Short answer
A fake Rolex 5513 big triangle is a replica of the no-date Submariner whose dial carries an oversized triangle at 12 o'clock. On the real watch, those late-1970s dials are the ones collectors chase. On a replica, the triangle is the first thing I check. If it is too small, too rounded, or sits off-center under the coronet, nothing else on the watch matters much.
What the big triangle is
Rolex built the 5513 from the early 1960s into the late 1980s. It never had a date, and it ran on the 1520 movement. Across those decades the dial changed a lot. Marker size grew, print weight shifted, and the lume plots got fatter. The dials with the largest triangle and the thickest markers are the ones people call maxi or big triangle. The triangle is not a separate part. It is the top marker of a dial batch, and it changes the whole face of the watch.
What replicas get right
- Overall size: 40mm across, 20mm lugs, a slim case that sits low on the wrist.
- No date window, no cyclops, clean dial layout.
- Painted lume plots rather than applied markers, which is correct for this reference.
- The general outline of the crown guards, at least in photos.
Where most of them fall apart
- The triangle itself. Measure it. It should read as a wide, flat triangle with a sharp point, not a squat pentagon, and the tip should line up with the coronet.
- The crystal. A 5513 wears a domed acrylic Tropic crystal. A sapphire crystal with hard edges and no distortion is wrong, and it often sits too tall.
- Bezel action. The original bezel is friction driven and turns both ways with no clicking. A replica that ratchets gives itself away in the hand.
- Insert and pip. Font weight, pip size, and number placement change between batches. Replicas often pair a fat font insert with a dial from a different era.
- Beat rate and sound. The 1520 runs at 19,800 beats per hour and does not hack. Most replicas run faster and smoother, which you can hear and feel.
The movement question
Almost no replica uses a 1520. Most use an ETA 2824 clone or a 3130 clone with the date parts left out. That means 28,800 beats, hacking seconds, and a setting action the real thing never had. You can live with that. Just know what you are buying, and do not let a seller call it a Swiss 1520 without proof.
Questions worth asking before you pay
- How wide is the triangle, and is it centered under the coronet?
- Is the crystal acrylic or sapphire?
- Does the bezel click, or turn with friction?
- Are the lugs drilled, and does the case back carry the right reference stamping?
- What movement is inside, and at what beat rate does it run?
Bottom line
Buy the dial and the case shape. Those two decide whether the watch reads as a 5513 from across a table, and they are the parts you cannot fix later. Everything else is a compromise you rank by how much it bothers you. Keep the frame honest too: a replica is a costume, not a vintage Rolex. A real big triangle 5513 is a documented collectible with service history behind it. A copy is a way to wear the look without the price.