Bonding with Time - The Rolex Submariner

SiCo

Thanks to Donald Grant for the latest article dedicated to the Rolex Submariner watches. This extremely in depth article covers most of what you need to know and will help you on your way to understanding the Submariner range.

http://www.ajb007.co.uk/articles/007/rolex-submariner/

Please feel free to ask Donald any questions below.

Higgins

Hello Donald,

very good article!
Will there be more chapters than the Rolex Submariners?
I hardly can wait on the chapter about the 007 Seikos.

Greetings

Markus

Donald Grant

Markus,

Yes there will be other articles. The next article will be about the other watches of Bond spanning from Dr. No to The Man With the Golden Gun. Although I ultimately intend to collect the Seiko watches of Bond, I am more fascinated by the mechanical watches of Bond. I understand that you are quite knowledgeable in the Bond Seiko watch area. Perhaps you could write an article, or we can colaborate using your information and my words. Thanks for your endorsement.

DG

Asp9mm

Great article DG, of particular interest is the fact that you can see the springbars on the close-up. As I know the strap was 2mm short, I don't know why it never occured to me to look. I could have saved some money

Pierce_Brosnan

I always love a new article! This was a good one!

Red Indian

Thanks for a great article Donald. My compliments on your two excellent vintage Subs! I don't mean to be impolite, but could you give me an idea of what that older Sub (Connery era) on the MOD strap cost you? I've owned the current version of the Sub no-date, but sold it a few years ago because I'm trying to find a decent vintage one. The prices on the original Subs that I've seen (like yours) are stratospheric! You really got yourself a nice one, it looks just like the close-up of the one in Goldfinger!

Currently, I'm wearing a CWC Royal Navy non-date auto on a Bond strap, it will have to do for now! Thanks again, looking forward to your future articles!

Asp9mm

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a77/darkcrown_1969/goldfinger30un.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a77/darkcrown_1969/bond.jpg

Donald Grant

Red Indian,

I'd rather not say what I paid. If you look at some of the sights and books I provided in my article that should give you an idea. I don't agree with the current ridiculous pricing, so it pays to shop around.

Asp9mm,

Great scans, I wanted to include them but for copyright purposes I could not. I did send some additional photographs to Sico however and hopefully they will be included with the article soon.

DG

Nightshooter

DG, fabulous article. Perhaps I missed this in the article or something... but which Rolex model did you actually decide to buy (because the one you took a photo with looks exactly right)?

Donald Grant

Night,

The one on the left is my 5510 with a non-graduated bezel insert (6200 style). The one on the right is my 5513 with crocodile strap. To be accurate to Lazenby and Moore's 5513 all it needs is a metal riveted bracelet.

DG

Nightshooter

Donald Grant wrote:

Night,

The one on the left is my 5510 with a non-graduated bezel insert (6200 style).

DG

It's beautiful. If one wanted to acquire one, would you suggest doing the same (having the correct non-graduated bezel inserted onto an otherwise correct watch) or just looking for one with the correct bezel if you wanted to save as much money as possible?

Donald Grant

Night,

The bezel insert is an easy swap that anyone can do. It can be changed back just as easily. The bottom line is if you want your watch original, but want the Connery look, keep your original parts with all their patina, and get other parts for the look. You can always put the watch back to it's original look using a good watchmaker.

DG

delon64

very good detailed article but dalton doeesnt wear a rolex submariner in the living daylights

Donald Grant

I'm not a big Dalton fan, but I'm pretty sure he does. Remmber, Dalton was the one who pushed for things to get back to Fleming.

DG

delon64

no the rolex came back for ltk no visible watch is shown in tld except the black strapped sports watch in the gibraltar sequence...but kudos for an interesting article

Donald Grant

As I said, I have not watched it in a long time but I do remember being glad that Bond was back to wearing a Rolex. Just because you don't remember it does not mean it's not there. For instance in TMWTGG do you remember which scene shows Moore wearing the 5513 Submariner?

DG

Nightshooter

Donald Grant wrote:

Night,

The bezel insert is an easy swap that anyone can do. It can be changed back just as easily. The bottom line is if you want your watch original, but want the Connery look, keep your original parts with all their patina, and get other parts for the look. You can always put the watch back to it's original look using a good watchmaker.

DG

But is it easier (or cheaper) to find a correct watch with the correct bezel or the right model watch with the wrong bezel and find the right bezel and switch it? I mean, how easy is it to find a correct bezel?

Donald Grant

Night,

It's very hard to find the watch with all the "Connery Bond" elements. So I believe it's best to find a watch with the right case and crown. Replacement bezel inserts can be found and an extra dial can be refinished. Replacement Rolex parts and dial refinishing are not necessarily cheap, but trying to find the watch with all the elements is extremely difficult.

DG

delon64

of course i remember the rolex in tmwtgg...he checks it outside the bottoms up...but no rolex in tld fella

Donald Grant

You see it before that at the hotel while Moore is smoking the cigar. See what I mean. But honestly I'd have to check the movie myself. If it turns out to be true, I'll revise the article.

DG

Nightshooter

Donald Grant wrote:

Night,

It's very hard to find the watch with all the "Connery Bond" elements. So I believe it's best to find a watch with the right case and crown. Replacement bezel inserts can be found and an extra dial can be refinished. Replacement Rolex parts and dial refinishing are not necessarily cheap, but trying to find the watch with all the elements is extremely difficult.

DG

So I'd take the separate parts to someplace like Tourneau and ask them to put them together the way I wanted? Also, would a bezel insert like this be appropriate:
http://www.timeman.net/insert-p/in4.jpg

Thanks for all the help so far, DG.

Donald Grant

Night,

Well I would not take it to Tourneau because Rolex service centers like Tourneau no longer have parts or work on the earlier Submariners. Instead try to find a good watch maker who can service Rolex. And yes, that looks like the right insert.

DG

Nightshooter

What I'd really like to find is a beat up but still working Rolex that perhaps I can change the and bezel on or something. I'd like to pay as little as possible, and I really don't care whether the watch is in good condition or not, as I'd most likely want to wear it and end up beating it up anyway. Do you have any idea where I may be able to locate this sort of thing?

Also, where is the best place to buy the correct NATO/MOD strap for it?

Donald Grant

Night,

Well, all I can say is look around. Although I had owned a GMT Master II circa 1990, my first Bond watch was the 5513 Submariner which was less than $2000.00 dollars at the time. I coupled it with the Bond Strap and it had that vintage Bond look. But just about every maker has copied the look of the Submariner. Ollech and Wajs makes a version.

In the 90's I came accross the Bond strap in a copy of British Gentlemens Quarterly devoted to Bond. It showed the strap and on a circa 1965 5513, very cool. The strap maker is in England, and he's sells the best I've seen. The only problem is if you are a fanatic, the strap is a little off. The center black stripe should be wider like Connery's. Also, Connery's strap does not have the metal loops. When I get a chance I'll dig out the strap makers contact info. The last I checked he did not have a website.

Other people sell the strap, but the grey looks almost sparkly. You'll see them on Ebay too. The good strap has an almost grey green look, particularly after some wear. Lastly some people feel that the real Connery strap has red in it. I think it's a function of the film rather than the strap.

DG

Nightshooter

I'm not a real fanatic, I just want something similar that won't break when I wear it, as I'd hate to lose a Rolex.

Asp9mm

The strap maker is Phoenix Straps in Wales. Last time I spoke with him though, business was not great, and closure was imminent. Hope this was not the case. As DG points out they have been upgraded to current military spec and the stripes are not 100% accurate. Still the best though, as they are made from heavy treated cotton rather than thin nylon like most offered today!!

Night, if I were you I'd look for a half decent 5513, you should be able to pick one of these up quite cheaply. The premium on vintage Rolex now has pushed the 'Bond' Subs high into the pricing/collecting stratosphere, not to mention the scarcity of them. The 5513 is a beautiful watch, and is still serviced by Rolex, who have now started producing copies of the original dial but with supa-luminova, due to demand from owners who hated the newer gloss finish with white gold indices etc. Best news I've heard this year, quite surprising too from Rolex!

Donald Grant

Asp9mm,

Yes, that's right. It's Phoenix Straps LTD, but since I'm not home I can't get the contact info. I know he's moved at least once too. I guess it's time to buy some new straps. Good news too about Rolex getting correct dials for 5513's.

Hey, I wonder if we could get the strap maker to make the propper strap?

DG

Nightshooter

Asp9mm wrote:

Night, if I were you I'd look for a half decent 5513, you should be able to pick one of these up quite cheaply. The premium on vintage Rolex now has pushed the 'Bond' Subs high into the pricing/collecting stratosphere, not to mention the scarcity of them. The 5513 is a beautiful watch, and is still serviced by Rolex, who have now started producing copies of the original dial but with supa-luminova, due to demand from owners who hated the newer gloss finish with white gold indices etc. Best news I've heard this year, quite surprising too from Rolex!

The 5513 is beautiful, I agree. What kind of price am I looking to pay for a half decent one?

Nightshooter

Also, DG, do you have pics of your entire Rolex collection?

Donald Grant

Night,

Here is what I got off the web for the address info for the Bond strap:

Phoenix Straps Ltd
30 Springfield Gdns
Morganstown
Cardiff
CF15 8LQ (Road Map)
South Glamorgan
Tel: 029 2084 3677
Fax:
Internet: URL not known
Managing Director - M D Steward

I've had trouble finding my correspondence. I hope it's the up to date address. As for my Rolex watch collection, you've seen two of them in the article. The only other one is my stainless GMT Master II bought new in 1990. I have other watches of course, but only the three Rolex's at this time.

DG

Dell Deaton

@.