Really?!? I didn't know that. Now, I feel even worse. I actually bought that watch for less than $2k around 1998. A woman, who's father had passed, inherited the watch. She found me on the Internet and asked if it was real. Sent some cruddy looking photos (the watch looked AWFUL, tbh) with no pertinent info. I had her take better photos and give me everything she knew about the watch and her Dad's habits, hobbies, etc. Instead, she offered to send me the watch and let me authenticate it. She gave me her price, based on what others had offered her locally. I paid her and had her ship. She had offered a full refund if I wasn't happy. I didn't have anything to loose.
I cleaned it up and posted some pics online - no sale ad; just photos. The Canadian Sub collector helped me authenticate it and offered me the trade. I jumped on that deal because I always wanted a Daytona. Wore the Daytona about 6-8 months, then sold it.
Ugh! My mantra should be "IF I had known then, what I know now..."
Oh well! C'est la vie!
PS - I also had a 5508 for a few weeks back in the late '90s. C&R to turn a little profit. What that watch is worth now - I don't even wanna know. UGH!