A Real Rarity: SBS Issue Submariner......

[jshell]

Story here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinbu...

[toohuge]

paid just under £100! that's serious bargain hunting. Lucky chap.

[pastrana72]

stunning discovery,

[wax lyrical]

jshell said:

Story here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinbu...

...the new owner is a friend (and fellow vintage Rolex enthusiast) located oop north!! It's a gorgeous watch.

Jammy git!!

[phumy]

There are some nutters around paying that much, these watches come up on the Bay for around 3-5k they are the Rolex 5513 or 5517. The picture depicts the watch (Rolex Military 5513, 5517) which used to be general issue to Royal Naval Clearance divers and Ordanance divers. So unless this watch has some particular history to go with it i can not see why its value is so high.

Maybe the BBC got its decimal point in the wrong place and it should have been 5,500GBP, that would be nearer the value.

Maybe there are some ex RN divers around to verify this.

Edited by phumy on Monday 12th May 04:12

[jshell]

phumy said:

There are some nutters around paying that much, these watches come up on the Bay for around 3-5k they are the Rolex 5513 or 5517. The picture depicts the watch (Rolex Military 5513, 5517) which used to be general issue to Royal Naval Clearance divers and Ordanance divers. So unless this watch has some particular history to go with it i can not see why its value is so high.

Maybe the BBC got its decimal point in the wrong place and it should have been 5,500GBP, that would be nearer the value.

Maybe there are some ex RN divers around to verify this.

Edited by phumy on Monday 12th May 04:12

Interesting, I know some ex-RN clearance divers - they're working as company reps on some of our North Sea diving vessels. I'll maybe e-mail and see if they know anything about it, or even better, have one of these watches.

[Dominic H]

phumy said:

There are some nutters around paying that much, these watches come up on the Bay for around 3-5k they are the Rolex 5513 or 5517. The picture depicts the watch (Rolex Military 5513, 5517) which used to be general issue to Royal Naval Clearance divers and Ordanance divers. So unless this watch has some particular history to go with it i can not see why its value is so high.

Maybe the BBC got its decimal point in the wrong place and it should have been 5,500GBP, that would be nearer the value.

Maybe there are some ex RN divers around to verify this.

Edited by phumy on Monday 12th May 04:12

Afraid not, there have been a couple of hmmmmmmm watches that come up from time to time on ebay. The price of £55k for the 'Laing' watch is bonkers but correct. The reason the price is so high, is rarity and demand, simple as that. The vintage Rolex has been rocketing over the last 5 years or so. A mint, pristine late 60's Rolex Seadweller (one of the very first examples, marked as 'Patent Pending') sold last month in New York for c$250,000. A very rare 1971 Rolex Daytona 'Albino' formerly owned by Eric Clapton sold by Sothebys for $505,000.......

[phumy]

Dominic H said:

phumy said:

There are some nutters around paying that much, these watches come up on the Bay for around 3-5k they are the Rolex 5513 or 5517. The picture depicts the watch (Rolex Military 5513, 5517) which used to be general issue to Royal Naval Clearance divers and Ordanance divers. So unless this watch has some particular history to go with it i can not see why its value is so high.

Maybe the BBC got its decimal point in the wrong place and it should have been 5,500GBP, that would be nearer the value.

Maybe there are some ex RN divers around to verify this.

Edited by phumy on Monday 12th May 04:12

Afraid not, there have been a couple of hmmmmmmm watches that come up from time to time on ebay. The price of £55k for the 'Laing' watch is bonkers but correct. The reason the price is so high, is rarity and demand, simple as that. The vintage Rolex has been rocketing over the last 5 years or so. A mint, pristine late 60's Rolex Seadweller (one of the very first examples, marked as 'Patent Pending') sold last month in New York for c$250,000. A very rare 1971 Rolex Daytona 'Albino' formerly owned by Eric Clapton sold by Sothebys for $505,000.......

The watch in the BBC link is neither the "Pristine Marked as Patent Pending Seadweller" or the "Eric Clapton Rolex Daytona Albino", so my statement still stands, its a submariner 5513.

[wax lyrical]

phumy said:

Dominic H said:

phumy said:

There are some nutters around paying that much, these watches come up on the Bay for around 3-5k they are the Rolex 5513 or 5517. The picture depicts the watch (Rolex Military 5513, 5517) which used to be general issue to Royal Naval Clearance divers and Ordanance divers. So unless this watch has some particular history to go with it i can not see why its value is so high.

Maybe the BBC got its decimal point in the wrong place and it should have been 5,500GBP, that would be nearer the value.

Maybe there are some ex RN divers around to verify this.

Edited by phumy on Monday 12th May 04:12

Afraid not, there have been a couple of hmmmmmmm watches that come up from time to time on ebay. The price of £55k for the 'Laing' watch is bonkers but correct. The reason the price is so high, is rarity and demand, simple as that. The vintage Rolex has been rocketing over the last 5 years or so. A mint, pristine late 60's Rolex Seadweller (one of the very first examples, marked as 'Patent Pending') sold last month in New York for c$250,000. A very rare 1971 Rolex Daytona 'Albino' formerly owned by Eric Clapton sold by Sothebys for $505,000.......

The watch in the BBC link is neither the "Pristine Marked as Patent Pending Seadweller" or the "Eric Clapton Rolex Daytona Albino", so my statement still stands, its a submariner 5513.

Yes, it's a 5513, but Military issue, so has the 'sword' hands, minute bezel, certain case engravings and a circled 'T' on the dial. These are NOT standard 5513's (which sell for about £3k).

The Military submariners were issued in relatively small numbers and not many nice examples are still in existence. Many were butchered later in life to make them look like normal Submariners, as the Military personnel swiped them from the MOD after they left the service (they should have been returned).

[Dominic H]

phumy said:

Dominic H said:

phumy said:

There are some nutters around paying that much, these watches come up on the Bay for around 3-5k they are the Rolex 5513 or 5517. The picture depicts the watch (Rolex Military 5513, 5517) which used to be general issue to Royal Naval Clearance divers and Ordanance divers. So unless this watch has some particular history to go with it i can not see why its value is so high.

Maybe the BBC got its decimal point in the wrong place and it should have been 5,500GBP, that would be nearer the value.

Maybe there are some ex RN divers around to verify this.

Edited by phumy on Monday 12th May 04:12

Afraid not, there have been a couple of hmmmmmmm watches that come up from time to time on ebay. The price of £55k for the 'Laing' watch is bonkers but correct. The reason the price is so high, is rarity and demand, simple as that. The vintage Rolex has been rocketing over the last 5 years or so. A mint, pristine late 60's Rolex Seadweller (one of the very first examples, marked as 'Patent Pending') sold last month in New York for c$250,000. A very rare 1971 Rolex Daytona 'Albino' formerly owned by Eric Clapton sold by Sothebys for $505,000.......

The watch in the BBC link is neither the "Pristine Marked as Patent Pending Seadweller" or the "Eric Clapton Rolex Daytona Albino", so my statement still stands, its a submariner 5513.

Yes, it's a 5513, but it was a limited issue watch provided for the UK forces which was modified by Rolex UK to MOD spec. Fine, you find yourself a couple of dozen ex SBS 5513's at £5k and I'll double your money.......

[Maxf]

phumy said:

The watch in the BBC link is neither the "Pristine Marked as Patent Pending Seadweller" or the "Eric Clapton Rolex Daytona Albino", so my statement still stands, its a submariner 5513.

Just like a Comex is 'just' a sea-dweller

ETA my old man was an RN diver in the early 70s - no Rolexes issues then. There is another chap on the forums who has a lovely early sea-dweller who also was an RN diver but bought the watch himself. Very few of these were issued - I read maybe 100 or so were altered by Rolex for official issue.

Edited by Maxf on Monday 12th May 17:11

[mel]

I can't give any comment on types or number but as an ex RN diver I can confirm that getting issued "the watch" was quite a big deal on completion of your CD's course, however the actual manufacturer changes every few years, I knew guys with rolex, Tudor, and omegas and they treated them as prized, alas in my case I got a bargin bucket citizen example. Also the watch was always shown on the individuals permanent loan record so when you left it HAD to be returned and always remained crown property unless sold at a disposal auction if you lost it the value got stopped out your wages. Oh yes there was always a roaring trade with currupt stores accountants who held the keys to the cupboard with the watches in we all used to try to swap ours for older or more desirable ones and I knew of a cupboard at vernon/gunwharf that had atleast 30+ rolexes in it and I dare say its still there at DDS.

[Dominic H]

phumy said:

There are some nutters around paying that much, these watches come up on the Bay for around 3-5k they are the Rolex 5513 or 5517. The picture depicts the watch (Rolex Military 5513, 5517) which used to be general issue to Royal Naval Clearance divers and Ordanance divers. So unless this watch has some particular history to go with it i can not see why its value is so high.

Maybe the BBC got its decimal point in the wrong place and it should have been 5,500GBP, that would be nearer the value.

Maybe there are some ex RN divers around to verify this.

Edited by phumy on Monday 12th May 04:12

Here's another Military Rolex, selling on eBay at the moment. The bid is £20k and rising....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rolex-Oyster-Perpetual-Subma...

[wax lyrical]

Dominic H said:

phumy said:

There are some nutters around paying that much, these watches come up on the Bay for around 3-5k they are the Rolex 5513 or 5517. The picture depicts the watch (Rolex Military 5513, 5517) which used to be general issue to Royal Naval Clearance divers and Ordanance divers. So unless this watch has some particular history to go with it i can not see why its value is so high.

Maybe the BBC got its decimal point in the wrong place and it should have been 5,500GBP, that would be nearer the value.

Maybe there are some ex RN divers around to verify this.

Edited by phumy on Monday 12th May 04:12

Here's another Military Rolex, selling on eBay at the moment. The bid is £20k and rising....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rolex-Oyster-Pe

Shame the 60min bezel has been replaced as have the fixed bars! The dial looks quite nice though. I suppose the bars can be redone, but it certainly damaged the value of this Milsub.

[lowdrag]

And already over £20,000 with nearly seven days to go! I've put this in my Ebay to follow the sale (but shan't be bidding!).

[phumy]

Dominic H said:

phumy said:

There are some nutters around paying that much, these watches come up on the Bay for around 3-5k they are the Rolex 5513 or 5517. The picture depicts the watch (Rolex Military 5513, 5517) which used to be general issue to Royal Naval Clearance divers and Ordanance divers. So unless this watch has some particular history to go with it i can not see why its value is so high.

Maybe the BBC got its decimal point in the wrong place and it should have been 5,500GBP, that would be nearer the value.

Maybe there are some ex RN divers around to verify this.

Edited by phumy on Monday 12th May 04:12

Here's another Military Rolex, selling on eBay at the moment. The bid is £20k and rising....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rolex-Oyster-Perpetual-Subma...

Apparently, all that glitters is not Gold

[Dominic H]

phumy said:

Dominic H said:

phumy said:

There are some nutters around paying that much, these watches come up on the Bay for around 3-5k they are the Rolex 5513 or 5517. The picture depicts the watch (Rolex Military 5513, 5517) which used to be general issue to Royal Naval Clearance divers and Ordanance divers. So unless this watch has some particular history to go with it i can not see why its value is so high.

Maybe the BBC got its decimal point in the wrong place and it should have been 5,500GBP, that would be nearer the value.

Maybe there are some ex RN divers around to verify this.

Edited by phumy on Monday 12th May 04:12

Here's another Military Rolex, selling on eBay at the moment. The bid is £20k and rising....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rolex-Oyster-Perpetual-Subma...

Apparently, all that glitters is not Gold

I have to at this point, confess to having bought & sold Mili subs at a fraction of the price of this one. Back when they were just a bit of an odity, that and those French diving jobbies......

[jshell]

Dominic H said:

........... that and those French diving jobbies......

Ah, the Comex, all of my old (well, some of them) had these and nothing I could do to buy one!

[bergmeister]

Mel,where is that cupboard,can you fly a chopper,i could then drop in on it!
A mil sub on your wrist would make even you look handsome

[matthew_h]

I was in a meeting a couple of years back with a chap opposite me who was wearing a Comex Seadweller. I asked him about it and he said his brother had given him it and that he was planning on getting the face changed as he didn't like the Comex branding.

I enlightened him and he was a bit shocked.