{"product_id":"rolex-submariner-tropical-rad-228-ref-5508","title":"Rolex Submariner Tropical \"Rad-228\" ref.5508 \"Box and Guarantee\" from 1958","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom the possession of a collector, this rare 1958 Submariner ref.5508 was originally sold in Singapore by Chop Kwang Heng, renowned retailer.  Its glossy gilt dial features a chapter ring and has aged to a rich brown tropical tone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe luminous material on this dial is an unusual radium compound, radium-228, also known historically as mesothorium. Rolex appears to have experimented with different luminous mixtures during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The radium-228 isotope has a half-life of approximately 5.75 years, far shorter than radium-226’s roughly 1,600 years. That rapid decay might have also translated to the glow in the dark capabilities and caused Rolex to stop using Rad 228 later on, though the radiation measured today can be compared to a 1970s Tritium Dial (Almost none). \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe exclamation-mark dials that appeared around the radium-to-tritium transition are found on examples of the 5508, 5512 and 5513. They reflect a period when Rolex was changing its approach to luminous material and its permitted radiation levels. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Swiss patent filed in 1954 and published in 1958 discusses the use of water-soluble radium and mesothorium salts in luminous paint. It provides valuable context for the materials being discussed at the time, although it does not, by itself, establish the precise compound used on this particular dial.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"743\" data-end=\"1087\"\u003eBrand: Rolex\u003cbr data-start=\"759\" data-end=\"762\"\u003eModel: Submariner\u003cbr data-start=\"783\" data-end=\"786\"\u003eReference: 5508\u003cbr data-start=\"808\" data-end=\"811\"\u003eYear of Production: 1958\u003cbr data-start=\"871\" data-end=\"874\"\u003eCase Diameter: 38mm\u003cbr data-start=\"899\" data-end=\"902\"\u003eCrystal: Sapphire\u003cbr data-start=\"923\" data-end=\"926\"\u003eLume: (Radium-228)\u003cbr data-start=\"944\" data-end=\"947\"\u003eMovement: Automatic\u003cbr data-start=\"970\" data-end=\"973\"\u003eBracelet Width: 20mm\u003cbr data-start=\"997\" data-end=\"1000\"\u003eBracelet: Made in USA C+I (1977)\u003cbr data-start=\"1020\" data-end=\"1023\"\u003eBox\/Papers: Guarantee Papers and Box\u003cbr data-start=\"1049\" data-end=\"1052\"\u003eMechanical Warranty: 6 Months\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eComments: Watch working properly. The handset has been color matched to the dial cream-colored patina, under UV light, the hands show no visible glow. Bracelet is later, from the 1970s.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"rvmusa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67917187514678,"sku":null,"price":39000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0694\/8628\/1014\/files\/26_ROLEX_Submariner_TropicalRad_228_5508_01.png?v=1793821456","url":"https:\/\/relojesvintagemexico.com\/products\/rolex-submariner-tropical-rad-228-ref-5508","provider":"rvmusa","version":"1.0","type":"link"}