first time buyer 5513 advice please

[SA Coastal]

Hi there,
I have read the brilliant thesis on the 5513. Thank you so much for the shared information. As a novice i have come across a 5513 serial number 1785.. evidently 1964 with meters first? The photos I have are not great. Could someone please have a look and advise me. Selling price is just under $9000.
Sorry, battling with images.
SA COASTAL

[Dirt]

Ask on the vintage forum for a better assessment.
It looks lovely.

[Kingface66]

That serial number chart you used is incorrect. A 1,785,xxx serial number should put it in the 1967 matte dial (but meters first) range. At first glance, the bezel insert is not correct and the bracelet is not what would’ve come on that watch.As for the dial, and case, it would help immensely if you could post some clear, detailed, and in-focus pics of the watch.

This is a good reference for serial numbers, by the way: https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=54362

[Beelzy]

Crystal is not in good shape, you can see rust spots at 50, 55, 5, and 10 minute
marks.

[SA Coastal]

Thank you. I have asked for better pics. Will post as soon as I can.

[SA Coastal]

Dies this help? The case back dose have an engraving of the previous owner.
SA Soastal

[SA Coastal]

The pic.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by SA Coastal

The pic.

We need better, clearer photos of the dial, and from a couple of angles. It looks as if something's up with the lume, but it's hard to tell for sure in the photo. Look at the very top of the 6 o'clock hour marker. Surely the seller can provide excellent sharp photos of such an expensive vintage watch. If not, that alone would be a red flag for me.

The lugs look OK, not too polished, but I'm not loving the crown guards, especially the top one. They've lost quite a lot of metal from polishing.

It's definitely a later bezel insert and bracelet, as mentioned above, but that's relatively minor, although if you're a stickler for the original-style insert for the serial number, it'll be expensive to track one down. Good luck!

[SA Coastal]

For the input and advice.
SA COASTAL

[alwayshere]

would appear

- service hands
- service insert
- 703 crown (replaced the 702)

[SA Coastal]

Once again, the comments and advice have been invaluable to me. The dealer, from Cape Town has told me, having been informed of my "due diligence" findings (our guys input) that I am speaking "crap". So I am definitely out on this one and will not touch anything he advertises.

SA COASTAL

[alwayshere]

It would appear it is all genuine Rolex - so the seller isn't wrong by saying all original.

Btw, not everyone understands the concept of "untouched" so takes some education.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by alwayshere

It would appear it is all genuine Rolex - so the seller isn't wrong by saying all original.

Btw, not everyone understands the concept of "untouched" so takes some education.

I think the seller was wrong, or at least very misleading. "All original" means (or should mean) all parts on the watch are the "original" ones that came with it from the factory. That watch included Rolex parts that were replaced at service. Any time something is replaced, it's no longer "original," of course.

[Kingface66]

Originally Posted by alwayshere

It would appear it is all genuine Rolex - so the seller isn't wrong by saying all original.

Btw, not everyone understands the concept of "untouched" so takes some education.

There is a definite distinction between “genuine” and “original” as our colleague Swish77 pointed out. If you didn’t know much about Rolexes and were told that a 1964 Sub was “all original Rolex” and you paid a premium price for one, just to learn later that the dial, insert, hands, crown, and bracelet were all replaced with “genuine” Rolex service parts 40 years later, I could see why you’d feel you’d been very mislead.

[alwayshere]

Originally Posted by swish77

I think the seller was wrong, or at least very misleading. "All original" means (or should mean) all parts on the watch are the "original" ones that came with it from the factory. That watch included Rolex parts that were replaced at service. Any time something is replaced, it's no longer "original," of course.

Not defending the seller here gents - i'm just saying not everyone has the same understanding as us when it comes to preserving a watch's "originality".

He may have simply understood "original" as meaning all Rolex, i.e. no aftermarket parts.

But yes, OP should move on and look elsewhere