once this item comes back in stock
This present watch appears to be from the very beginning of the 1970s. It has a ‘feet first’ matte dial with a fat-font bezel insert, and it’s fitted with a folded-link Oyster bracelet that has a decent amount of stretch and appears to likely be original to the watch. There’s a beautiful matching patina on the tritium dial and hands, but the real party-piece of this watch is right here - a helium escape valve on the side of the case and a COMEX engraving on the case-back.
COMEX is a French diving company that was founded in 1961, right around the time that scuba diving was really starting to take hold and establish itself in the world. COMEX focused on commercial diving and deep-sea exploration, performing pioneering work in the budding field of saturation diving - we’re talking hyperbaric testing chambers and experimenting with different gas mixtures so that humans could dive deeper and stay down longer.
This watch features a 2.8-million serial number, which gives it an estimated production date of 1971. This makes it an early example of the COMEX-issued Submariner watches, and this is supported by the fact that it is a reference 5513 rather than a reference 5514 or a later-era Submariner model fitted with a COMEX-branded dial. The fact that this watch is more-or-less a standard matte dial reference 5513 Submariner that Rolex retrofitted with a helium escape valve suggests that it was one of the early Submariner watches issued to COMEX and its 1971 production date helps confirm this, as this was just one year after the partnership had started.
While this Submariner by itself is both rare and incredibly special, the fact that it came to us directly from the original owner means that we get to hear the story behind it and share it with you today. Included with the watch are both photos of the original owner from his days working with COMEX, along with a letter of provenance that details his experiences as a commercial diver and how this unusual Rolex Submariner came into his life.
Fantastic transaction and watch even better than described / pictures. Tanya was great to deal with, easy communication, give her a raise!
Watch shows better then in pictures . Second watch purchased from Bobs since October. Very happy with both experiences . I mistakenly overpaid on the price.of my last purchase. Along with the watch was a check for the overpayment. I feel Bobs as honest and trustworthy. Thanks
Excellent service . Fantastic communication. I couldn’t of asked for more .
The watch was delivered very quickly and was exactly as advertised. They even provided a few vintage pamphlets from the period. All my questions were answered promptly. Overall great experience. I will definitely buy my next Rolex from Bob’s.
The condition of this vintage Rolex 5513 is nicer than I anticipated based on the age. Your staff was very helpful and went out of their way to help make sure I had enough links in the band.
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