Rolex Submariner 'Cigarette Racing Boats' ref. 5513

The Rolex Submariner is synonymous with the water. The favorite watch of divers, yachtsman, fisherman and of course beachdwellers like myself. It's no surprise that Don Aronow, the infamous founder of Cigarette Racing Boats, opted to order a run of custom ref. 5513 Submariners to give to those daring enough to purchase his line of racing boats. His boats were known to be lightning fast and extremely expensive. They retailed for north of $100k in the 1980s. They were the favorite marine vessel of George H.W. Bush, The Shah of Iran as well as many a drug smuggler. Don fell in with a bad crowd and was ultimately murdered at his factory in South Florida in 1987.

What we have here is one of the few ref. 5513 Submariners that Don Aronow ordered for his clients. I purchased the watch directly from the son of the original owner, who's father owned a Cigarette Boat in the 1980s. These watches are exceptionally rare and exceptionally cool. The logo interrupts the dial layout in a way that draws your eye instantly. It's thought that there are less than 50 of these 5513's in existence with most all serials dating to around 1987. The watch is in good vintage condition. It has been polished in the past but the case and lugs remain thick.