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Earliest Known Military Submariner.
<!--TEXT-->Stainless steel Rolex Oyster Submariner, model number 5510, case number 362196, dating from the first quarter of 1958.
Made for the Australian Navy, this is the rarest Submariner I have ever seen. In simple terms this watch scores four times in the rarity stakes. Firstly, it is a model 5510, generally acknowledged to be the rarest Submariner model of all, next it is a military Submariner and all military Subs are rare watches. Then it is the first military "James Bond" submariner ever to surface. The existence of the military James Bond watches has been known for some time, see the ad on page 259 of our book and Click here to see a blow up of the watch in the ad. Finally it has the most desirable of all dials with the gloss black back ground and luminous 3/6/9 numerals.
The 5510 is a strange interim model, in that it uses the old style "James Bond" shoulderless case with the large 8mm "Brevette" crown but fitted with the newer 1520 movement. It is universally acknowledged that the 15XX series of calibres is the best that Rolex ever made; so the combination of the old style case & the 1520 make this one of the most usable of the vintage Rolex watches.
The dial is a fabulous gloss black with silver gold printing whilst the luminous tritium has faded to a slightly cream colour. The original gold hands have also faded to a similar colour. The case is in excellent condition but does show signs of its 40+ years of life; the bezel & insert are original but the insert has several light scratches; the rare 8mm "Brevet" crown is brand new (as is the tube), the original bezel insert still has the red triangle at 12 .
<!--TEXT-->Stainless steel Rolex Oyster Submariner, model number 5510, case number 362196, dating from the first quarter of 1958.
Made for the Australian Navy, this is the rarest Submariner I have ever seen. In simple terms this watch scores four times in the rarity stakes. Firstly, it is a model 5510, generally acknowledged to be the rarest Submariner model of all, next it is a military Submariner and all military Subs are rare watches. Then it is the first military "James Bond" submariner ever to surface. The existence of the military James Bond watches has been known for some time, see the ad on page 259 of our book and Click here to see a blow up of the watch in the ad. Finally it has the most desirable of all dials with the gloss black back ground and luminous 3/6/9 numerals.
The 5510 is a strange interim model, in that it uses the old style "James Bond" shoulderless case with the large 8mm "Brevette" crown but fitted with the newer 1520 movement. It is universally acknowledged that the 15XX series of calibres is the best that Rolex ever made; so the combination of the old style case & the 1520 make this one of the most usable of the vintage Rolex watches.
The dial is a fabulous gloss black with silver gold printing whilst the luminous tritium has faded to a slightly cream colour. The original gold hands have also faded to a similar colour. The case is in excellent condition but does show signs of its 40+ years of life; the bezel & insert are original but the insert has several light scratches; the rare 8mm "Brevet" crown is brand new (as is the tube), the original bezel insert still has the red triangle at 12 .