Real Rolex Heroes
The Military version of the Rolex Submariner was adapted following specifications requested by the British Ministry of Defence during the 1970s for use by their specialist personnel.
The specifications which distinguish these rare watches from the civilian Rolex Submariners were that they had to be fitted with fixed bar lugs with a diameter of at least 2 mm. The dials also had to be easily readable and were subsequently fitted with the larger “sword” hands instead of the regular “Mercedes” hands. This modification provided clearer visibility under poor light conditions. An encircled “T” was added at the bottom of the dial, to show that the radioactive element Tritium was used to make the watch luminous, and these models also had a unique bezel with sixty minute marks, rather than only the first fifteen minutes.
The outside of the case backs were marked with the military broad arrow sign, 0552 for British Ministry of Defence, 923-7697 for the NATO code, as well as the issue number and issue year. The inside of the case backs repeated the serial number which, in other models, is commonly only found between the lugs.
These subtle differences make these watches highly desirable amongst watch collectors, easily pushing auction prices up to between £30,000 and £35,000 for a military issue Rolex Submariner as opposed to £3,500 to £4,000 for the standard version.
Bonham’s auctioneers recently achieved £36,000 and £34,000 for two military issue Rolex Submariners, one of which was used during the Falklands war. There are three series of the Rolex Royal Navy Military Submariner: 5513 standard ref, 5513 on case and back, 5517 on a lug double Ref, and 5517 unique ref.
Do your family members own a military issue watch of this kind? Perhaps you are unsure of its value? Our expert valuation team can give you reliable and speedy advice, and if you have something rare, you may be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
Assets like these can be used to secure loans from £100 - £100,000 for 1 - 6 months. You don’t need to sell your assets to raise the cash you need. When you have paid back your asset secured loan, and redeemed your goods, they will still be a good investment - and they will still be yours!
Borro.com, the world’s first online pawnbroker, is available from the comfort of your home, via your pc, 24/7. For the most discreet, convenient and rapid personal loan service, check out Borro.com today!
DID YOU KNOW…?
A genuine Rolex Submariner can be identified by the bright white text, delicate hands and 2.5x magnification of the date on the dial. Counterfeits have much smaller magnification…
The Space Sale - Memorabilia That Is Out of This World!
On July the 16th, Bonhams New York celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing with a sale of Space Memorabilia in New York.
Items to be auctioned were either acquired directly from the astronauts themselves, or were once part of their collections, and include artifacts that were carried inside the spacecraft or taken out onto the moon’s surface.
A large format colour photograph of the first 7 astronauts, signed by three of them is projected to raise $ 600 - 800 at the auction, while bids for a model of Saturn V, from the Dr. Maxime Faget Collection, are expected to be in the region of $10,000 -15,000.
If you have deeper pockets, then you might be interested in an Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Star Chart, used by Armstrong and Aldrin to accurately determine Eagle’s position after the lunar landing. This document is signed and inscribed on the reverse by Buzz Aldrin, and is expected to fetch between $ 70,000 - 90,000, while an Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Sequence document, also inscribed and certified as flown by Buzz Aldrin is estimated to raise a heady $ 125,000 - $ 175,000.
If you have unusual memorabilia with a unique link to a famous person or event, you can always raise a loan, using your assets as security.
Borro.com offers £100 - £100,000 for 1 - 6 months (extendable by mutual agreement) against personal assets of all kinds, including memorabilia, art and antiques, as well as gold, diamonds, jewellery and luxury watches.
Dealing with Borro.com is totally discreet, convenient, and fast! Loans are frequently transferred, electronically, within 48 hours of application, directly into any UK bank account you wish to nominate. And it’s secure, too! Borro.com is UK Government regulated, and all Borro contracts are approved by the Office of Fair Trading, so borrowers enjoy every possible legal protection.
Everything is done online, at home, on your pc, and all goods are shipped by pre-paid, fully insured courier.
For more information, or a confidential valuation, visit Borro.com, or phone us, free, on 0800 756 9877.
DID YOU KNOW…?
NASA accidently taped over video footage of the first man on the moon, which had to be restored in a Hollywood studio!
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