Rolex Military Submariner (MilSub)

Submariner → MilSub

British military Rolex Submariner 5517, batch 3, case 5,339,705 — Rolex Submariner 5517, case 5,339,705, catalogued as a circa-1978 military issue watch. Sotheby’s, 2023, lot 3.

The name “MilSub” refers to Rolex Submariners supplied to the British Ministry of Defence in the 1970s. Auction catalogues describe three forms: reference 5513, double-marked 5513/5517 cases, and reference 5517. The military configuration is identified by a combination of case, bezel, dial, hands and service markings; individual watches may have later service parts or mismatched components.

Core facts

detail	value
program	British Ministry of Defence Submariners, supplied in the 1970s
documented case markings	5513; 5513 with 5517 under a lug; and 5517
dimensions	Auction catalogues describe examples at 39 or 40 mm
case	Stainless steel, with fixed bars in place of removable spring bars
bezel	Full 60-minute graduation on documented military examples; some 5513 configurations are catalogued with a 15-minute insert
dial	Black dials with tritium markings; the cited catalogues describe an encircled T on military examples
hands	Sword hands are common; Sotheby’s notes that 5513 examples can also have standard hands
movement	Cal. 1520, 26 jewels, in the Phillips and Antiquorum lots cited below
strap	NATO or nylon strap in the cited auction lots; the fixed bars do not accept an ordinary spring-bar bracelet
production count	Published estimates differ by scope; see the production notes below.

What “MilSub” covers

Collectors use “MilSub” for the military configuration across 5513, double-marked 5513/5517, and 5517 cases. The reference 5513 was also sold commercially; its military cases were made or configured to the Ministry’s requirements. Auction records show the three forms, while a complete factory batch register remains unavailable.

Auction descriptions place the program in the 1970s. Sotheby’s 2023 lot 3 catalogue note estimates about 1,500 watches for the full program. Phillips’ 2024 article estimates about 250 reference 5517 watches, with about 50 recorded. These are different scopes, and neither figure is a factory census. Issue dates can also differ from catalogue manufacture dates, so record the numbers, markings and attributed date for each watch; serial clusters alone do not settle production chronology.

Case and batch markings

The case between the upper lugs identifies the main reference marking. On double-marked examples, the 5513 appears between the lugs and 5517 is stamped under a lug. Phillips’ 2019 lot 28 and 2017 lot 807 document this arrangement. Phillips catalogued lot 28 as 1972, although its military issue number ends in /77; lot 807 was catalogued circa 1974 and carries issue number 941/79. Those dates describe individual records, not a settled batch timetable.

Phillips’ 2021 lot 152 is a 5517 catalogued circa 1978. Its case number, 5,339,827, is repeated inside the caseback; the external markings include 0552, NATO stock number 923-7697 and issue 842/78. Sotheby’s 2023 lot 3 is another 5517 catalogued circa 1978. These examples document the dedicated 5517 form without establishing that every case was marked in the same way.

The prefixes 0552 and W10 appear on military casebacks. Phillips catalogues a 0552-marked example as Royal Navy; Antiquorum describes its W10-marked 5513/5517 as made for the Royal Navy. These attributions conflict. Read the full inscription and provenance together; a prefix alone does not establish a named unit or an individual’s service history.

Configuration

Fixed bars are welded into the lugs. The auction records describe NATO or nylon straps, which pass under the case rather than attach to removable spring bars. Fixed bars do not establish which strap came with an individual watch.

The full 60-minute bezel appears on documented 5517 military examples. Sotheby’s describes the 5513 military examples as having either standard or sword hands and 15- or 60-minute bezels. Collector reference site drsd.com also reports both combinations among 5513 MilSubs. These sources support variation in the 5513 group; a loose bezel or hand set does not establish a watch’s issue configuration.

Auction catalogues describe black dials with tritium and an encircled T. The marking identifies luminous material; it does not authenticate the watch by itself. Dial wording and condition should be recorded from the watch in hand, since service and restoration can alter a dial.

Sword hands and dial, 5517
Full 60-minute bezel, 5517
Encircled T marking
Fixed bars

Movement

Phillips lots 28, 807 and 152, and Antiquorum lot 77, catalogue the movements as Cal. 1520 with 26 jewels. That is the movement recorded in these examples; the sample does not establish that every watch retaining military markings still has its original movement.

Movement and inside caseback markings on the 5517 example shown.

Casebacks and service history

Military inscriptions commonly combine a service prefix, NATO stock number, issue number and year, with a broad arrow. Exact layouts vary. The broad arrow is a government property mark; it is evidence about the watch’s issued status, not a complete chain of custody after disposal.

Casebacks and other components can change during service. In a 2024 article, Phillips describes two 5517s whose casebacks had been swapped and later reunited by their owner. Phillips also records a civilian bezel insert replaced with a military insert and hands relumed before sale. This is a specific documented history, not proof that every mismatch or replaced part came from military service.

Auction record

The following entries are individual auction records. Prices are shown as the auction house reports them; estimates are identified separately.

Auction	Lot	Catalogue description	Published result
Phillips Geneva XIV, 2021	152	5517, case 5,339,827; circa 1978; 0552/923-7697, issue 842/78; Cal. 1520, 26 jewels; Rolex UK issue letter	CHF 504,000 sold for
Phillips New York, 2019	28	5513/5517; case 3,926,768; catalogued 1972; 0552/923-7697, issue 688/77; Cal. 1520, 26 jewels; owner’s dive log	USD 218,750 sold for
Phillips Hong Kong, 2017	807	5513 with 5517 under lug; case 3,926,923; circa 1974; W10 stock marking, issue 941/79; Cal. 1520, 26 jewels	HKD 1,625,000 sold for
Antiquorum Monaco, 2022	77	5513/5517; case 3,926,842; circa 1975; W10 stock marking, issue 960/79; Cal. 1520	EUR 260,000 sold for
Sotheby’s Geneva, 2023	64	5513/5517; case 3,926,898; circa 1973; Cal. 1520, 26 jewels; catalogued later-added bezel insert	Result hidden behind login on the public page reviewed
Sotheby’s Geneva, 2023	3	5517; case 5,339,705; circa 1978; issue 853/78; Cal. 1520, 26 jewels	CHF 482,600; result reported by Sotheby’s in 2026

The results span different years, currencies and condition histories; together they are not a current market range. Phillips’ 2021 lot 152 carried a Rolex UK letter confirming issue in 1978; its catalogue reported the result as CHF 504,000. Sotheby’s later reported CHF 482,600 for its 2023 lot 3. Auction catalogues also document mismatched casebacks, service parts and owner-added components, so sale descriptions should be read at the lot level.

Dial on a double-reference 5513/5517, case 3,926,898. Sotheby’s, 2023, lot 64.

Authentication notes

Authentication depends on the whole watch. Compare the case references and numbers, caseback inscriptions, movement, dial, hands, bezel and documented service history. Phillips’ caseback-swapping example shows why a mismatch needs explanation rather than an automatic rejection; the same evidence does not make every mismatch acceptable.

Preserve lot-specific observations when describing an individual watch. The sources cited here do not give a complete serial range or the original delivery configuration of every watch.

Whole watch, 5517
Movement and case interior
Hands and dial
Bezel
T marking
Fixed bars
Double-reference example