Bought new from a jewellery shop in Doncaster for £69 in 1966, this Rolex Submariner 5513 is estimated at £80,000-120,000 at Gardiner Houlgate’s sale in Corsham, Wiltshire, on May 23.
While the vast majority of 1960s Rolex Submariners were replaced with a standard no-number dial, this example, which has never been serviced before, retains the highly sought-after Explorer 3-6-9 dial.
“It’s a stroke of luck that the owner of this watch never had it serviced,” said auctioneer David Hare. “If he had, Rolex may have replaced the 3-6-9 dial and the value of his watch would have dropped from over £100,000 to around £5000.”
Owned by the vendor since purchase, the watch comes complete with its receipt, guarantee booklet and a 1965 Rolex sales catalogue.
gardinerhoulgate.co.uk or see this item on thesaleroom.com
