Your opinion on a 5508 I have an opportunity to buy

[frenchguy]

Hi all,

I had been looking for a really nice patinaed 5513and I happened onto this 5508 and would like your opinion on this watch. It’s offered to me at a price slightly higher than the typical perfect maxi dial 5513 with box (obviously this one is watch only)

Should I buy?

I know little about the watch (and 5508 in general) other than the fact that it’s a 1966 service dial and these photos:





N.B. I have bought from this seller before.



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[swish77]

Nice-looking vintage Sub, but the lack of the original dial would be a deal-breaker for me. I don't mind some service parts, depending on the price and reference, but not the dial. Still, if this watch had the original gilt dial, it would be much more expensive, of course.

It depends on what you're in the market for .... a nice vintage Rolex that you don't plan on selling, or a vintage Rolex with original parts that you'll enjoy but with some investment potential.

[SubKing]

A service dial isn’t a deal breaker for me at all.. When we are talking about such an old service dial, the service dial is vintage itself, regardless if its a service replacement or not.

When you are dealing with watches from the 50’s, many of them have service dials do to the age. If we were talking about a 70’s red sub with service dial, it will most likely have a modern luminova dial, that imo is a little less tolerable in the collector world, but on the super old references, it is more acceptable. Just because a watch has a service part doesn’t mean it’s any less of a watch and is still very collectible and sought after, The value is reduced of course, but still a wanted watch.

In regards to that 5508, the thing that bothers me about it is the service insert looks like it has been artificially faded from the looks of it.
It all comes down to asking price.

[frenchguy]

What makes you think it's been aged artificially, I wouldn't know.

It's offered time for $16.5k


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[Vincent65]

Insert fade looks good to me

[theflywrist]

Originally Posted by Vincent65

Insert fade looks good to me

Thought so too.
There of course no way to be certain, but the watch overall looks great!

Service dial, mid font insert, but the price reflects all that.
I agree the service dial is also old and a tritium service dial so it depends on you really. Its very subjective. Some guys don't mind them some do, they are definitely beautiful.

Would you prefer an all "correct" maxi, or a NCG 5508 with a service dial/late insert.

Good luck with the decision!

[roh123]

Looks like a glossy service dial no? Huge upside compared to a matte one imho. Also has correct length hands which is more appealing. All down to price snd preference I guess.

[SubKing]

Originally Posted by roh123

Looks like a glossy service dial no? Huge upside compared to a matte one imho. Also has correct length hands which is more appealing. All down to price snd preference I guess.

per, I was thinking that as well, but could not tell for certain from pictures if this is a service gilt gloss dial or matte?

If gloss, then that does add to value.

nice 7206 bracelet its on as well.. I wonder if its on 58 ends or updated 80's?

nice piece and I would be happy to own it, the insert doesn't bother me, I would have an older insert period correct to the service dial sourced tho.

[SubKing]

Originally Posted by frenchguy

What makes you think it's been aged artificially, I wouldn't know.

It's offered time for $16.5k


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Originally Posted by Vincent65

Insert fade looks good to me

Originally Posted by theflywrist

Thought so too.
There of course no way to be certain, but the watch overall looks great!

Service dial, mid font insert, but the price reflects all that.
I agree the service dial is also old and a tritium service dial so it depends on you really. Its very subjective. Some guys don't mind them some do, they are definitely beautiful.

Would you prefer an all "correct" maxi, or a NCG 5508 with a service dial/late insert.

Good luck with the decision!

I only think the insert is doctored because the fade looks similar to fades I have seen in the past on inserts that were bleached.

It's a thin font service insert and the age it shows just seems unlikely for an insert of that period. The luminova dot that came on that thin font service insert was also replaced with an older tritium one.

Fading is a weird thing and sometimes fades can be perfectly uniform on the insert, but normally I like for slight variations and blotches on naturally faded inserts, because true fading isn't a consistent thing 9 times out of 10.

So add the fact that this is a service insert and a recent one, the fade and the condition, it just seems to me at least, it was aged to match the overall patina of the watch, call me crazy.