SUBMARINER 1680 & 5513 hand set identification & measurements

Reference material, technical and historic data
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springer
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SUBMARINER 1680 & 5513 hand set identification & measurements

Post by springer »

One of the areas that perplexes many Rolex collectors is identifying a correct set of hands for vintage Submariners. While this can be confusing, it doesn't have to be. Hopefully this post will help some of you out when searching for a correct Submariner 1680 or 5513 hand set.

In this thread, I have included some photos and measurements for vintage Submariner 1680 hands which were used on both the red Submariners and the later models during the mid to late 1970s. I have also included the same information for the Submariner 5513 hands from the post gilt era which includes
both the matte and glossy dial versions.

When shopping for vintage hands, not all hands are created equal. Center hole sizes can vary with the various Rolex hands as well as the mounting post for the sweep seconds hand. While I will not attempt to describe and depict every type of Rolex hand variation manufactured the past 50 or 60 years, the information provided for the described 1680 and 5513 models and is accurate and should keep you on the right track when looking for genuine Rolex hands.

As you look at the photos and measurements for the two Submariner hand sets, one thing stands out. You'll notice that the measurements are the same for both Submariner models, except for the mounting post for the sweep seconds hands which are different lengths. Due to the date feature on the Submariner 1680, the seconds hand has a longer post than that found on the model 5513. Look closely at the photos and you will clearly see the difference between these two seconds hands. Additionally, there is another seconds hand found on the GMT-MASTER 1675 that has a much longer center post than both the 1680 and 5513. The GMT 1675 seconds hand mounting post is almost twice as long as the mid size post found on the model 1680. For comparison purposes, I have included a photo depicting the hands found on the GMT 1675 post gilt era.

While not an expert on Rolex hands, I have attempted to provide information here that might be useful to collectors looking for assistance in identifying Submariner hands for the 1680 and 5513 models. Readers are encouraged to do their own research as well as investing in an electronic dial caliper and a Bergeon hand-gauge for measuring hole sizes.
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