Reference:5500 - Revision history

Klaudiusz: Internal linking: related references + component links

2026-07-18T12:52:45Z

Internal linking: related references + component links

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:52, 18 July 2026
Line 300:		Line 300:

	Aftermarket Saudi or UAE crest dials circulate widely. Without provenance papers tying the dial to the original commission, any government-crest 5500 is suspect. The Kuwait Al-Sabah signature is the only government-crest 5500 with major-house auction anchoring; the other crests appear in dealer and editorial coverage only.		Aftermarket Saudi or UAE crest dials circulate widely. Without provenance papers tying the dial to the original commission, any government-crest 5500 is suspect. The Kuwait Al-Sabah signature is the only government-crest 5500 with major-house auction anchoring; the other crests appear in dealer and editorial coverage only.


			== Related references ==

			* [[Reference:5700\|Air-King 5700]] — 1959–1988
			* [[Reference:14000M\|Air-King 14000M]] — Cal 3130 'Precision' (2000–2006)
			* [[Reference:4365\|Air-King 4365]]
			* [[Reference:4499\|Air-King 4499]]
			* [[Reference:4925\|Air-King 4925]]
			* [[Reference:5501\|Air-King 5501]]

			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 ==

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-06-29T01:21:21Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:21, 29 June 2026
Line 9:		Line 9:
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-30T03:20:40Z		\|published_time=2026-04-30T03:20:40Z
	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~28T23~~:38:~~20Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-06-29T01:19:59Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-06-29T01:19:59Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:19, 29 June 2026
Line 9:		Line 9:
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-30T03:20:40Z		\|published_time=2026-04-30T03:20:40Z
	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~04T04~~:40:~~56Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-06-28T23:38:20Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-06-28T23:38:20Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:38, 28 June 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 5500 Air-King}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 5500 Air-King}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex ~~5500~~ Air-King — ~~Production, Dial Variants~~, ~~Calibers~~ \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex Air-King 5500 — 34mm Oyster, 1957–1989 \| BezelBase
	\|description=The 5500 is the long-running Rolex Air-King — 32 years in production from 1957 to 1989, 34mm steel Oyster, caliber 1530 then 1520. The longest single Rolex reference run, with the broadest dial map of any Air-King.		\|description=The 5500 is the long-running Rolex Air-King — 32 years in production from 1957 to 1989, 34mm steel Oyster, caliber 1530 then 1520. The longest single Rolex reference run, with the broadest dial map of any Air-King.
	\|keywords=Rolex, 5500, Air-King, specifications, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 5500, Air-King, specifications, reference guide
Line 8:		Line 8:
	\|type=Article		\|type=Article
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
			\|published_time=2026-04-30T03:20:40Z
			\|modified_time=2026-06-04T04:40:56Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: SEO: capitalize schema.org @type to "Article" for rich-result eligibility

2026-06-04T04:40:56Z

SEO: capitalize schema.org @type to "Article" for rich-result eligibility

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:40, 4 June 2026
Line 6:		Line 6:
	\|image=Ref 5500 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 5500 hero.webp
	\|image_alt=Rolex Air-King 5500 silvered dial		\|image_alt=Rolex Air-King 5500 silvered dial
	\|type=~~article~~		\|type=Article
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large

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

2026-05-31T02:07:35Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:07, 31 May 2026
Line 317:		Line 317:

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

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

2026-05-31T01:44:24Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:44, 31 May 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
			{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 5500 Air-King}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 5500 Air-King — Production, Dial Variants, Calibers \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex 5500 Air-King — Production, Dial Variants, Calibers \| BezelBase

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

2026-05-02T05:07:38Z

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

Admin: Resize hero: 260px -> 250px

2026-04-30T04:22:18Z

Resize hero: 260px -> 250px

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:22, 30 April 2026
Line 18:		Line 18:
	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

	[[File:Ref 5500 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|~~260px~~\|alt=Rolex Air-King 5500 silvered dial\|Rolex Air-King 5500, silvered dial, c.1965]]		[[File:Ref 5500 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Air-King 5500 silvered dial\|Rolex Air-King 5500, silvered dial, c.1965]]

	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==

Admin: Audit fix: strip prices from intro + remove second-person voice (5500)

2026-04-30T04:05:17Z

Audit fix: strip prices from intro + remove second-person voice (5500)

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:05, 30 April 2026
Line 12:		Line 12:
	<small>[[Reference:air-king\|Air-King]] -> '''5500'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:air-king\|Air-King]] -> '''5500'''</small>

	The 5500 is the longest single Rolex reference run — 32 years on the catalogue from 1957 to 1989, replaced only by the sapphire-crystal 14000 at Baselworld 1989. ~~It's the~~ workhorse Air-King: 34mm steel Oyster, smooth bezel, acrylic crystal, Twinlock crown, Cal 1530 then Cal 1520. Not a sport watch, not a dress watch, not a tool watch ~~— the 5500 is the Rolex you wore when you wanted a Rolex and didn't care which one~~. That generic role ~~is what~~ gave it the broadest dial map of any single Air-King reference, and ~~what~~ made it the canvas for Rolex's corporate-gift and government-crest programs across three decades.		The 5500 is the longest single Rolex reference run — 32 years on the catalogue from 1957 to 1989, replaced only by the sapphire-crystal 14000 at Baselworld 1989. The workhorse Air-King: 34mm steel Oyster, smooth bezel, acrylic crystal, Twinlock crown, Cal 1530 then Cal 1520. Not a sport watch, not a dress watch, not a tool watch. That generic role gave the 5500 the broadest dial map of any single Air-King reference, and made it the canvas for Rolex's corporate-gift and government-crest programs across three decades.

	Inside the run lives the gilt 3-6-9 Explorer-dial 5500 — a quiet sister to the 1016 Explorer, sharing the Cal 1530 architecture and the gilt-on-glossy-lacquer dial format. ~~Phillips Geneva FIVE 2017 lot 76 (a 1962 example with a~~ Joyería Riviera retailer signature) sold for CHF 32,500 against an estimate of CHF 7,000–12,000, and Phillips Double Signed Geneva 2019 lot 49 (another Joyería Riviera 5500) cleared CHF 37,500. These two lots sit on the upper edge of what a 5500 trades at — most of the ~~run circulates in~~ the ~~low four figures~~.		Inside the run lives the gilt 3-6-9 Explorer-dial 5500 — a quiet sister to the 1016 Explorer, sharing the Cal 1530 architecture and the gilt-on-glossy-lacquer dial format. The Joyería Riviera-signed gilt 3-6-9 examples drive most of the auction interest; the standard silvered AIR-KING configuration is far more common.

	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:07, 2 May 2026
Line 82:		Line 82:
	== Production outline ==		== Production outline ==

	Consensus across Tony Traina (Rescapement), Erik Slaven (Monochrome, January 2025), Marcus Siems, and Phillips lot essays converges on ~~'''~~1957 introduction and 1989 end~~'''~~ — a 32-year span. A small dealer outlier reads "37 years" by conflating the gold-capped 5520 sibling that ran into the 1990s; treat that as a different reference, not a longer 5500.		Consensus across Tony Traina (Rescapement), Erik Slaven (Monochrome, January 2025), Marcus Siems, and Phillips lot essays converges on 1957 introduction and 1989 end — a 32-year span. A small dealer outlier reads "37 years" by conflating the gold-capped 5520 sibling that ran into the 1990s; treat that as a different reference, not a longer 5500.

	The caliber transition inside the run is documented at ~~'''~~c.1963~~'''~~: the Cal 1530 carried the early production with a "Super Precision" dial line, and the Cal 1520 succeeded it with a "Precision" line (or no precision text at all). The transition was not clean. Surviving examples mix dial text and movement caliber more often than the convention predicts — a function of period parts-bin overlap and decades of service swaps. The Field Manual treats the dial-to-caliber pairing as a strong indicator, not a hard rule.		The caliber transition inside the run is documented at c.1963: the Cal 1530 carried the early production with a "Super Precision" dial line, and the Cal 1520 succeeded it with a "Precision" line (or no precision text at all). The transition was not clean. Surviving examples mix dial text and movement caliber more often than the convention predicts — a function of period parts-bin overlap and decades of service swaps. The Field Manual treats the dial-to-caliber pairing as a strong indicator, not a hard rule.

	Total production output is not published by Rolex. The reference's role as an entry-level catalogue Rolex across three decades, plus the corporate-gift programs that ordered 5500s in bulk, suggests substantial output — but no specialist source has anchored a number.		Total production output is not published by Rolex. The reference's role as an entry-level catalogue Rolex across three decades, plus the corporate-gift programs that ordered 5500s in bulk, suggests substantial output — but no specialist source has anchored a number.
Line 95:		Line 95:
	The 5500 runs two calibers in succession.		The 5500 runs two calibers in succession.

	~~'''~~Caliber 1530~~'''~~ (1957 onward, replaced c.1963). 18,000 vph, 25 or 26 jewels, ~44 hour reserve, butterfly rotor in the early production succeeded by a half-moon rotor, Breguet overcoil hairspring, Microstella regulation from 1959. Dial text on 5500s with the 1530 typically reads "SUPER PRECISION." Few 1530-equipped 5500s received chronometer certification — the convention reads non-COSC, but isolated COSC examples exist.		Caliber 1530 (1957 onward, replaced c.1963). 18,000 vph, 25 or 26 jewels, ~44 hour reserve, butterfly rotor in the early production succeeded by a half-moon rotor, Breguet overcoil hairspring, Microstella regulation from 1959. Dial text on 5500s with the 1530 typically reads "SUPER PRECISION." Few 1530-equipped 5500s received chronometer certification — the convention reads non-COSC, but isolated COSC examples exist.

	~~'''~~Caliber 1520~~'''~~ (c.1963–1989). Faster at 19,800 vph, 17 / 25 / 26 jewels (the 17-jewel variant was a US/Canada market move keyed to import-duty jewel-count brackets, not a movement difference of substance), ~42 hour reserve, stick regulator only — no Microstella, no Breguet overcoil. Dial text on 5500s with the 1520 typically reads "PRECISION" or carries no precision text at all. The 1520 was never intended to submit for chronometer certification.		Caliber 1520 (c.1963–1989). Faster at 19,800 vph, 17 / 25 / 26 jewels (the 17-jewel variant was a US/Canada market move keyed to import-duty jewel-count brackets, not a movement difference of substance), ~42 hour reserve, stick regulator only — no Microstella, no Breguet overcoil. Dial text on 5500s with the 1520 typically reads "PRECISION" or carries no precision text at all. The 1520 was never intended to submit for chronometer certification.

	The "Super Precision" / "Precision" distinction is a Rolex internal marketing tag for the caliber generation, not a chronometer rating in either case. Surviving 5500s sometimes wear a 1530 movement under a "PRECISION" dial (or the inverse) — service-era parts-bin churn and dial swaps both happen across a 32-year reference. Reading caliber from dial text alone is unsafe.		The "Super Precision" / "Precision" distinction is a Rolex internal marketing tag for the caliber generation, not a chronometer rating in either case. Surviving 5500s sometimes wear a 1530 movement under a "PRECISION" dial (or the inverse) — service-era parts-bin churn and dial swaps both happen across a 32-year reference. Reading caliber from dial text alone is unsafe.
Line 121:		Line 121:
	=== Dark blue AIR-KING ===		=== Dark blue AIR-KING ===

	Documented but rare. Monochrome and Rescapement both note dark-blue 5500 dials surface periodically; no major-house lot anchored to this configuration ~~was located in the source pass~~.		Documented but rare. Monochrome and Rescapement both note dark-blue 5500 dials surface periodically; no major-house lot anchored to this configuration has surfaced.

	<span id="explorer-3-6-9"></span>		<span id="explorer-3-6-9"></span>
Line 142:		Line 142:
	=== Waffle and honeycomb 3-6-9 dials ===		=== Waffle and honeycomb 3-6-9 dials ===

	Early-1960s variant with a finely-textured waffle or honeycomb pattern under the printed text and gilt dagger markers at six and nine, 3-6-9 Arabic at three, six, and nine. Scarce. Documented in dealer scholarship and Rescapement; no major-house lot anchored ~~in this pass~~.		Early-1960s variant with a finely-textured waffle or honeycomb pattern under the printed text and gilt dagger markers at six and nine, 3-6-9 Arabic at three, six, and nine. Scarce. Documented in dealer scholarship and Rescapement; no major-house lot anchored.

	<span id="all-arabic"></span>		<span id="all-arabic"></span>
Line 164:		Line 164:
	The case is a 34mm three-piece stainless steel Oyster — case middle, threaded caseback, threaded crown. Thickness sits at approximately 12mm (Antiquorum lot 547 lists 34mm × 12mm explicitly). The lugs are 19mm wide, the bezel is smooth and steel and fixed (no rotating dive bezel), and the crystal is domed acrylic plexiglass throughout the run. The crown is a Twinlock screw-down — not a Triplock, which arrived later on the sport references.		The case is a 34mm three-piece stainless steel Oyster — case middle, threaded caseback, threaded crown. Thickness sits at approximately 12mm (Antiquorum lot 547 lists 34mm × 12mm explicitly). The lugs are 19mm wide, the bezel is smooth and steel and fixed (no rotating dive bezel), and the crystal is domed acrylic plexiglass throughout the run. The crown is a Twinlock screw-down — not a Triplock, which arrived later on the sport references.

	The 5500 is steel-only canonically. The two-tone gold-capped variants live as separate references — the 5501 (Rolesor with gold fluted bezel), 5502 / 5506 (gold-capped 40-micron), and 5520 (later gold-capped) all sit outside the 5500 reference number. Period photos and dealer copy occasionally float a "gold 5500" claim; ~~treat any such example as misattributed unless backed by~~ a major-house lot essay.		The 5500 is steel-only canonically. The two-tone gold-capped variants live as separate references — the 5501 (Rolesor with gold fluted bezel), 5502 / 5506 (gold-capped 40-micron), and 5520 (later gold-capped) all sit outside the 5500 reference number. Period photos and dealer copy occasionally float a "gold 5500" claim; without a major-house lot essay backing the claim, the example is misattributed.

	Water resistance reads at 50m on most period dial markings (the 100ft = 30m era marking) and at 100m on later production dial text. The discrepancy is real and reflects Rolex's gradual upward revision of the rating across the run rather than a case construction change.		Water resistance reads at 50m on most period dial markings (the 100ft = 30m era marking) and at 100m on later production dial text. The discrepancy is real and reflects Rolex's gradual upward revision of the rating across the run rather than a case construction change.
Line 175:		Line 175:
	Three Oyster bracelet generations sit across the run, all in the 19mm lug-width family.		Three Oyster bracelet generations sit across the run, all in the 19mm lug-width family.

	~~'''~~Riveted 7205 / 6635~~'''~~ with ~~'''~~end-link 57~~'''~~ (or sometimes 357) — early production through the mid-1960s. Phillips Geneva FOUR 2016 lot 22 documents a 1965 5500 on a riveted Oyster with both 57 and 357 end-links present in the case archive.		Riveted 7205 / 6635 with end-link 57 (or sometimes 357) — early production through the mid-1960s. Phillips Geneva FOUR 2016 lot 22 documents a 1965 5500 on a riveted Oyster with both 57 and 357 end-links present in the case archive.

	~~'''~~Folded-link 7835~~'''~~ with ~~'''~~end-link 357~~'''~~ — mid-1960s through approximately 1976. The most-encountered combination on 1960s and early-1970s 5500s. The 7835 is the same folded-link Oyster used on the 1016 Explorer of the same era.		Folded-link 7835 with end-link 357 — mid-1960s through approximately 1976. The most-encountered combination on 1960s and early-1970s 5500s. The 7835 is the same folded-link Oyster used on the 1016 Explorer of the same era.

	~~'''~~Solid-link 78350~~'''~~ with ~~'''~~end-link 557 / 557B~~'''~~ — late 1970s through 1989. The 78350 carries the 5500 into the modern bracelet era.		Solid-link 78350 with end-link 557 / 557B — late 1970s through 1989. The 78350 carries the 5500 into the modern bracelet era.

	A Jubilee bracelet was a period catalogue option on the 5500 and surfaces on a minority of surviving examples, primarily the 1970s and 1980s production. Jubilee 62510 with the 555B end-link is the period-correct configuration where it appears.		A Jubilee bracelet was a period catalogue option on the 5500 and surfaces on a minority of surviving examples, primarily the 1970s and 1980s production. Jubilee 62510 with the 555B end-link is the period-correct configuration where it appears.
Line 193:		Line 193:
	=== Domino's Pizza ===		=== Domino's Pizza ===

	Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, established a Rolex incentive program for franchisees who hit weekly sales targets — beginning in 1977 and running for years afterward. The Rolex of choice was the 5500. Casebacks were engraved with the awardee's name and a sales-language inscription; the watches functioned as recognition awards rather than retail sales, though many have since entered the secondary market. The sales target most strongly sourced is ~~'''~~$20,000 weekly~~'''~~ (per Monaghan's own ''Pizza Tiger'', 1986); a widely-repeated "$30,000 for four consecutive weeks" figure circulates without primary sourcing and should be flagged. A Christie's online sale of a Domino's 5500 cleared roughly $20,000.		Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, established a Rolex incentive program for franchisees who hit weekly sales targets — beginning in 1977 and running for years afterward. The Rolex of choice was the 5500. Casebacks were engraved with the awardee's name and a sales-language inscription; the watches functioned as recognition awards rather than retail sales, though many have since entered the secondary market. The sales target most strongly sourced is $20,000 weekly (per Monaghan's own ''Pizza Tiger'', 1986); a widely-repeated "$30,000 for four consecutive weeks" figure circulates without primary sourcing and should be flagged. A Christie's online sale of a Domino's 5500 cleared roughly $20,000.

	<span id="pool-intairdril"></span>		<span id="pool-intairdril"></span>
Line 251:		Line 251:
	=== Joyería Riviera and other retailer signatures ===		=== Joyería Riviera and other retailer signatures ===

	Joyería Riviera, the Havana retailer established in 1943, is the strongest retailer signature in the 5500 auction record. Phillips Geneva FIVE 2017 lot 76 (1962 gilt Explorer 3-6-9 with double-Swiss exclamation, hammered CHF 32,500) and Phillips Double Signed Geneva 2019 lot 49 (1962 gilt Explorer 3-6-9, hammered CHF 37,500) are both Joyería Riviera examples and both sit at the top of the 5500 market. A Tiffany & Co.-signed 5500 surfaces in dealer-market listings but no major-house anchor ~~was located in this pass~~. Cartier-signed 5500 Explorers appear in forum discussion (RolexForums, WatchUSeek) but authenticity is contested without auction-house confirmation.		Joyería Riviera, the Havana retailer established in 1943, is the strongest retailer signature in the 5500 auction record. Phillips Geneva FIVE 2017 lot 76 (1962 gilt Explorer 3-6-9 with double-Swiss exclamation, hammered CHF 32,500) and Phillips Double Signed Geneva 2019 lot 49 (1962 gilt Explorer 3-6-9, hammered CHF 37,500) are both Joyería Riviera examples and both sit at the top of the 5500 market. A Tiffany & Co.-signed 5500 surfaces in dealer-market listings but no major-house anchor has surfaced. Cartier-signed 5500 Explorers appear in forum discussion (RolexForums, WatchUSeek) but authenticity is contested without auction-house confirmation.

	<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>		<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
Line 296:		Line 296:
	The bracelet and end-link combination should match the production era: rivet 7205/6635 + 57 end-link on 1957–early-1960s cases, folded 7835 + 357 on mid-run cases, solid 78350 + 557 on late-run cases. A late-1980s 5500 on a riveted bracelet is service-era refit — common, but worth noting.		The bracelet and end-link combination should match the production era: rivet 7205/6635 + 57 end-link on 1957–early-1960s cases, folded 7835 + 357 on mid-run cases, solid 78350 + 557 on late-run cases. A late-1980s 5500 on a riveted bracelet is service-era refit — common, but worth noting.

	Aftermarket Saudi or UAE crest dials circulate widely. Without provenance papers tying the dial to the original commission, ~~treat~~ any government-crest 5500 as suspect. The Kuwait Al-Sabah signature is the only government-crest 5500 with major-house auction anchoring; the other crests appear in dealer and editorial coverage only.		Aftermarket Saudi or UAE crest dials circulate widely. Without provenance papers tying the dial to the original commission, any government-crest 5500 is suspect. The Kuwait Al-Sabah signature is the only government-crest 5500 with major-house auction anchoring; the other crests appear in dealer and editorial coverage only.

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==