Mil sub under bright winter skies

[Rashid.bk]

Love.
Nothing more to say.

[Haywood_Milton]

Originally Posted by Nsx_23

If you don't mind me asking how does one go about finding a watch like that for sale?

Quite happy to relate the tale on this one. It was the early 2000s and another mil sub had just been on ebay, which back then was almost a place where one might trust people. That first watch was also a military 5513, but from the very first batch which at the time was known about by very few people, and as such rather ignored by many.

I won the first watch for about £4,500 and struck up a happy relationship with the seller which remains to this day. Only about 18 months ago, mindful of how fortunate I was to have bought from him when I did, it was a pleasure to sponsor him for a clearance-diver related project he champions. In learning about their watches, one cannot help but learn and grow fascinated by the remarkable lives of the men who wore them professionally. You can read about one typical such diver's amazing story in another post I made here some time ago, having been privileged enough to buy his DRSD from him :

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=327534

Some months later, this second military 5513 crossed his path, from another pal in the diving community. Happy to avoid the million emails he had received about the first watch, he offered the second to me if we could agree a fair price. We did, although a dozen or so years later and with the vast increases in values that the internet has driven, it certainly looks to have been a bargain with the benefit of time.

Not, then, a set of circumstances which one could easily hope to reproduce, but then that's probably the case with many such deals. A deep knowledge of what you are buying, being able and willing to pay a fair price rather than try to get something cheap, much patience and, in due course, getting a name locally or on the wider market as someone who will pay for the right watches without any messing are all very helpful factors.

A little bit of luck helps, but a lot of work and effort is the most common element I see when I look at anyone who has built a significant collection.

With kind regards,

Haywood Milton

[Vincent65]

I'll give you £5K for it, then!

[Haywood_Milton]

Originally Posted by Vincent65

I'll give you £5K for it, then!

Ha-ha ! If you could take us all back in a time machine and let me re-live the past twelve years, with all the joy of getting married and starting a family which this period contained, to have time again with all those lost since, I would give you the watch in a heart-beat !

Let me know when you can do your part of the deal....

HM

[Nsx_23]

awesome story. I am trying to find a standard 5513 and there is definitely a lot of homework that has to be done....

[edieee]

if you dont mind asking how much does it cost?

[Vincent65]

Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

Ha-ha ! If you could take us all back in a time machine and let me re-live the past twelve years, with all the joy of getting married and starting a family which this period contained, to have time again with all those lost since, I would give you the watch in a heart-beat !

Let me know when you can do your part of the deal....

HM

I wish I could, also - for similar reasons.

[Haywood_Milton]

Originally Posted by edieee

if you dont mind asking how much does it cost?

Do you refer to the mil sub pictured ? It is not for sale I am afraid. Good luck if you are hunting for one !

HM

[donaker]

Great story and what an amazing collection you have! Congrats.

[QueueCumber]

Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

Ha-ha ! If you could take us all back in a time machine and let me re-live the past twelve years, with all the joy of getting married and starting a family which this period contained, to have time again with all those lost since, I would give you the watch in a heart-beat !

Let me know when you can do your part of the deal....

HM

I can do that, but I would want your soul and not the watch....

[Rashid.bk]

I had to come back and look at this watch again....I feel like I'm looking at a unicorn.
.....and you have two...wow.

Thanks for sharing.

[mjclark32]

Love it!

[Jason71]

speechless

[s2kev]

Lovely watch and great story!

[CrownMe]

Great story...just wow

[Johny]

Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

My favourite lighting for a quick snap :



Nice to get something special out of the safes once in a while !

Haywood

looks great.

[zurich]

Nice one. More shots please!

[scooba]

Several for sale on Chrono24 , One with a letter from Mr Hudson as well

Lovely watch thx for sharing