Answer first

The "Big Triangle" is a dial variant of the Rolex Submariner ref. 5513, not a separate reference. The triangle marker at 12 o'clock is larger than the triangle on other 5513 dials. A clone of this watch copies that pairing: a 40 mm no-date Submariner case plus a matte dial with the oversize 12 o'clock triangle.

rolex 5513 big triangle replica

Rolex does not use the name. Collectors and auction houses made it up, so year ranges in listings differ.

rolex 5513 big triangle replica

The reference 5513 in numbers

  • Produced from 1962 to 1989. Rolex replaced it with the ref. 14060.
  • Case: 40 mm, stainless steel, drilled lugs on most examples.
  • Crystal: domed acrylic, Tropic 19 type.
  • Movement: cal. 1530 early, cal. 1520 from the mid 1960s. Both are non-chronometer.
  • Water resistance: 200 m / 660 ft, printed on the dial.
  • No date, no cyclops, no chronometer line on the dial.

Where the name comes from

The dial sits in the group collectors call Maxi dials, which have larger hour plots than earlier 5513 dials. Auction catalogs place most Big Triangle examples in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Published ranges do not match each other. Rolex has never released dial production records, so exact dates stay unknown.

rolex 5513 big triangle clone

Two details matter for identification. The dial is matte, not glossy. The lume is tritium, marked T SWISS T at 6 o'clock on the examples that carry the marking.

replica of rolex 5513 big triangle

What a super clone gets right

  • Case diameter and lug width: 40 mm and 20 mm.
  • Bezel rotation and insert size.
  • Domed acrylic crystal profile.
  • Dial layout: triangle at 12, batons at 6 and 9, dots elsewhere.
  • Drilled lugs on the better builds.
  • No-date movement, so no crown position for a date.

What clones miss

  • Lume color. Genuine tritium fades to cream or peach. Copy lume runs white or orange.
  • Dial texture. Matte 5513 dials absorb light. Copy dials show a sheen under a lamp.
  • Print weight. The coronet and the depth text on copies sit heavy or thin, not matched to the original stroke.
  • Bezel insert font. Numbers and the minute track vary in width on copies.
  • Pip. The lume dot on the bezel sits too high or too bright.
  • Caseback stamps. Inside, a 5513 caseback carries the reference and a date code. Copies leave it blank or use a wrong code.
  • Serial and reference engravings between the lugs. Depth and font are shallow on copies.
  • Movement. Genuine cal. 1520 beats at 19,800 vph. Most clones use a 28,800 vph unit.

Checklist before you buy

  1. Ask for a photo of the dial under direct light. Look for sheen.
  2. Ask for the caseback photo, inside, with the stamp visible.
  3. Check the beat rate. 19,800 vph points to a vintage-style build. 28,800 vph points to a modern copy movement.
  4. Compare the 12 o'clock triangle to the 6 o'clock baton. The triangle should read clearly larger.
  5. Check the crown. It should screw down with no grit and sit flush to the case.
  6. Ask for the case serial photo between the lugs at 6 o'clock.

Two limits

A replica is not a Rolex. It carries no Rolex warranty, it holds little resale value, and Rolex trademark law applies in the US and the EU. Customs seizures of counterfeits are routine.

Dial variant names are collector terms, not factory terms. Treat any listing that states an exact production year for a Big Triangle dial as unconfirmed.