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Old 28 April 2018, 06:58 AM   #7
NOPDK
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: South Florida
Posts: 598
History of this 5513

I would like to thank Phillip for his enthusiasm over my father Mark’s 1966 Meters First Gilt-Glossy Rolex Submariner 5513. If you are interested in the history of this piece read on. If not there are plenty of pictures.

This watch has always held strong sentimental value as one of the few things I have to remember my father by. Phillip’s interest in the history of the watch and the factors that lead the dial to age has motivated me take a step back and look at the watch more objectively. While this watch sparked my interest in watch collecting I have never felt totally at ease wearing it. It has been in my possession going on 30 years but it still does not feel like my watch. In my mind it will forever be my fathers. The story of this watch is also the story of my father’s final years of life. The changes in the dial and patina are a result of the trials he put this watch through.

From 1966 through my father’s death in 1973 this watch enjoyed the hard use a Rolex Submariner is made to endure. The dial has taken on a dark chocolate brown hue and the tritium lume has aged into a deep creamy yellow. This watch was produced during a period when Rolex used a paint/lacquer on the dial with the potential for unpredictable aging. It seems that extreme UV exposure followed by years of complete darkness triggered some of the watches with this paint/lacquer on the dial to change, each in their own way. Over the past decade I have noticed the dial becoming brown and expect this to continue. Happily, the color change is very even.

The story of this watch begins with my Grandfather. After returning from serving his country in Europe during WW2 my grandfather settled into becoming a Jeweler in NYC. He was one of the early tenants of the Jewelers Exchange on 47th street. My father was born in 1947 and at the age of 17 left home to join the Airforce. He was stationed at Hickam Air Force Base on Oahu and in Japan. He returned home to Long Island after a few years of service and joined the Merchant Marines working around the NY area.

Rolex serial number 138XXXX , a gilt-glossy dialed 5513 that was to become my fathers was produced first quarter of 1966. This would have made it one of the late production gilt-glossy dialed 5513’s before they transitioned to the much more common matte dial. I do not know why my Grandfather gave his 19yo son this watch nor the specific occasion. Perhaps he felt this was one of the few watches that could keep up with my father’s activities. There were not many options for waterproof watches at that time and the Submariners reputation as a durable workhorse was already being minted.

In 1967 with the 5513 on his wrist Mark traveled west to Laguna beach to surf and enjoy everything else happening in California during the late 60’s. In 1968 he moved back to the Hawaiian Islands.

His occupations over the following 6 years included:
Diver for black coral on Maui
Salvage diver on Maui
Paniolo on the Big Island. (Hawaiian cowboy running cattle)
Deck mate of University of Hawaii research ship

Mark worked to afford his play. One activity was big wave surfing on the North Shore of Oahu during the winter season. The late 60’s were the early years for big wave surfing. In talking to his friends who were there with him, Mark was known to venture out on the bigger days when most would keep to the safety of the shoreline.

Mark was an avid offshore fisherman and was sponsored by Shakespeare fishing rods. In addition to fishing the Hawaiian Islands he fished his home waters off of Long Island as well as Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Mark’s younger brother Michael tell stories of how if the fishing wasn’t working out and the seas were high Mark would run his center console as hard as he could until Michael would get sea-sick and have to jump overboard to alleviate the nausea.

All of these activities were while wearing this watch which are a testament to the engineering and the durability of the Rolex Submariner. I doubt he ever had the watch serviced or gave any care to keeping it safe. The Submariner was designed as a tool watch and he used it as such.

In December of 1973 Mark was killed in a rollover Jeep accident while wearing the watch. The roll-bar of his Jeep collapsed crushing him under the car. Mark’s Submariner survived and his girlfriend put his 5513 in a shoe box for the next 15 years until it she gave it to me when I turned 18. Its existence was unknown to me and it was a great surprise to receive the watch. Prior to that all I had of my fathers was his hunting knife.

Mark’s watch came to me on a dry-rotted leather strap still covered in his blood from the day of the accident. I remember discarding the leather strap and cleaning off the watch. We took the watch for service where they lubricated the movement and polished the plexi which was badly gauged and scratched up. The jeweler sourced a 93150 Oyster bracelet which Mark’s watch was mounted to. I recall him recommending this choice over the year correct rivet model.

Mark’s Rolex has now traveled though 3 generations of my family. It was on my father’s wrist when I was born. I wore it to High School, College, and Medical School graduations. It was on my wrist for my important life milestones including my wedding and the birth of my daughter. However, it mostly was stored away safely in a dark place letting the dial age as it has.

One fun adventure Mark’s 5513 has joined me on was the photoshoot for Porsche Excellence Magazine on a 1973 911 hotrod that I restored. While driving the photographer snapped a picture from inside the car that was unplanned but really welcome when I discovered how it captured Mark’s watch on my wrist.

My thanks to Phillip Ridley for his expert service and for educating me on how uniquely this 5513 has aged. His service and communication were first class. Phillip was able to source a year correct 1966 stamped Swiss 7206 bracelet as well as install a vintage correct color matched bezel pearl. The original T19 crystal wouldn’t pressure test 15 years ago so a service crystal was mounted back then. Phillip fitted a correct T19 which domes more than the service ones. Additionally, NOS color matched tritium hands were sourced from a seller in England and the match to the dial is better than I could have hoped.

Someday when I am gone my daughter will take over caring for this special piece of my family history. I have already told her it will be hers. It is special that a Meters First Tropical Gilt-Glossy Dialed Rolex 5513 gets to link us. In part I have put these thoughts and memories down as a memoir to my daughter so that she can read this someday. Thank you for taking the time to hear about Mark’s 5513. The process of writing this has given me opportunity to think about my father, this Rolex and all of the related circumstances.

I'm open to questions and comments on the watch.

I will post pictures of history of the watch separately.
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