronometer crown-guard no-date Submariner
* [[Reference:5513|5513]]: crown-guard, no-date reference with non-chronometer movements.
* [[Reference:5514|5514]]: COMEX-only HEV branch
* [[Reference:5514|5514]]: COMEX-associated Submariner with a helium escape valve.
* [[Reference:5517|5517]]: military-only fixed-bar branch
* [[Reference:5517|5517]]: military-marked reference used on British military Submariners; military watches also exist under reference [[Reference:5513|5513]].


Small-crown and big-crown mean exactly what they sound like: the size of the winding crown on the early no-crown-guard watches. HEV means helium escape valve.
“Small crown” and “big crown” describe the winding crown on the no-guard cases. HEV means helium escape valve.


<span id="where-the-family-changes"></span>
<span id="where-the-family-changes"></span>
== Where the family changes ==
== Case development ==


<span id="crown-and-case-architecture"></span>
The [[Reference:5508|5508]] and [[Reference:5510|5510]] have no crown guards. Rolex dates the introduction of crown guards on the Submariner to 1959, the period associated with the [[Reference:5512|5512]]. The [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]] then share the guarded case form, with changes to guard shape over time.
=== Crown and case architecture ===


The family starts without crown guards and ends with them fully baked into the model. The [[Reference:5512|5512]] is the structural pivot — it makes crown guards permanent.
Collectors use names such as “square,” “Cornino,” and “eagle beak” for early guard shapes, but the labels are not applied consistently. The [[Reference:5512|5512]] article lays out the competing classifications: Jose Pereztroika’s review of Nicholas Foulkes’s 2024 book treats “eagle beak” as a separate shape, while the [[Reference:5512|5512]] generation table uses it as a nickname for the pointed Cornino form. The available descriptions do not settle that naming difference.


The current working sequence:
<span id="commercial-references"></span>
== 5512 and 5513 ==


* [[Reference:5508|5508]]: small crown, no crown guards
The [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]] overlapped in production and share much of their case and dial development. Their movement specifications distinguish them: [[Reference:5512|5512]] examples are associated with chronometer-certified calibres, while the [[Reference:5513|5513]] used non-chronometer calibres. Do not assume every early [[Reference:5512|5512]] has the same certification or movement; check the individual watch and the evidence cited on its reference page.
* [[Reference:5510|5510]]: big crown, no crown guards
* earliest [[Reference:5512|5512]]: square crown guards, then eagle-beak and pointed refinements
* later [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]]: mature rounded crown-guard commercial form


That chart now lives in research/evidence/submariner/5xxx-family/crown-evolution.yaml. It is a working map, not a final serial table.
Nicholas Foulkes’s Rolex-authorized 2024 book reports estimated totals of 17,338 for the [[Reference:5512|5512]] and 151,449 for the [[Reference:5513|5513]]. Hodinkee’s review of the book also describes the [[Reference:5513|5513]] figure as an estimate. These are book-level production estimates, not counts that establish the originality or relative desirability of an individual example.


<span id="commercial-split"></span>
Their dials changed over the long production runs. Gilt, matte, and later glossy dial descriptions apply to particular periods and configurations, not to every watch in a reference. The [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]] pages document those variations and the limits of the dating evidence.
=== Commercial split ===
 
The [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]] overlap for years, but they are not the same watch in market position. The [[Reference:5512|5512]] is the chronometer no-date watch. The [[Reference:5513|5513]] is the cheaper non-chronometer no-date watch. The distinction matters more than it might appear.


<span id="special-issue-branches"></span>
<span id="special-issue-branches"></span>
=== Special-issue branches ===
== Special-use branches ==
 
The [[Reference:5514|5514]] and [[Reference:5517|5517]] should not be treated as normal retail peers to the [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]]. They are branch watches tied to specific professional distribution paths.
 
<span id="reference-by-reference"></span>
== Reference by reference ==
 
<span id="section"></span>
=== 5508 ===
 
The [[Reference:5508|5508]] is the last mainstream Submariner without crown guards. It still lives in the small-crown world and marks the end of the earlier case language before the [[Reference:5512|5512]] changes the line. The package now has a tropical 1959 archive watch, a service-dial lot, and a 1962 exclamation-dot example, so the reference no longer rests on one thin source.
 
<span id="section-1"></span>
=== 5510 ===
 
The [[Reference:5510|5510]] is the last big-crown transitional watch. It still looks back to the [[Reference:6538|6538]] world, but the movement picture has moved forward. The package now has stronger documented examples, which makes the reference feel a lot less speculative than it did before.
 
<span id="section-2"></span>
=== 5512 ===
 
The [[Reference:5512|5512]] is the premium no-date Submariner — the first where crown guards become a lasting part of the model’s identity. It carries the chronometer story.
 
<span id="section-3"></span>
=== 5513 ===
 
The [[Reference:5513|5513]] is the long-run commercial core. It absorbs the broadest dial evolution, from gilt through matte to late gloss, and becomes the most familiar no-date Submariner in the vintage market. No other reference covers as much ground.
 
<span id="section-4"></span>
=== 5514 ===
 
The [[Reference:5514|5514]] is the COMEX-specific branch. It shows how the family adapts to professional saturation-diving needs rather than ordinary retail demand. The package is still thinner here than on the commercial references, but it now includes a real sold archive example instead of only article-level branch coverage.
 
<span id="section-5"></span>
=== 5517 ===
 
The [[Reference:5517|5517]] is the dedicated military branch. Fixed bars, full-minute bezel markings, and military hand and dial traits put it in a different lane from the standard commercial references. The package now includes two direct Sotheby’s [[Reference:5517|5517]] lot pages, a photographed 1977 example from Hodinkee’s Mike Wood report, and a sold military [[Reference:5513|5513]] archive example. The military branch finally has real observed footing.
 
<span id="dial-and-movement-logic-across-the-family"></span>
== Dial and movement logic across the family ==
 
The family is not one dial story.
 
* Early 5xxx watches still sit in the glossy gilt world — glossy black dials with gilt-colored printing rather than the later matte style
* [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]] then split into different long-run dial arcs
* The [[Reference:5512|5512]] movement path runs through 1530, 1560, and 1570
* The [[Reference:5513|5513]] movement path settles into 1530 and 1520
 
This is where lazy summaries get people into trouble. The 5xxx family rewards reference-specific thinking.
 
<span id="bracelet-and-packaging-logic"></span>
== Bracelet and packaging logic ==
 
Even inside this one family, bracelet fitment is easier to support than original delivery.


The current book-backed fitment picture already overlaps heavily across [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]]:
The [[Reference:5514|5514]] is associated with COMEX, the French commercial diving company. It adds a helium escape valve to a Submariner case. Published accounts disagree on its production dates and total: auction catalogues place documented examples in the 1970s, while readings of Foulkes’s book differ from Jose Pereztroika’s review. The [[Reference:5514|5514]] page records the specific lots and the conflicting estimates; a single surviving example does not establish the full delivery history.


* 7206/80
The [[Reference:5517|5517]] is found on British military Submariners, alongside military watches catalogued as [[Reference:5513|5513]]. Fixed spring bars, military dial and hand specifications, bezel markings, and caseback markings are documented on individual examples. Configurations and service histories should be checked watch by watch rather than treated as a universal checklist.
* 9315/280 or 380
* 93150/580


That does not mean those combinations were all original-delivery defaults across the run. The same caution applies to boxes and papers.
<span id="movements-and-bracelets"></span>
== Movements, bracelets, and packaging ==


The family bracelet fitment matrix and packaging map now live under research/evidence/submariner/5xxx-family/. They are working comparison tools, not final buyer-checklist tables.
Movement families differ across the references and change within some runs. The [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]] pages give the calibre details and date ranges; the family label alone is not enough to identify a movement in an individual watch.


<span id="historical-market-view"></span>
Bracelet fitment records show overlap between the [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]], including 7206, 9315, and 93150 bracelets with several end-link types. A documented fitment does not prove that a bracelet was delivered with a particular watch. A clasp code dates the bracelet, not the watch head. Boxes and papers are generally period-based unless a reference-specific link is documented.
== Historical market view ==


The [[Reference:5512|5512]] and [[Reference:5513|5513]] do not occupy the same market depth. Production figures from the Rolex-commissioned Submariner book put the gap in sharp relief: 17,338 pieces for the [[Reference:5512|5512]] against 151,449 for the [[Reference:5513|5513]].
== Related references ==


That gap does not mean every [[Reference:5512|5512]] is automatically better. But it explains why the [[Reference:5512|5512]] feels scarcer and why special-branch 5xxx watches move into a different price tier fast.
* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]]
* [[Reference:5508|Submariner 5508]]: no-crown-guard, 8mm crown
* [[Reference:5510|Submariner 5510]]: big crown, caliber 1530
* [[Reference:5512|Submariner 5512]]: first crown guards
* [[Reference:5513|Submariner 5513]]: long-run no-date reference
* [[Reference:5514|Submariner 5514]]: COMEX branch
* [[Reference:5517|Submariner 5517]]: British military branch


The special branches now have more than abstract rarity language. A sold 1976 [[Reference:5514|5514]] COMEX archive example with box, service papers, and diver provenance is in the local package, while Sotheby’s direct [[Reference:5517|5517]] lots from 2018 and 2023 give the military branch real auction footing with six-figure CHF estimates and explicit military-spec component notes.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 5508 hero.webp|m08 Submariner|[[Reference:5508|5508]], no-crown-guard, small Brevet crown
File:Ref 5510 hero.webp|m10|[[Reference:5510|5510]], big crown transitional, caliber 1530
File:Ref 5512 hero.webp|m12|[[Reference:5512|5512]], chronometer and first crown guards
File:Ref 5513 hero.webp|m13|[[Reference:5513|5513]], long-run non-chronometer reference
File:Ref 5514 hero.webp|m14 COMEX|[[Reference:5514|5514]], COMEX helium-valve branch
File:Ref 5517 hero.webp|m17 MilSub|[[Reference:5517|5517]], British military branch
</gallery>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition — Morning Tundra (James Dowling & Jeffrey Hess)
* [https://www.rolex.com/watches/submariner/from-tool-watch-to-icon Rolex, Submariner history and 1959 crown-guard introduction]
* [https://newsroom.rolex.com/watches/oyster-collection/submariner Rolex Newsroom, Submariner chronology and specifications]
* [https://www.rolex.com/watches/submariner/from-tool-watch-to-icon Rolex Submariner: From tool watch to icon] — Rolex, including its 1959 account of crown guards.
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/five-things-i-learned-from-the-first-ever-rolex-authorized-submariner-book Five Things I Learned From the First Ever Rolex-Authorized Submariner Book] — Hodinkee, on the production estimates in Nicholas Foulkes’s 2024 book.
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* Nicholas Foulkes, ''Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch that Unlocked the Deep'' (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024)
* [https://perezcope.com/2024/09/30/review-of-the-authorized-rolex-submariner-book-and-why-the-1926-oyster-was-not-the-first-waterproof-watch/ Review of the Authorized Rolex Submariner Book] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope
* [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://horologium.com.au/2010/12/19/rolex-5510-some-notes/ Rolex 5510: Some Notes] — Horologium, 2010
* [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://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.windvintage.com/blog/collectors-guide-rolex-submariner-reference-5512 Collector's Guide: What To Know About The Rolex Submariner Reference 5512] — Charlie Dunne, Wind Vintage
* [https://www.windvintage.com/blog/collectors-guide-rolex-submariner-reference-5512 Collector's Guide: What To Know About The Rolex Submariner Reference 5512] — Charlie Dunne, Wind Vintage
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/vintage-rolex-submariner-reference-5508.html Vintage Rolex Submariner Reference 5508] — Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/vintage-rolex-submariner-reference-5508.html Vintage Rolex Submariner Reference 5508] — Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches
* [https://wannabuyawatch.com/product/rolex-submariner-ref-5508-small-crown-tropical-dial-circa-1959/ Rolex Submariner Ref 5508 Small Crown Tropical Dial Circa 1959] — unknown, Wanna Buy A Watch?
* [https://wannabuyawatch.com/product/rolex-submariner-ref-5508-small-crown-tropical-dial-circa-1959/ Rolex Submariner Ref 5508 Small Crown Tropical Dial Circa 1959] — Wanna Buy A Watch?
* [https://loupethis.com/auctions/rolex-submariner-5508-service-dial Rolex Submariner 5508 Service Dial] — unknown, Loupe This
* [https://loupethis.com/auctions/rolex-submariner-5508-service-dial Rolex Submariner 5508 Service Dial] — Loupe This
* [https://www.vintagegoldwatches.com/product/rolex-submariner-ref-5508-1957-exclamation-dot-dial/ Rolex Submariner Ref.5508 1962 Exclamation Dot Dial] — Vintage Gold Watches, Vintage Gold Watches
* [https://www.vintagegoldwatches.com/product/rolex-submariner-ref-5508-1957-exclamation-dot-dial/ Rolex Submariner Ref.5508 1962 Exclamation Dot Dial] — Vintage Gold Watches, Vintage Gold Watches
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-5510.html Rolex 5510] — Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-5510.html Rolex 5510] — Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches
Line 149: Line 110:


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

Latest revision as of 20:25, 27 September 2026


Rolex Submariner 5508
Representative 5508 from the 5xxx Submariner family.

The 5508, 5510, 5512, and 5513 are no-date Submariners from the late 1950s through the end of the 5513 run around 1989–90. The 5514 and 5517 are related branches associated with COMEX and British military use. Their dates and details vary by reference; the pages linked below cover each one separately.

Core map

  • 5508: small-crown, no-crown-guard Submariner.
  • 5510: big-crown, no-crown-guard reference with disputed production dates.
  • 5512: crown-guard, no-date reference generally fitted with a chronometer-certified movement; early examples need individual assessment.
  • 5513: crown-guard, no-date reference with non-chronometer movements.
  • 5514: COMEX-associated Submariner with a helium escape valve.
  • 5517: military-marked reference used on British military Submariners; military watches also exist under reference 5513.

“Small crown” and “big crown” describe the winding crown on the no-guard cases. HEV means helium escape valve.

Case development

The 5508 and 5510 have no crown guards. Rolex dates the introduction of crown guards on the Submariner to 1959, the period associated with the 5512. The 5512 and 5513 then share the guarded case form, with changes to guard shape over time.

Collectors use names such as “square,” “Cornino,” and “eagle beak” for early guard shapes, but the labels are not applied consistently. The 5512 article lays out the competing classifications: Jose Pereztroika’s review of Nicholas Foulkes’s 2024 book treats “eagle beak” as a separate shape, while the 5512 generation table uses it as a nickname for the pointed Cornino form. The available descriptions do not settle that naming difference.

5512 and 5513

The 5512 and 5513 overlapped in production and share much of their case and dial development. Their movement specifications distinguish them: 5512 examples are associated with chronometer-certified calibres, while the 5513 used non-chronometer calibres. Do not assume every early 5512 has the same certification or movement; check the individual watch and the evidence cited on its reference page.

Nicholas Foulkes’s Rolex-authorized 2024 book reports estimated totals of 17,338 for the 5512 and 151,449 for the 5513. Hodinkee’s review of the book also describes the 5513 figure as an estimate. These are book-level production estimates, not counts that establish the originality or relative desirability of an individual example.

Their dials changed over the long production runs. Gilt, matte, and later glossy dial descriptions apply to particular periods and configurations, not to every watch in a reference. The 5512 and 5513 pages document those variations and the limits of the dating evidence.

Special-use branches

The 5514 is associated with COMEX, the French commercial diving company. It adds a helium escape valve to a Submariner case. Published accounts disagree on its production dates and total: auction catalogues place documented examples in the 1970s, while readings of Foulkes’s book differ from Jose Pereztroika’s review. The 5514 page records the specific lots and the conflicting estimates; a single surviving example does not establish the full delivery history.

The 5517 is found on British military Submariners, alongside military watches catalogued as 5513. Fixed spring bars, military dial and hand specifications, bezel markings, and caseback markings are documented on individual examples. Configurations and service histories should be checked watch by watch rather than treated as a universal checklist.

Movements, bracelets, and packaging

Movement families differ across the references and change within some runs. The 5512 and 5513 pages give the calibre details and date ranges; the family label alone is not enough to identify a movement in an individual watch.

Bracelet fitment records show overlap between the 5512 and 5513, including 7206, 9315, and 93150 bracelets with several end-link types. A documented fitment does not prove that a bracelet was delivered with a particular watch. A clasp code dates the bracelet, not the watch head. Boxes and papers are generally period-based unless a reference-specific link is documented.

Related references

  • 5508, no-crown-guard, small Brevet crown
    5508, no-crown-guard, small Brevet crown
  • 5510, big crown transitional, caliber 1530
    5510, big crown transitional, caliber 1530
  • 5512, chronometer and first crown guards
    5512, chronometer and first crown guards
  • 5513, long-run non-chronometer reference
    5513, long-run non-chronometer reference
  • 5514, COMEX helium-valve branch
    5514, COMEX helium-valve branch
  • 5517, British military branch
    5517, British military branch

Sources

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