Vintage Rolex Submariner 5512 Spider Dial

Vintage Rolex Submariner 5512 Spider Dial

This watch is in great, honest vintage condition. The case is in good condition with normal signs of wear, scratches, and some nicks. Between the lugs show some wear and all the numbers are visible. The inside caseback is stamped “5513 I.65.” Rolex would often times use 5512 and 5513 caseback interchangeably and we have seen this many times before. The bezel ring has remained sharp and the “fat font Long 5” bezel insert shows some normal wear and scratches. The bezel has faded throughout and presents as an attractive grey color. The pip is a later replacement. This watch has retained it’s correct non-triplock crown. The dial is in good, attractive condition and has developed patina throughout. The dial has remained glossy. The dial shows signs of cracking or “spidering” throughout and has wear around the edge. Some of the cracks look a bit brown which can be hard to notice depending on the lighting. The lume on the dial has developed patina and aged to a lovely buttery yellow color. The hands have developed patina and the lume in the hands has been color matched/ relumed and is close to the color of the lume on the dial. This watch has a C&I USA rivet Oyster bracelet with 12 links. The bracelet is in overall good, honest condition with normal signs of wear, scratches and nicks; it has stretch between the links which is not uncommon for this style bracelet. The clasp is stamped “74” indicating it’s from 1974.

The Rolex 5512 (Circa 1966) is an important reference in Submariner history; It was the first Submariner to feature crown guards, a detail that all Subs would have going forward and still do today. Throughout the production of the 5512 Rolex made many different variations, from glossy dials to matte dials with many slight updates and changes. The 5512 may look nearly identical to the 5513 (that came out in 1962, three years later) but the main difference would be that the 5512 has the chronometer certified movement (COSC). Since the 5512 had a COSC movement, they were more expensive than the 5513 and were not as popular, we see less of them in general. The 5512’s would typically have four lines of text at the bottom of the dial and the 5513 always has two; that is one good way of telling apart the references at a glance Its not always that simple, early examples of the 5512 also have two lines of text, but still have the COSC movement. Speaking of the movement, when looking closely at the movement on this example, it is stamped with the US import code “ROW” indicating it was made for the US market. Overall the 5512 is a cult favorite and we see many collectors gravitate towards these especially after they have gone down the rabbit hole.

This example dates to circa 1966 and features a gilt, glossy dial—one of the last glossy variations before Rolex transitioned to matte dials. Over time, the surface has developed a distinctive cracks, earning it the nickname “Spider Dial,” as the pattern resembles a spider’s web. The term gilt refers to the gold-colored printing of the Rolex logo, model name, and depth rating, while glossy describes the deep, shiny black surface of the dial. This dial has the additional two lines of text beneath the depth rating, applied directly to the dial. There’s something special about these gilt glossy Submariners that collectors covet and this one with its “Spider dial” has a unique look you wont find on another one.

Authenticity