5513 dome glass?

[ehljason]

Hi eveybody.I'm just new to this forum.May i know this 5513 dome glass is correctly to this model?this is L' prefirx serial....Because i had heard my friends said this dosen't match to this 5513.Maybe....that have previous and later production different?

Please help me to recognize and let me know the sample photo.

[Lol-x]

The 5513 was made with an "L" serial.
All 5513 have a plexiglass crystal (not sapphire).
Your crystal looks good except it might not be fitted correctly as the left side looks a little higher than the right hand side (maybe just the photo).
I'm not sure excactly what crystal # is made for the 5513.

[ehljason]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

The 5513 was made with an "L" serial.
All 5513 have a plexiglass crystal (not sapphire).
Your crystal looks good except it might not be fitted correctly as the left side looks a little higher than the right hand side (maybe just the photo).
I'm not sure excactly what crystal # is made for the 5513.

Exactly the height is same and used plexiglass crystal....But,my friends had took one for recognize that domed crystal is not same as this 5513 model.
i think might have year of production different?If have anybody know......
please advice.

[mike]

I'm not sure I totally understand what you're asking.

Do you mean superdome?

NOT MY PHOTO,



I think an L might be a bit late for this.

Here's mine--6.03 mil.

[Some Pair]

Yes the "L" series 5513 would not be "Superdome" which I believe is #39.

[ehljason]

Dear Mike,

Did you have photo about superdomed and normal domed glass?Please post and let us discuss on forum.Cause i had see different domed crystal on two 5513......one is matte
dial(don't know serial)...one is mine L'serial....

[mike]

Those are the only pics I have that I'm ok posting without the owners permission (of course one is mine).

During it's run the 5513 used the tropic 19 crystal. The superdome variety I believe went out in the 70s (though an exact date would be tough to nail down).

The difference between the superdome and latter domed style was one of edge.

Collectors love the superdome look and I admit it is stunning, however there have been a lot of cases where these older crystals have failed causing moisture to enter the watch and in some cases flooding of the case.

Does that mean they will all fail? No. Some have reported their NOS superdomes passing a pressure test, but one has to always be careful when installing these crystals.

One of the reasons Rolex changes them at service is the fact acryllic crystals can and do develop stress cracks with the passage of time--installed or not. Secondly the way these crystals are installed cause a lot of pressue at the base--where the cracks form.

I can't speak for the rest of the world, but RUSA to my knowledge does not have any original or service replacement superdomes.

Though the tropic 39 for the 1665 (taller) will fit on the 5512/13 (even the 1680) the tropic 19 is the crystal for the 12/13 series.

It's been well documented that a lot (if not most) of the superdomes seen today are aftermarket and, of course, one needs to be aware of the potential problems this can cause.

Do you know when your watch was last serviced and by whom? Parts used,,etc....

[DadsWatch72]

I have a 1665 that has a service replacement crystal that isn't original or the same as the tropic 39. Most people will tell you that the older crystals (superdome) fail pressure testing often. I don't know if your aware of this or not. If you are going for a completely vintage look then I understand. I just want you to have all the facts first. Changing out the crystal with a more modern/new one isn't looked down upon (by most). IMO, making sure the watch is water tight is more important than vintage looks. If you could have both, great. The original replacement crystals are getting old and weakening. I'm not sure why Rolex changed the design in the first place. Maybe the newer profile is better for some unknown reason relating to strength. Maybe it just gives it a lower profile. Who knows.

P.S. I think I repeated what was already said.

[ehljason]

Dear mike,

I didn't send RSC for service...just bought for few days.I had complain the crystal to the
owner.....He said the watch is never send for polishing and only the crystal had been changed infront of him.The watchmaker sold to him is inside the original rolex parts packing and outside stamped for 5513......I don't know his had cheating me or not?

[Dalton]

SuperDomes are smooth all around, ServiceDomes have an edge. Mike covered the rest.

[Lol-x]

I think as mike said, at some stage during the course of the 5513 production run (which spanned many years) Rolex changed the shape of the crystal from the so called 'super dome' to a flatter style crystal.

This flatter style crystal is what Rolex typically uses today as replacement crystals.

However, some watchmakers may carry old stock of the earlier 'super dome'.

I don't know which crystal you have (as your photos need to show more).

However, either crystal is good just so long as your watch has passed the pressure test to ensure that it is properly sealed. That is the most important issue, as if moisture/water gets inside, the consequences could well be significant.

[ehljason]

Dear Mike,

what is the meaning tropic 19/39 crystal?how to recognize?

[tudorman8276]

...the #19 crystal AND the #39 crystal have the SAME INSIDE diameter-28.1mm.

...HOWEVER, the OUTSIDE diameter of the #39 is slightly LARGER than the #19. The #19 is 30.38mm and the #39 is 30.46mm respectively.

...this COULD cause stress cracks in the crystal during the installation/wear of the #39, as the tension ring will NOT expand and will be super tight on the outside of the #39.

[eparisini]

Tropic 19 for Submariner and Tropic 39 for SeaDweller ;)