Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Mar 27, 2011

LOT 520

Rolex Ref. 5512 Square Crown Guard Rolex, ?Oyster Perpetual, 200 m/660 ft, Submariner?, case No. 478019, Ref. 5512. Made in 1959. Fine and very rare, early, center seconds, self-winding, waterresistant, stainless steel wristwatch with a stainless steel Rolex Jubilé bracelet.

CHF 10,000 - 20,000

USD 10,000 - 20,000 / EUR 7,500 - 15,000

Sold: CHF 35,000

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back and crown, graduated bi-directional revolving black bezel for the decompression times, winding-crown protected by the crown guard. D. Black with luminous round, triangular and baton indexes, outer minute track. Luminous steel skeleton hands. M. Cal. 1530, rhodium-plated, 26 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock absorber, selfcompensating Breguet balance spring, index regulator. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 40 mm. Thickness 14 mm. Approx overall length 165 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-55-02

Very good

Luminous material reapplied

HANDS Service hands

Notes

Rolex introduced reference 5512 in 1959 to substitute for Ref. 5510 and 6538, starting with a 478.xxx serial number. The most important features of the new reference were a new wide graduated revolving bezel for the decompression times, a smaller winding crown (from 8 to 7 mm.) and a protected winding crown called the ?crown guard?. The earliest models featured square type guards; approximately 100 examples of Ref. 5512 were tested by professional divers. It came out that this type of crown guard was not easy to use while wearing professional diver's gloves and Rolex stopped production. To the best of our knowledge, a few hundred Ref. 5512 with square guards were made, starting with serial number 478.xxx, and only in 1959. The present lot is the 19th Rolex Ref. 5512 ever made. It features the original dial with the depth range written in silver and ?Submariner? in gilt. Only a few examples appeared on the market. Due to its rarity this model is much sought-after by Rolex collectors.