Rolex Submariner 'Exclamation Dial', Reference 5512 | A stainless steel...
Dial: black
Calibre: cal. 1560 automatic, 26 jewels
Case: stainless steel, screw-down case back
Case number: 577'890
Closure: stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet and folding clasp
Size: 40 mm diameter, bracelet circumference approximately 195 mm
Signed: case, dial and movement
Accessories: Rolex presentation case with outer packaging
Catalogue Note:
Introduced in 1959, the Rolex Submariner reference 5512 marked an important evolution in the history of the manufacture's celebrated diving watch. Its enlarged 40 mm Oyster case and newly introduced protective crown guards established the foundations of a design that would define the Submariner for generations. During its earliest years, however, Rolex experimented with several crown guard profiles, among which the distinctive pointed crown guards, affectionately known to collectors as Cornino and found on the present example, remain particularly sought after.
Dating from circa 1960, the present example brings together several of the most fascinating characteristics of early Submariner production. Its glossy black dial, with delicate gilt chapter ring and two-line signature, possesses a richness and depth quite different from the matte dials of later years. Beneath the hour marker at 6 o'clock sits an additional luminous dot which, together with the rectangular marker above, forms the celebrated 'Exclamation Mark'. Associated with Rolex's transition towards lower-radiation luminous materials in the early 1960s, this distinctive detail has become one of the most intriguing and sought-after variations among early Submariner dials.
The glossy gilt dial features a chapter ring with minute divisions extending to the outer edge, a characteristic of early Submariner production that would gradually disappear as Rolex refined the reference throughout the 1960s. Together with its pointed crown guards and unusual luminous configuration, the present watch captures a fascinating period of experimentation in the evolution of one of Rolex's most celebrated professional watches.
Dial: black
Calibre: cal. 1560 automatic, 26 jewels
Case: stainless steel, screw-down case back
Case number: 577'890
Closure: stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet and folding clasp
Size: 40 mm diameter, bracelet circumference approximately 195 mm
Signed: case, dial and movement
Accessories: Rolex presentation case with outer packaging
Catalogue Note:
Introduced in 1959, the Rolex Submariner reference 5512 marked an important evolution in the history of the manufacture's celebrated diving watch. Its enlarged 40 mm Oyster case and newly introduced protective crown guards established the foundations of a design that would define the Submariner for generations. During its earliest years, however, Rolex experimented with several crown guard profiles, among which the distinctive pointed crown guards, affectionately known to collectors as Cornino and found on the present example, remain particularly sought after.
Dating from circa 1960, the present example brings together several of the most fascinating characteristics of early Submariner production. Its glossy black dial, with delicate gilt chapter ring and two-line signature, possesses a richness and depth quite different from the matte dials of later years. Beneath the hour marker at 6 o'clock sits an additional luminous dot which, together with the rectangular marker above, forms the celebrated 'Exclamation Mark'. Associated with Rolex's transition towards lower-radiation luminous materials in the early 1960s, this distinctive detail has become one of the most intriguing and sought-after variations among early Submariner dials.
The glossy gilt dial features a chapter ring with minute divisions extending to the outer edge, a characteristic of early Submariner production that would gradually disappear as Rolex refined the reference throughout the 1960s. Together with its pointed crown guards and unusual luminous configuration, the present watch captures a fascinating period of experimentation in the evolution of one of Rolex's most celebrated professional watches.
