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Lot Essay
The present watch is a rare representative of famed reference 5512, featuring not only the coveted pointed crown guards, but also a black lacquer "exclamation" dial with gold printing. These types of dial are very hard to come by and garner immediate attention from Rolex aficionados. Characterized by an additional luminous dot positioned underneath the 6 o'clock hour marker, the exclamation dial is highly coveted.
All in all, this watch is a highly recommended and superb example of reference 5512 and of excellent overall condition.
Exclamation dials were used by Rolex as a means to indicate that the radium used on the dial to make it luminous was within the norm approved by the Atomic Energy Commission in the U.S. These types of dials are found only on models from the late 1950s to early 1960s. The radioactive radium used on luminous watch dials in the first part of the 20th century was replaced in the middle of the century by less harmful tritium.
Meanwhile, Rolex indicated the use of tritium by producing some "underline dials". Underline dials were characterized by a small silvered line under the designation Submariner or under the word Oyster Perpetual. These underline dials were used only during the period 1963-1964 on watches with a serial number between 950'000 and 1'100'000.
In later generations of watches, the designations "T Swiss Made T" or "Swiss T<25" were used. "T Swiss Made T" refers to Swiss made watches that contained a quantity of tritium emitting less than 227 megabecquerel (227 MBq) or 7.5 milliCurie (7.5 mCi) , while "Swiss T<25" refers to Swiss made watches that contained a quantity of tritium emitting less than 925 MBq or 25 mCi. Such designations were replaced by the end of the 1990s when watch companies began to use non-radioactive luminous compounds such as Luminova or SuperLuminova.
Both reference 5512 and reference 5513 come with two different types of protective crown guards: pointed ones or rounded ones. Examples with pointed crown guards are fewer and thus more attractive to collectors. Lovingly referred to as "cornino" by Italian watch enthusiasts, the ends of these crown guards are much thinner, almost tapering to a point, compared with the more rounded crown guards of later standard Rolex production.
Reference 5512 was introduced in 1959 and stayed in production until the late 1970s. Pointed crown guards can only be found in the first few years of production. The watch on offer dating from 1962 is, therefore, one of the last to feature them.
All in all, this watch is a highly recommended and superb example of reference 5512 and of excellent overall condition.
Exclamation dials were used by Rolex as a means to indicate that the radium used on the dial to make it luminous was within the norm approved by the Atomic Energy Commission in the U.S. These types of dials are found only on models from the late 1950s to early 1960s. The radioactive radium used on luminous watch dials in the first part of the 20th century was replaced in the middle of the century by less harmful tritium.
Meanwhile, Rolex indicated the use of tritium by producing some "underline dials". Underline dials were characterized by a small silvered line under the designation Submariner or under the word Oyster Perpetual. These underline dials were used only during the period 1963-1964 on watches with a serial number between 950'000 and 1'100'000.
In later generations of watches, the designations "T Swiss Made T" or "Swiss T<25" were used. "T Swiss Made T" refers to Swiss made watches that contained a quantity of tritium emitting less than 227 megabecquerel (227 MBq) or 7.5 milliCurie (7.5 mCi) , while "Swiss T<25" refers to Swiss made watches that contained a quantity of tritium emitting less than 925 MBq or 25 mCi. Such designations were replaced by the end of the 1990s when watch companies began to use non-radioactive luminous compounds such as Luminova or SuperLuminova.
Both reference 5512 and reference 5513 come with two different types of protective crown guards: pointed ones or rounded ones. Examples with pointed crown guards are fewer and thus more attractive to collectors. Lovingly referred to as "cornino" by Italian watch enthusiasts, the ends of these crown guards are much thinner, almost tapering to a point, compared with the more rounded crown guards of later standard Rolex production.
Reference 5512 was introduced in 1959 and stayed in production until the late 1970s. Pointed crown guards can only be found in the first few years of production. The watch on offer dating from 1962 is, therefore, one of the last to feature them.