Within the years since, I’ve been capable of do a little bit of detective work into the historical past of this thriller watch. In 1968, my grandfather left Nigeria to return to Washington D.C. as he was nearing retirement from the Overseas Service. He made a cease in Stuttgart, Germany, the place he purchased a 1969 mannequin 12 months Mercedes 250 – black with pink inside – which he had shipped again to the States (along with his authorities low cost, the automobile price a mere $5,000). My household believes that he subsequent went to Geneva, the place he picked up two watches. The primary was a two-tone Rolex Datejust 1601 with a champagne dial, which he gifted to my father upon his faculty commencement. The second was this very watch. Identical to my dad’s, this too is a 5513 Rolex Submariner. By the serial quantity, the actual mannequin dates to 1967 and, if it have been in unique situation, would seemingly be a meters-first matte dial mannequin. In 2002, sitting in my grandfather’s bed room, none of this was recognized to me.
