Now Live: Rolex Submariner Ref. 5510 “Big Crown,” Red Triangle

Now live: a 1958 Rolex Submariner ref. 5510, the rarest of the Big Crown Submariners and the last of the line built without crown guards. Made for roughly a single year, the 5510 paired the oversized 8mm Brevet crown with Rolex’s newer caliber 1530, and this example adds the early red triangle bezel and a glossy gilt dial with chapter ring. A foundation piece for a serious Rolex collection.

Why It Matters

The early Submariner evolved fast. Rolex introduced the model in 1953, gave it the oversized 8mm “Big Crown” with the 6538 in the mid 1950s, and by 1959 had added crown guards with the 5512, changing the silhouette for good. The 5510 sits in the narrow gap between those moments. It kept the big crown and the clean, unguarded case of the 6538 but moved to the automatic caliber 1530, making it the final form of the original Submariner.

That window was short and production was small. Collectors generally regard the 5510 as the scarcest of the Big Crown references, which is why examples appear only occasionally and are tracked by serial when they do.

The red triangle at zero on the bezel insert is the other early marker. Rolex used it only on the first generations of the Submariner, and an original insert accounts for a meaningful share of an early example’s value.

This Example

This 38mm steel example dates to 1958, with a black gilt dial and chapter ring, red triangle insert, screw-down caseback and caliber 1530, movement number 18’857. It shows the unguarded case profile and oversized crown that define the period.

Specifications

Reference

5510

Year

1958

Case

38mm stainless steel, no crown guards, 8mm crown, screw-down caseback

Movement

Caliber 1530, automatic, 25 jewels

Dial

Black gilt, chapter ring

Bezel

Red triangle insert

Price

$325,000

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