Rolex submariner 5508 James Bond

This watch represents exactly what I love about this business, I had the pleasure of meeting the daughter of the original and only owner of this watch and she shared with me the story of how this watch was a gift from her grandfather to her father on his 16^th birthday in 1958 as he joined his first ship in the royal navy. The watch journeyed with him throughout his travels and was worn daily, as you can see this treasured gift has lived a life but most importantly the owner had the foresight to keep the watch completely original even though it has been regularly serviced and keeps perfect time.

The Rolex Submariner 5508 was released in late 1957 so this example dating to 1958 is among the earliest and has the hallmark early cal 1530 with the original butterfly rotor. The serial number of the watch is 361XXX which corresponds to the inner case back engraving dated 11/58 confirming as mentioned earlier the watch dates to 1958.

Sean Connery famously wore an early no crown guard Submariner in three Bond films and so early references like the 5508 are fondly associated with James Bond. Its an incredible coincidence that I also currently have an original Rolex Gmt master 6542 “pussy Galore” perfect for the collector looking for his and hers watches from the film Goldfinger.

I hope our images do this watch justice and I make no apologies for not changing the original tropic plexiglass even though it shows some signs of wear. Under the plexi you can see a totally original gloss gilt dial which has a beautiful spidering to the lacquer making this a completely unique piece, along with the original dial go the untouched original full handset. The lume on the hour markers and hands have aged perfectly to a desirable coffee colour.

This unique example is capped off with a faded (ghost) bezel and comes fitted to a quality black alligator strap as the original rivet bracelet sadly didn’t survive the rigors of daily wear for over 5 decades.

This is a piece worthy of any collection but also a watch that’s as perfect for daily wear now as it was when first proudly worn by a 16-year-old man embarking on his first voyage. I can’t help but wonder who will continue its story.

This piece is in stock and ready for worldwide shipping.

Our stock number 2149

Please remember all our watches are covered by our full value part exchange promise, check for details

Please note that customers outside of the UK should be aware that they may have to pay VAT or customs duty to import the watch to their chosen international destination. All VAT and customs duties which need to be paid will be the responsibility of the purchaser.