1967 Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513 with ‘Meters First’ matte dial

$11,500.00

The Submariner reference 5513 is one of the longest-running and most storied references in Rolex history, produced from 1962 to 1989 across an extraordinary range of dial and case evolutions. Its earliest chapter — the gilt dial era of the first half of the 1960s — is the one collectors pursue most intensely, but the moment immediately after rewards equal attention. Around the 1.5-1.6 million serial range in 1966, Rolex made a definitive shift: the gilt lacquer gave way to the matte dial that would define the 5513 for the following two decades. The very first of these matte dials — those from the transition window immediately preceding the settled matte production — carry a specific and telling detail: the depth rating printed as ‘SUBMARINER 200m=660ft’, metres before feet, a convention that Rolex would soon reverse on all subsequent matte examples. These ‘Meters First’ dials are the opening sentence of the matte era, and they are among the most historically significant dial configurations the entire 5513 production ever produced.

This early 1967 Meters First matte dials’ surface has aged deeply and honestly over six decades. The dial has accumulated staining throughout — a rich, characterful transformation that stops well short of the crackling or bubbling common to the gilt dials it succeeded, preserving the structural integrity of the surface while documenting every year of its existence. The period-correct domed tritium plots are original and present, some having lost part of their luminous mass, the survivors showing a lovely mustard patina that reads warmly against the darkened ground. The hands are later period replacements with relumed tritium — an honest disclosure that affects the presentation without diminishing the authenticity of everything else this watch carries. The case retains its bevel geometry despite previous polishing and normal wear, thick and present. The MK2 ‘Long 5’ bezel insert has aged softly and beautifully, its original tritium pip intact and patinated in coherent tone. On a Rolex Oyster 7836 with 380 end links, good condition, light stretch and wear.

A Meters First 5513 from the opening chapter of the matte era — aged fully, disclosed honestly, and wearing its place in history without fanfare.

Brand: Rolex

Model: Submariner

Reference: 5513

Serial: 1580xxx

Year: 1967

Case material: All stainless steel

Case dimensions: 40mm excluding crown

Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds

Caliber: Rolex cal. 1520 Automatic

Bracelet: Rolex Oyster 7836 stainless steel bracelet with 380 end links

Crystal: Acrylic