In the world of vintage Rolex, the 5513 is quite an essential piece for any collector. Given its timeless design and different variants, the 5513 is one of the most favored reference for collectors worldwide.
The 5513 is different from the 1680 as the latter has a date window at 3 o’ clock. Without the date function, the 5513 features a clean dial that is one of the most classic in the world of dive watches. The 5513 was produced from around 1962-1989 and it had a very long production run. Throughout those years, the 5513 had different dial variants.
The matte dial 5513s were produced from around 1966, when the glossy gilt era ended, to 1984, when the lacquered glossy dial with white gold surroundings came. The Meters First dials were produced from s/n 1.6 in 1966 to around s/n 2.2 in 1970. The main feature is that the depth rating on the dial writes “200m=660ft” instead of “660ft=200m” in later variants. Other features include :
- starting from the top of the dial, the “L” in “ROLEX” should have very little if any serif on top and should be centered under the coronet.
- the “6’s” in the depth rating are semi-open
- the “SWISS – T < 25” marking at the bottom of the dial is across a total of five minute hash marks at the bottom of the dial. (info from www.5513mattedial.com)
A 5513 Meters First is collectible because it was produced only from around 1966 to 1970. It is relatively rare and the distinct “meters first” feature was not to be seen in any later dial variants. A nice 5513 Meters First should have a clean dial without any broken minute markers or dirty lume. Also, the case should be fat and not overpolished, retaining as much the original shape as it can. It is best to be paired with a Swiss 7206 rivet bracelet which is relatively rare nowadays. The insert has to be a fat font MK3 insert instead of later thin font insert.
In the photos here is my 5513 Meters First 2.0mil s/n on a 7206 rivet bracelet from the same year the watch was manufactured. It features a mesmerizing ghost insert and it comes with an extra slightly faded MK3 fat font insert. The case is super fat and the dial is clean.
A 7206 rivet bracelet can cost up to 20k hkd while a MK3 insert can cost around 15-18k hkd. An average 5513 Meters First’s market price is around 135,000hkd while those in better condition or on rivet bracelets is around 150,000-160,000 hkd.