The Story of the Iranian MilSubs
1974 MilSub issued to the British military, similar to what was given to the Iranian Special Forces / Credit: Phillips
MilSubs, or military-designated Rolex Submariners, are already extremely rare timepieces, often sold for well over $100,000. Although the British Ministry of Defence did use several other watches, like the Omega Seamaster, the main focal point of collectors is the holy trinity of the reference 5513, the 5513/5517, and the Rolex 5517. It is estimated that not much more than 1000 were ever made, and of those, not even a couple hundred still exist. So, when we talk about rare watches the Rolex MilSub is definitely up there. However, among MilSubs there is a class of watch so rare that even a photograph of one can be as elusive as many other notable vintage watches…the Iranian MilSub.
In the mid-1970s, under the guise of Prime Minister Harold Wilson, the UK had been building up its relations with Iran, in particular, their Shah Mohammad Reza. In fact, in 1975, both the UK and French heads of government asked the Shah for loans of $1 billion each. And well, we all know how that relationship ended for the Shah…but this isn’t about the Revolution. You see, that same year, a group of British Special Boat Services (SBS) officers had been to Iran to train with their Special Forces, who admired the British soldiers’ equipment and wanted the exact same specs. The legend follows that a small order of only 10 Rolex MilSubs was made and those watches were given to the Iranian soldiers. The timepieces were the exact same as the regular 5513, except for the engraving on the back. What happened to those watches has gone largely unchecked, except when one pops up in an auction here and there.
Imagine a watch so rare the number of them in existence, if any, is not certain. Any that may be out there in the wild are surely kept in the most secure of conditions. And considering that they were used for military operations by Iranian Special Forces in the 1970s, it’s truly a miracle any of them are still around.
By: Andres Ibarguen