
Jonathan Darracott
Global Head
Sold for £69,000 inc. premium
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Head of sale, Knightsbridge
Head of Department
Senior Cataloguer
In the early 1970s, the British Ministry of Defence commissioned a very limited batch of Rolex reference 5513 Submariners, designed to enhanced specifications to meet the demands of their Special Forces. These "Military Submariners", or "MilSubs", differ in many ways from standard production pieces. They feature thicker, sword-shaped hands for enhanced legibility, a rotating bezel calibrated to 60 minutes, an encircled "T" on the dial indicating the use of luminescent Tritium, and solid steel bars fixed between the lugs. Military watches are then engraved with various numbers denoting the regiment and force that the watch was issued to. When purchased from a friend, the current owner chose to have these numbers polished off.