Rolex Submariner made for the South African Special Forces
*This is an authorised IPR translation of an article by Jose Pereztroika, dated 7 May 2023: see original, entitled: “‘THE SHADOW’ – A UNIQUE FACTORY BLACKED-OUT ROLEX SUBMARINER 5513 ‘MILSUB’”
Some watches are so legendary that the people who have seen them in the metal are haunted by them for the rest of their lives. You read about them on old-school watch forums, where enthusiasts who have heard the stories timidly ask whether they really exist. Watches that, single-handedly, are responsible for a whole new genre of watch customisation. I am talking, of course, about the famous Teflon-coated South African Milsub. Nicknamed “The Shadow”, it is the only known factory Rolex with a black finish, and it happens to be a Submariner Ref. 5513 made for the South African Special Forces in the mid-1970s. Being the lucky bastard that I am, I had the unique opportunity to spend some quality time with this metal dream come true.
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MADE FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN SPECIAL FORCES
“The Shadow” was discovered by the legendary old-school watch dealer Tom Bolt, aka The Watchguru (IG: @watchguru_), in early 2001. An incredible, out-of-the-ordinary piece: Bolt immediately contacted Rolex's heritage department (Rolex Patrimoine at the time) to verify its existence. Back then, Rolex still provided archive information on special request. Rolex replied by fax:
“The case number belongs to a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner, Ref. 5513, manufactured in 1975. The watch in question was intended for the South African army, and the distinguishing feature of this model was that it was entirely black. We cannot disclose how many watches were supplied, as this information is confidential.”
If we look at South Africa's history, 1975 was a crucial year. Angola had just become independent from Portugal, and the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, together with the latter's ally Cuba, were backing the opposing groups waging a cold war. Fearing reprisals from the communist groups, the Portuguese population, along with hundreds of thousands of Angolans of various ethnic and political backgrounds, fled to neighbouring Namibia and to South Africa, giving rise to one of Africa's largest exoduses and a refugee crisis. Faced with a possible communist takeover of its neighbour and the spread of that ideology into its own country, South Africa sent special forces into Angola in a secret military incursion code-named “Operation Savannah”. With the support of the United States, and in mixed units with anti-communist Angolans, the South Africans invaded Angola with the aim of driving the communists, especially the Soviet and Cuban forces, out of the south of the country. It was not easy for the South Africans to keep their presence in Angola secret because of the colour of their skin. To blend in among the friendly Angolan fighters, they painted the exposed parts of their bodies black. If we look at photographs of these men, it immediately becomes clear why dark watches were ordered.
Wearing a shiny, reflective watch in the savannah could not only give away your position but also get both the wearer and his unit killed. While researching this article, I came across dozens of photographs of soldiers fitting black anti-glare covers over their ordinary watches. In light of this, “The Shadow” seems a logical evolution.
Similar anti-glare watch covers can also be found on the wrists of Portuguese soldiers leaving Angola in 1975, after a left-wing military coup in Lisbon had overthrown the Portuguese government and the new regime had halted all military action in Angola, declaring its intention to grant independence without delay.
In the early 2000s, Tom Bolt showed the watch at watch fairs in the United Kingdom and Italy. This is where people saw “The Shadow” for the first time and could not get it out of their heads. In a 2011 forum post, the famous dive-watch historian Marcello Pisani (RIP) described his first encounter with the watch, how he immediately understood it was real without even needing to look at the written confirmation from Rolex Geneva, as well as his deep regret at not going ahead:
“the only watch I will ever regret not buying...”
Forum link: Which 5513 is rarer (TRF)
Shortly afterwards, “Bamford & Sons” and later also a newly founded brand called “Pro Hunter” began customising Rolex Submariners with black PVD-coated cases based on “The Shadow”. Kamal Choraria, founder of Pro Hunter, once stated:
“For many years, our hunting clients longed for a Rolex designed for the hunting community. So we worked with their ideas, and that took me back to the moment when I held in my hands a black-coated Rolex Submariner, specially designed by Rolex for some British Army officers in Africa. Other people only knew the stories or had heard of this legendary watch, but I saw it and held it, and the design was etched in my memory. This led to the design of a smart, exclusive watch that is both practical and pleasing to the eye. The Pro Hunter was born.”
Tom Bolt sold the watch to a major collector in the United Kingdom, where it remained for almost 20 years. Now the watch is back with Tom Bolt, and on my recent trip to Europe he gave me the unique opportunity to experience it first-hand. A watch of this calibre, considered by many to be the ultimate MilSub, needs to be shared with the watch community before it disappears again for decades.
WEARING “THE SHADOW”
Having arrived in London, I am sitting on the sofa in Tom's office, leafing through a pile of watch books in front of me on the coffee table. Tom is busy with his personal assistant, packing watches and making phone calls. A businessman doing business. Suddenly there is a “Hey, check this out!”, and what comes flying across the room? “The Shadow”, of course! I react quickly and catch the watch in mid-air. When I look at what has landed in my hands, it is love at first sight. Cold, dark, hideous, menacing... Gunmetal! Then I notice the bracelet. The colour and the material are perfect. For someone who loves military watches, putting “The Shadow” on my wrist immediately feels right. This is what a real military watch is supposed to be.
Of course, I immediately compare it with my own 1985 Submariner Ref. 16800, which gives us an idea of just how dark “The Shadow” is.
The next day, we drive to Tom's country house. In the car, my thoughts are focused on “The Shadow” and on how to present it properly to my audience. I have an idea! I want Tom to film me firing a classic double-barrelled shotgun while wearing “The Shadow”. I know it would be illegal to fire a gun on his property. A pity; a photograph will have to do.
“The Shadow” in the wild. Despite being a high-end collector's piece, the watch is incredibly light on the wrist. A well-worn piece; you don't need to worry about it too much. That is what I love about vintage watches.
The combination of the dark, worn yet incredibly well-preserved case, the wonderfully patinated dial and the fantastic bracelet makes “The Shadow” the ideal adventure watch or, as some say, the ultimate MilSub.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
The most striking feature of “The Shadow” is, obviously, its Teflon-coated case. The colour is not black but bronze. An interesting observation is that the bezel appears to be lower than usual.
“The Shadow” features the so-called “Serif Dial”, named after the serifs found on the rectangular hour markers at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. The patina that the tritium lume has developed on the dial and hands is simply breathtaking. Photographs do not do this dial justice.
An interesting detail is the engraving between the lugs, which was applied in a different typeface from the one usual at the time. As you can see in the comparison below, “The Shadow” clearly shows typeface B between the lugs, whereas other Submariner models of Ref. 5512, Ref. 5513 and Ref. 5514 (Comex) with very close case numbers all show typeface C. This is a clear indication that “The Shadow” was a special production.
Moreover, at 4.093 million, the case number of “The Shadow” falls exactly between two known batches of Ref. 5514 made for Comex. To date, there are no other Rolex watches in this range.
I would like to thank Tom Bolt for letting me wear this fantastic watch for a few days. It was an unrivalled experience to wake up next to not one but two absolutely fantastic military watches on the bedside table.
Thank you for your interest. Please follow Tom Bolt on Instagram: @watchguru_.
By the way, “The Shadow” is a relatively new nickname given to the watch by Tom Bolt, who, incidentally, coined many cool nicknames now used in everyday watch terminology – “The Beast” for AP, “John Player Special” Paul Newman, “The Great White”, “The Albino”, to name just a few.
*This is an authorised IPR translation of an article by Jose Pereztroika, dated 7 May 2023: see original, entitled: “‘THE SHADOW’ – A UNIQUE FACTORY BLACKED-OUT ROLEX SUBMARINER 5513 ‘MILSUB’”
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