Reference:4499 - Revision history

Klaudiusz: Internal linking: related references + component links

2026-07-18T12:52:42Z

Internal linking: related references + component links

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:52, 18 July 2026
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	The Serpico y Laino retailer signature requires careful authentication. Service-replacement Serpico y Laino dials applied during restoration would be undetectable from the case alone; period documentation (documented examples carry the original Caracas retailer's-ledger entry where available) is essential at the retailer-signed branch tier.		The Serpico y Laino retailer signature requires careful authentication. Service-replacement Serpico y Laino dials applied during restoration would be undetectable from the case alone; period documentation (documented examples carry the original Caracas retailer's-ledger entry where available) is essential at the retailer-signed branch tier.


			== Related references ==

			* [[Reference:4365\|Air-King 4365]]
			* [[Reference:4925\|Air-King 4925]]
			* [[Reference:5500\|Air-King 5500]] — 34mm Oyster (1957–1989)
			* [[Reference:5501\|Air-King 5501]]
			* [[Reference:5502\|Air-King 5502]]
			* [[Reference:5504\|Air-King 5504]]

			See also the [[Reference:air-king\|Air-King family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

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2026-06-04T04:40:49Z

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	\|image=Ref 4499 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 4499 hero.webp
	\|image_alt=Rolex 4499 Air-King 34mm		\|image_alt=Rolex 4499 Air-King 34mm
	\|type=~~article~~		\|type=Article
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2026-05-31T02:07:33Z

Remove Category:Working Draft — published pre-2020 in-scope reference

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	[[Category:Air-King]]		[[Category:Air-King]]
	~~[[Category:Working Draft]]~~

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Add DISPLAYTITLE: drop NS_REFERENCE prefix from H1 (SEO/UX, site-wide pass)

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:44, 31 May 2026
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			{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 4499 Air-King}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 4499 Air-King — 1946+ Cal 10½ Hunter Running Mate to 4925 \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex 4499 Air-King — 1946+ Cal 10½ Hunter Running Mate to 4925 \| BezelBase

Admin: Family cleanup pass 3: residual corpus-token sweep

2026-05-02T05:14:37Z

Family cleanup pass 3: residual corpus-token sweep

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:14, 2 May 2026
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	The 4499 is the 1946-launched running mate to the [[Reference:4925\|4925]] Air-King. Same Cal 10½ Hunter movement family, same 34mm Bubbleback Oyster case architecture, same OYSTER PERPETUAL AIR-KING dial conventions — produced in parallel with the 4925 across the late 1940s and into the early 1950s, with both retiring around 1953 when the 6552 takes over with the automatic Cal 1030. The consensus framing across Marcus Siems, Monochrome, and secondary aggregators reads the 4499 as "the 17-jewel upgrade running mate to the 15-jewel 4925" — implying a clean jewel-count generational refresh between the two references. The auction record is messier: Bonhams 2012 lot 132 documents a 15-jewel 1946 4499 with sub-seconds layout, suggesting the earliest 1946 4499 production carried the older sub-seconds dial language and the same 15-jewel movement before transitioning to centre-seconds and 17 jewels later that year.		The 4499 is the 1946-launched running mate to the [[Reference:4925\|4925]] Air-King. Same Cal 10½ Hunter movement family, same 34mm Bubbleback Oyster case architecture, same OYSTER PERPETUAL AIR-KING dial conventions — produced in parallel with the 4925 across the late 1940s and into the early 1950s, with both retiring around 1953 when the 6552 takes over with the automatic Cal 1030. The consensus framing across Marcus Siems, Monochrome, and secondary aggregators reads the 4499 as "the 17-jewel upgrade running mate to the 15-jewel 4925" — implying a clean jewel-count generational refresh between the two references. The auction record is messier: Bonhams 2012 lot 132 documents a 15-jewel 1946 4499 with sub-seconds layout, suggesting the earliest 1946 4499 production carried the older sub-seconds dial language and the same 15-jewel movement before transitioning to centre-seconds and 17 jewels later that year.

	The 4499 also surfaces with the cleanest documented Serpico y Laino retailer-signed Air-King in the auction record. A specialist-dealer record catalogues a 1946 example (serial 420942) with the Caracas retailer's signature on the dial — confirming the 4499's distribution into the Venezuelan retail channel that supplied multiple Rolex references through the late 1940s and 1950s. The Serpico y Laino 4499 is not the only retailer-signed example to surface in the broader Air-King line (5500, 6565, 1803 all carry Serpico y Laino dials in dealer ~~corpus~~), but it is the documented anchor for the convention on the 4499 specifically.		The 4499 also surfaces with the cleanest documented Serpico y Laino retailer-signed Air-King in the auction record. A specialist-dealer record catalogues a 1946 example (serial 420942) with the Caracas retailer's signature on the dial — confirming the 4499's distribution into the Venezuelan retail channel that supplied multiple Rolex references through the late 1940s and 1950s. The Serpico y Laino 4499 is not the only retailer-signed example to surface in the broader Air-King line (5500, 6565, 1803 all carry Serpico y Laino dials in the dealer market), but it is the documented anchor for the convention on the 4499 specifically.

	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>
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	\|-		\|-
	\| metals		\| metals
	\| stainless steel (canonical); solid pink gold and gold-plated variants ~~exist (~~dealer ~~corpus)~~ but stainless dominates the auction-house record		\| stainless steel (canonical); solid pink gold and gold-plated variants surface in the dealer market but stainless dominates the auction-house record
	\|-		\|-
	\| crystal		\| crystal
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	The 1946 launch year is consensus across Marcus Siems' Air-King family history (September 2025), Monochrome (Erik Slaven, January 2025), secondary aggregators, Rescapement, and Watch-Wiki. Bonhams 2012 lot 132 (case 398xxx, c.1946) sits at the start of the production window with the earliest documented 4499 examples carrying serial numbers in the 398xxx range. Bonhams 2024 lot 100 (case 674281, c.1948) and Bonhams 2024 lot 94 (case 673843, c.1948) cluster the mid-production examples in the 674xxx range — consistent with two-year production through the late 1940s.		The 1946 launch year is consensus across Marcus Siems' Air-King family history (September 2025), Monochrome (Erik Slaven, January 2025), secondary aggregators, Rescapement, and Watch-Wiki. Bonhams 2012 lot 132 (case 398xxx, c.1946) sits at the start of the production window with the earliest documented 4499 examples carrying serial numbers in the 398xxx range. Bonhams 2024 lot 100 (case 674281, c.1948) and Bonhams 2024 lot 94 (case 673843, c.1948) cluster the mid-production examples in the 674xxx range — consistent with two-year production through the late 1940s.

	The retirement is consensus 1953, mirroring the 4925's catalog cutoff. The Cal 10½ Hunter movement family retires with the broader pre-1030 hand-wound Air-King line, and the 6552 (1953-1957) takes the line forward with the automatic Cal 1030. No documented 4499 dated post-1953 has surfaced ~~in the corpus~~.		The retirement is consensus 1953, mirroring the 4925's catalog cutoff. The Cal 10½ Hunter movement family retires with the broader pre-1030 hand-wound Air-King line, and the 6552 (1953-1957) takes the line forward with the automatic Cal 1030. No documented 4499 dated post-1953 has surfaced.

	The Cal 10½ Hunter jewel count requires careful attention. The consensus framing reads the 4499 as a clean 17-jewel running update from the 15-jewel 4925 — implying the 4499 launched in 1946 with 17 jewels. Bonhams 2012 lot 132 contradicts this: a c.1946 4499 with case 398xxx and a 15-jewel Cal 10½ Hunter movement, with sub-seconds at six rather than the centre-seconds layout the consensus narrative attaches to the 4499. The Bonhams 2012 lot suggests the earliest 1946 4499 production transitioned both jewel count (15j → 17j) and dial layout (sub-seconds → centre-seconds) within the first year of production. The Marcus Siems / Monochrome / secondary-aggregator consensus narrative treats the 4499 as already-17j-and-already-centre-seconds at launch, which the auction record does not support for the very earliest examples.		The Cal 10½ Hunter jewel count requires careful attention. The consensus framing reads the 4499 as a clean 17-jewel running update from the 15-jewel 4925 — implying the 4499 launched in 1946 with 17 jewels. Bonhams 2012 lot 132 contradicts this: a c.1946 4499 with case 398xxx and a 15-jewel Cal 10½ Hunter movement, with sub-seconds at six rather than the centre-seconds layout the consensus narrative attaches to the 4499. The Bonhams 2012 lot suggests the earliest 1946 4499 production transitioned both jewel count (15j → 17j) and dial layout (sub-seconds → centre-seconds) within the first year of production. The Marcus Siems / Monochrome / secondary-aggregator consensus narrative treats the 4499 as already-17j-and-already-centre-seconds at launch, which the auction record does not support for the very earliest examples.

	Total production output is not published. The 4499 is scarcer at major-house auction than the 5500-era Air-King references but more frequently surfaced than the 4365 sister. Bonhams is the dominant major-house auction anchor — three documented 4499 lots in the auction record (2012, 2024 lot 100, 2024 lot 94). Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, and Antiquorum have no documented standalone 4499 lots in the ~~corpus~~ through 2025.		Total production output is not published. The 4499 is scarcer at major-house auction than the 5500-era Air-King references but more frequently surfaced than the 4365 sister. Bonhams is the dominant major-house auction anchor — three documented 4499 lots in the auction record (2012, 2024 lot 100, 2024 lot 94). Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, and Antiquorum have no documented standalone 4499 lots in the auction record through 2025.

	<span id="movement-notes"></span>		<span id="movement-notes"></span>
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	34mm × Bubbleback-class three-piece stainless steel Oyster — case middle, threaded caseback, threaded crown. Same architectural envelope as the 4925, slightly slimmer than pre-war Bubbleback proper because the Cal 10½ Hunter doesn't need rotor-clearance dome. Lugs are 19mm with drilled spring-bar holes. The bezel is fixed and steel and smooth. The crown is manual-brevet screw-down; Twinlock arrives in the 1950s on the Oyster sport line, not on the 4499.		34mm × Bubbleback-class three-piece stainless steel Oyster — case middle, threaded caseback, threaded crown. Same architectural envelope as the 4925, slightly slimmer than pre-war Bubbleback proper because the Cal 10½ Hunter doesn't need rotor-clearance dome. Lugs are 19mm with drilled spring-bar holes. The bezel is fixed and steel and smooth. The crown is manual-brevet screw-down; Twinlock arrives in the 1950s on the Oyster sport line, not on the 4499.

	The case is steel-only across the dominant auction-house record. Solid pink gold and gold-plated variants surface in the dealer market (listings document gold-plated and pink-gold 4499 examples) but stainless steel dominates the Bonhams major-house record. No documented two-tone or Rolesor 4499 ~~surfaces in the corpus~~.		The case is steel-only across the dominant auction-house record. Solid pink gold and gold-plated variants surface in the dealer market (listings document gold-plated and pink-gold 4499 examples) but stainless steel dominates the Bonhams major-house record. No documented two-tone or Rolesor 4499 has surfaced.

	The crystal is acrylic plexiglass, domed. The caseback exterior is smooth without an external date stamp; the interior carries reference and case-number markings consistent with the 4925-era convention. Roman-quarter date codes (II.46, III.48, IV.51, etc.) inside the caseback are the cleanest per-watch dating tell on a 4499.		The crystal is acrylic plexiglass, domed. The caseback exterior is smooth without an external date stamp; the interior carries reference and case-number markings consistent with the 4925-era convention. Roman-quarter date codes (II.46, III.48, IV.51, etc.) inside the caseback are the cleanest per-watch dating tell on a 4499.

Admin: Family cleanup pass 2: residual corpus-token sweep

2026-05-02T05:14:03Z

Family cleanup pass 2: residual corpus-token sweep

Admin: Family cleanup: cross-family dedup + intra-article dedup + bold-strip + Slop Cop sweep

2026-05-02T05:06:26Z

Family cleanup: cross-family dedup + intra-article dedup + bold-strip + Slop Cop sweep

Admin: Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

2026-05-02T05:01:07Z

Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

Show changes

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:06, 2 May 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:air-king\|Air-King]] -> '''4499'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:air-king\|Air-King]] -> '''4499'''</small>

	The 4499 is the 1946-launched running mate to the [[Reference:4925\|4925]] Air-King. Same Cal 10½ Hunter movement family, same 34mm Bubbleback Oyster case architecture, same OYSTER PERPETUAL AIR-KING dial conventions — produced in parallel with the 4925 across the late 1940s and into the early 1950s, with both retiring around 1953 when the 6552 takes over with the automatic Cal 1030. The consensus framing across Marcus Siems, Monochrome, and secondary aggregators reads the 4499 as "the 17-jewel upgrade running mate to the 15-jewel 4925" — implying a clean jewel-count generational refresh between the two references. The auction record is messier: Bonhams 2012 lot 132 documents a ~~'''~~15-jewel 1946 4499 with sub-seconds layout~~'''~~, suggesting the earliest 1946 4499 production carried the older sub-seconds dial language and the same 15-jewel movement before transitioning to centre-seconds and 17 jewels later that year.		The 4499 is the 1946-launched running mate to the [[Reference:4925\|4925]] Air-King. Same Cal 10½ Hunter movement family, same 34mm Bubbleback Oyster case architecture, same OYSTER PERPETUAL AIR-KING dial conventions — produced in parallel with the 4925 across the late 1940s and into the early 1950s, with both retiring around 1953 when the 6552 takes over with the automatic Cal 1030. The consensus framing across Marcus Siems, Monochrome, and secondary aggregators reads the 4499 as "the 17-jewel upgrade running mate to the 15-jewel 4925" — implying a clean jewel-count generational refresh between the two references. The auction record is messier: Bonhams 2012 lot 132 documents a 15-jewel 1946 4499 with sub-seconds layout, suggesting the earliest 1946 4499 production carried the older sub-seconds dial language and the same 15-jewel movement before transitioning to centre-seconds and 17 jewels later that year.

	The 4499 also surfaces with the cleanest documented Serpico y Laino retailer-signed Air-King in the auction record. A specialist-dealer record catalogues a 1946 example (serial 420942) with the Caracas retailer's signature on the dial — confirming the 4499's distribution into the Venezuelan retail channel that supplied multiple Rolex references through the late 1940s and 1950s. The Serpico y Laino 4499 is not the only retailer-signed example to surface in the broader Air-King line (5500, 6565, 1803 all carry Serpico y Laino dials in dealer corpus), but it is the documented anchor for the convention on the 4499 specifically.		The 4499 also surfaces with the cleanest documented Serpico y Laino retailer-signed Air-King in the auction record. A specialist-dealer record catalogues a 1946 example (serial 420942) with the Caracas retailer's signature on the dial — confirming the 4499's distribution into the Venezuelan retail channel that supplied multiple Rolex references through the late 1940s and 1950s. The Serpico y Laino 4499 is not the only retailer-signed example to surface in the broader Air-King line (5500, 6565, 1803 all carry Serpico y Laino dials in dealer corpus), but it is the documented anchor for the convention on the 4499 specifically.
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	The 4499's relationship to the sub-seconds [[Reference:4365\|4365]] is more nuanced. The 4365 carried the four-name sister-marketing convention (Air-King / Air-Lion / Air-Tiger / Air-Giant on shared cases) on a sub-seconds dial layout. The 4499 carries Air-King text only on a centre-seconds dial layout (with the 1946 transitional sub-seconds variant noted at Bonhams 2012). The two references — 4365 sub-seconds and 4499 centre-seconds — fill out Rolex's Air-King catalog at the dial-layout fork the 4925 also occupies on the centre-seconds side.		The 4499's relationship to the sub-seconds [[Reference:4365\|4365]] is more nuanced. The 4365 carried the four-name sister-marketing convention (Air-King / Air-Lion / Air-Tiger / Air-Giant on shared cases) on a sub-seconds dial layout. The 4499 carries Air-King text only on a centre-seconds dial layout (with the 1946 transitional sub-seconds variant noted at Bonhams 2012). The two references — 4365 sub-seconds and 4499 centre-seconds — fill out Rolex's Air-King catalog at the dial-layout fork the 4925 also occupies on the centre-seconds side.

	The architectural sequence runs ~~'''~~4925 / 4499 / 4365 → 6552 → 5500~~'''~~. The Cal 10½ Hunter generation retires with the 1953 catalog cut and the broader pre-Cal-1030 hand-wound Air-King line. The 6552 (1953-1957, first automatic Air-King with Cal 1030) is the architectural successor; the long-running 5500 (1957-1989) absorbs the line forward.		The architectural sequence runs 4925 / 4499 / 4365 → 6552 → 5500. The Cal 10½ Hunter generation retires with the 1953 catalog cut and the broader pre-Cal-1030 hand-wound Air-King line. The 6552 (1953-1957, first automatic Air-King with Cal 1030) is the architectural successor; the long-running 5500 (1957-1989) absorbs the line forward.

	<span id="production-outline"></span>		<span id="production-outline"></span>
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	The retirement is consensus 1953, mirroring the 4925's catalog cutoff. The Cal 10½ Hunter movement family retires with the broader pre-1030 hand-wound Air-King line, and the 6552 (1953-1957) takes the line forward with the automatic Cal 1030. No documented 4499 dated post-1953 has surfaced in the corpus.		The retirement is consensus 1953, mirroring the 4925's catalog cutoff. The Cal 10½ Hunter movement family retires with the broader pre-1030 hand-wound Air-King line, and the 6552 (1953-1957) takes the line forward with the automatic Cal 1030. No documented 4499 dated post-1953 has surfaced in the corpus.

	The Cal 10½ Hunter jewel count requires careful attention. The consensus framing reads the 4499 as a clean 17-jewel running update from the 15-jewel 4925 — implying the 4499 launched in 1946 with 17 jewels. Bonhams 2012 lot 132 contradicts this: a c.1946 4499 with case 398xxx and a ~~'''~~15-jewel~~'''~~ Cal 10½ Hunter movement, ~~and~~ with ~~'''~~sub-seconds at six~~'''~~ rather than the centre-seconds layout the consensus narrative attaches to the 4499. The Bonhams 2012 lot suggests the earliest 1946 4499 production transitioned both jewel count (15j → 17j) and dial layout (sub-seconds → centre-seconds) within the first year of production. The Marcus Siems / Monochrome / secondary-aggregator consensus narrative treats the 4499 as already-17j-and-already-centre-seconds at launch, which the auction record does not support for the very earliest examples.		The Cal 10½ Hunter jewel count requires careful attention. The consensus framing reads the 4499 as a clean 17-jewel running update from the 15-jewel 4925 — implying the 4499 launched in 1946 with 17 jewels. Bonhams 2012 lot 132 contradicts this: a c.1946 4499 with case 398xxx and a 15-jewel Cal 10½ Hunter movement, with sub-seconds at six rather than the centre-seconds layout the consensus narrative attaches to the 4499. The Bonhams 2012 lot suggests the earliest 1946 4499 production transitioned both jewel count (15j → 17j) and dial layout (sub-seconds → centre-seconds) within the first year of production. The Marcus Siems / Monochrome / secondary-aggregator consensus narrative treats the 4499 as already-17j-and-already-centre-seconds at launch, which the auction record does not support for the very earliest examples.

	Total production output is not published. The 4499 is scarcer at major-house auction than the 5500-era Air-King references but more frequently surfaced than the 4365 sister. Bonhams is the dominant major-house auction anchor — three documented 4499 lots in the auction record (2012, 2024 lot 100, 2024 lot 94). Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, and Antiquorum have no documented standalone 4499 lots in the corpus through 2025.		Total production output is not published. The 4499 is scarcer at major-house auction than the 5500-era Air-King references but more frequently surfaced than the 4365 sister. Bonhams is the dominant major-house auction anchor — three documented 4499 lots in the auction record (2012, 2024 lot 100, 2024 lot 94). Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, and Antiquorum have no documented standalone 4499 lots in the corpus through 2025.
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	== Movement notes ==		== Movement notes ==

	The 4499 runs the ~~'''~~Cal 10½ Hunter~~'''~~ family — same ~~architectural base as~~ the 4925 ~~/ 4365 sisters, with running updates across the production window~~. Manual wind, ~~'''~~15 jewels~~''' (~~1946 ~~earliest~~ examples ~~per~~ Bonhams 2012 lot) ~~→ '''~~17 jewels~~'''~~ (~~1947+ running update per~~ Bonhams 2024 lots), 18,000 vph, central seconds (post-1946 ~~transitional)~~, Aegler/Rolex Superbalance, lever escapement.		The 4499 runs the Cal 10½ Hunter family — the same Aegler architecture documented at length under [[Reference:4925#movement-notes\|the 4925's movement notes]]. Manual wind, 15 jewels in the earliest 1946 examples (Bonhams 2012 lot 132) running up to 17 jewels by 1947 (Bonhams 2024 lots), 18,000 vph, central seconds on post-1946 production, Aegler/Rolex Superbalance, lever escapement.

	The 15j-to-17j running update sits in the same generational refresh that documented across the 4925 and 4365 sister references. The 4499's earliest 1946 examples carry the 15-jewel architecture matching the 4925's launch; later 1947+ production adopts the 17-jewel running update consistent with the 4925's mid-production jewel-count refresh. The two references move forward in the same architectural moment rather than the 4499 representing a clean jewel-count successor to the 4925.		The 15j-to-17j running update sits in the same generational refresh that documented across the 4925 and 4365 sister references. The 4499's earliest 1946 examples carry the 15-jewel architecture matching the 4925's launch; later 1947+ production adopts the 17-jewel running update consistent with the 4925's mid-production jewel-count refresh. The two references move forward in the same architectural moment rather than the 4499 representing a clean jewel-count successor to the 4925.

	The Bonhams 2012 lot 132 1946 4499 carries a ~~'''~~sub-seconds layout~~'''~~ at six o'clock — visually closer to the 4365 sub-seconds Air-King than to the centre-seconds 4925 the consensus narrative pairs the 4499 with. This may reflect early-production parts-bin overlap, market-segment positioning before Rolex settled on the centre-seconds layout for the 4499 specifically, or service-replacement movement-dial swaps applied in period before the watch reached its eventual 4499 caseback stamping. ~~Treat the~~ 1946 sub-seconds 4499 as a transitional first-year variant the consensus narrative ~~does not capture; flag any~~ sub-seconds 4499 dial as either period-original (rare) or service-era replacement (more common).		The Bonhams 2012 lot 132 1946 4499 carries a sub-seconds layout at six o'clock — visually closer to the 4365 sub-seconds Air-King than to the centre-seconds 4925 the consensus narrative pairs the 4499 with. This may reflect early-production parts-bin overlap, market-segment positioning before Rolex settled on the centre-seconds layout for the 4499 specifically, or service-replacement movement-dial swaps applied in period before the watch reached its eventual 4499 caseback stamping. The 1946 sub-seconds 4499 reads as a transitional first-year variant outside the consensus narrative. A sub-seconds 4499 dial is either period-original (rare) or service-era replacement (more common).

	The 4499 is ~~'''~~not COSC chronometer rated~~'''~~. The dial reads "PRECISION" across documented examples; "Super Precision" attribution on a 4499 dial is service-replacement (likely a 5500-era Cal 1530 dial swap) and is not original.		The 4499 is not COSC chronometer rated. The dial reads "PRECISION" across documented examples; "Super Precision" attribution on a 4499 dial is service-replacement (likely a 5500-era Cal 1530 dial swap) and is not original.

	<span id="case-and-construction"></span>		<span id="case-and-construction"></span>
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	=== Silvered with printed black Roman + baton + radium fill, sub-seconds at six (1946 transitional) ===		=== Silvered with printed black Roman + baton + radium fill, sub-seconds at six (1946 transitional) ===

	The earliest 1946 production sub-variant. Silvered ground, printed black Roman numerals at the cardinal positions with baton hour markers between, luminous radium fill in the markers, blued steel pointed baton hands, sub-seconds register at six rather than centre-seconds. Bonhams 2012 lot 132 (case 398xxx, c.1946, 15j Cal 10½) is the documented anchor and the only 4499 sub-seconds variant in the auction record. The Marcus Siems / Monochrome / secondary-aggregator consensus narrative does not document this variant; its existence at Bonhams 2012 contradicts the clean centre-seconds-from-launch reading of the 4499. ~~Treat the~~ sub-seconds 4499 as a transitional first-year variant.		The earliest 1946 production sub-variant. Silvered ground, printed black Roman numerals at the cardinal positions with baton hour markers between, luminous radium fill in the markers, blued steel pointed baton hands, sub-seconds register at six rather than centre-seconds. Bonhams 2012 lot 132 (case 398xxx, c.1946, 15j Cal 10½) is the documented anchor and the only 4499 sub-seconds variant in the auction record. The Marcus Siems / Monochrome / secondary-aggregator consensus narrative does not document this variant; its existence at Bonhams 2012 contradicts the clean centre-seconds-from-launch reading of the 4499. The sub-seconds 4499 reads as a transitional first-year variant.

	<span id="tropical-creme-brulee"></span>		<span id="tropical-creme-brulee"></span>