Rolex Submariner 5512 Review | Bob's Watches

The Rolex Submariner first made an appearance in 1953 as one of the world’s very first dive watches, and the first one to achieve a depth rating of 100 meters (330 feet). Within the first few years of the Submariner’s release, Rolex released a number of different references; however it was not until the 1959 launch of the ref. 5512 that Rolex’s legendary dive watch would start to take on what would ultimately become its contemporary form.

Prior versions of the Submariner were largely based on Rolex’s existing Turn-O-Graph watch design, meaning that they have 38mm cases without crown-guards. With the arrival of the Rolex Submariner 5512, the case grew to 40mm, water-resistance increased to 200 meters, and crown-guards were added to the side of the case to offer better protection for the winding crown. A case diameter of 40mm and crown-guards have become defining characteristics of the Rolex Submariner collection, and since the introduction of the ref. 5512, every single subsequent Submariner watch has featured these traits.

Like its predecessors, the ref. 5512 was a time only watch with a black, luminous dial and a black, bidirectional timing bezel. Powering the very first Submariner 5512 watches was the Caliber 1530 movement, which was later upgraded to the chronometer-rated Caliber 1560 and then Caliber 1570 movements, which ultimately became the key feature that separated the reference 5512 from its more common, non-chronometer-rated sibling, the ref. 5513.

Due to having a chronometer-rated movement, Submariner 5512 watches (with the exception of the very earliest examples) will have the additional ‘Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified’ text on their dials below the depth rating and the ‘Submariner’ name. As these Rolex Submariner dials have 4 lines of text on their lower halves, they are sometimes referred to as ‘4-line dials’ to denote the presence of the additional chronometer-certification text.

During its relatively long production run, the ref. 5512 Submariner was manufactured with a range of variation in regards to the dials, hands, bezels, and crown-guards that were used. Early Rolex Submariner ref. 5512 watches were fitted with glossy gilt dials; however by the late 1960s, Rolex had switted to matte dials, which were used for the remaining duration of the ref. 5512 Submariner’s production. With that in mind, dozens of slight variations exist among both gilt and matte dials, which makes the Rolex Submariner 5512 an exciting watch for collectors to collect and pursue.

As the model credited for providing the Submariner with its now-iconic 40mm form, the ref. 5512 is a popular favorite among vintage Rolex collectors, and it was even the personal watch of choice by legendary Hollywood actor, Steve McQueen. Although McQueen wore a number of different watches in his various films, it was the Submariner 5512 that he wore the most off-screen in his personal life, and countless photos can be found of him wearing this vintage Rolex classic.

Production of the ref. 5512 lasted until the end of the 1970s and by that time, Rolex was also offering the less-expensive and non-chronometer-rated ref. 5513, along with the date-displaying ref. 1680, which also had a chronometer-certified movement. While the reference 5512 promised superior timekeeping than the ref. 5513; the two watches were largely identical from an aesthetic perspective, and the more accessible price point of the non-chronometer-certified ref. 5513 made it the more attractive option to the majority of dive watch buyers.

Due to both its shorter production run, and the fact that its sales numbers weren’t as high as the ref. 5513, reference 5512 Submariner watches are significantly less common than their non-chronometer-rated counterparts. Consequently, prices for Submariner 5512 watches have increased dramatically in recent years, and although they may look similar to the more-common ref. 5513, they are typically significantly more expensive when comparing similar models from the same era.

While the reference 5512 was certainly not the first Rolex Submariner ever created, it was the model that set the standard for all subsequent iterations of the brand’s legendary dive watch. Today, the Rolex Submariner 5512 is considered a true classic and a worthy addition to any serious watch collection.

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