Reference:5506: Difference between revisions

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Add new ref: 5506 Air-King — gold-capped 40-micron Cal 1530 Super Precision (1958-1964/65). Sister to 5502 (parallel production for UK/Commonwealth distribution channel). Cal 1530 SUPER PRECISION dial + alpha hands distinguish from later 5520. Kessi Freres SA case construction (KB tombstone hallmark)
 
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{{#seo:
#REDIRECT [[Reference:5502]]
|title=Rolex 5506 Air-King — Gold-Capped Super Precision, Commonwealth Markets | BezelBase
|description=The 5506 is the gold-capped 40-micron Air-King — c.1958 to 1964, Cal 1530 "Super Precision," alpha hands. Sister to the 5502 (parallel production for different distribution channel — 5506 typically Commonwealth markets). Bonhams 2023 lot 51 anchors the price band.
|keywords=Rolex, 5506, Air-King, gold-capped, Cal 1530, Super Precision, Kessi Freres
|image=Ref 5506 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex 5506 Air-King gold-capped
|type=article
|og_type=article
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
 
<small>[[Reference:air-king|Air-King]] -> '''5506'''</small>
 
The 5506 is the parallel-production sister to the [[Reference:5502|5502]] — same architecture, same Cal 1530 Super Precision movement, same 40-micron gold-capped construction, distinct reference number tracking distribution channel rather than spec. Both run from approximately 1958 through 1964/65 with the 5506 typically routed to UK and Commonwealth retail channels. The 5506 surfaces at UK auction houses (Bonhams) more frequently than the 5502 in the documented corpus; the 5502 surfaces more often in US dealer corpus. Beyond the reference-number split and the geographic distribution, the two references are mechanically identical.
 
Bonhams sold a c.1960 5506 (auction 29125 lot 51, May 2023, sunburst champagne dial with applied gilt dart markers and gilt dagger/dart hands) for USD 2,550 with premium — the strongest standalone 5506 auction-house anchor in the documented corpus. Heritage Auctions catalogues a c.1959 5506 (lot 5294-54248) with silvered ground, applied gilt indices, and dauphine/alpha hands — the alternate dial configuration. Across both lots the 5506 architecture is consistent: Kessi Frères SA case construction with the KB tombstone hallmark, alpha hands, applied gilt indices on either silvered or champagne ground, and the period-correct 78351 gold-capped Oyster bracelet.
 
<span id="core-facts"></span>
 
[[File:Ref 5506 hero.webp|thumb|right|260px|alt=Rolex 5506 Air-King gold-capped|Rolex Air-King 5506, gold-capped sunburst champagne dial, c.1960]]
 
== Core facts ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 5506 (sister 5502 = parallel production for different distribution channel — typically US market)
|-
| family
| Air-King
|-
| common name
| "the gold-capped Commonwealth Air-King," "the alpha-handed gold-capped Air-King"
|-
| production
| 1958–1964 (Robb Report consensus); Bonhams's c.1960 example sits in the middle of the catalog window
|-
| case
| 34mm × ~12mm × 43mm L2L stainless steel base with 40 microns yellow gold electroplate (Goldammer / Robb Report consensus; Monochrome reads 14 microns — captured as contradiction)
|-
| caseback
| stainless steel
|-
| bezel
| smooth, gold-capped (40-micron electroplate over steel)
|-
| crown
| Twinlock screw-down, gold-capped
|-
| crystal
| acrylic plexiglass, domed
|-
| movement
| Cal 1530 throughout — 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, ~44h reserve, butterfly rotor, Breguet overcoil
|-
| chronometer
| no — "SUPER PRECISION" dial text
|-
| dial text
| "AIR-KING" + "SUPER PRECISION"
|-
| hands
| alpha-style gold hands (some examples carry dauphine variants per Heritage)
|-
| hour markers
| applied gilt or gold faceted indices with luminous dots; sunburst champagne examples carry dart markers
|-
| bracelet
| 78351 gold-capped Oyster
|-
| caseback supplier
| Kessi Frères SA, Biel — KB tombstone hallmark inside caseback
|-
| sister
| [[Reference:5502|5502]] (parallel-production, US-market distribution)
|-
| also-sister
| [[Reference:5500|5500]], [[Reference:5501|5501]], [[Reference:5520|5520]]
|-
| successor
| no direct 5506 successor; gold-capped Air-King line resumes a decade later with the 5520 in 1974
|}
 
<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==
 
The 5506 is functionally the 5502's twin. Both references launched in 1958 with identical Cal 1530 Super Precision movements, identical 40-micron gold-cap construction, identical Kessi Frères case supply, and identical 78351 gold-capped Oyster bracelet platforms. The reference-number split tracks distribution channel rather than functional spec — the 5506 is more commonly catalogued by UK auction houses (Bonhams), the 5502 surfaces more often in US dealer corpus.
 
Why Rolex split the gold-capped Air-King across two reference numbers in this period is undocumented in primary editorial. Possibilities include: separate import licensing for US vs UK / Commonwealth markets; separate dealer ordering channels with distinct reference codes; or a minor case-supply or bracelet-specification difference that the documented sources don't capture. Without primary attribution the practical reading is "two references, one watch" — collectors and dealers treat them interchangeably and pricing converges across the 5502 and 5506 in the secondary market.
 
The architectural relationship to the broader Air-King line matches the 5502's. The [[Reference:5500|5500]] is the 32-year-running steel-only no-date workhorse. The 5506 (1958–1964) and 5502 (1958–1965) are the gold-capped variants of the same case + movement at the same point in the Cal 1530 Super Precision era. The [[Reference:5501|5501]] (1959–1986) is the solid-gold Rolesor variant. The [[Reference:5504|5504]] (1957/58–1963/64) is the 36mm Explorer-case Super Precision sister. The [[Reference:5520|5520]] (1974–1986) is the gold-capped successor on the later Cal 1520 Precision architecture, separated from the 5502 / 5506 pair by a decade-long gap.
 
<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==
 
The 1958 launch year and 1964 retirement come from Robb Report's Air-King guide, which dates the 5502 / 5506 / 5516 cluster as a parallel-production set across this window. RolexMagazine and Monochrome echo the 1958 introduction. Bonhams's c.1960 example (auction 29125 lot 51) sits in the middle of the catalog window. Heritage's c.1959 example (lot 5294-54248) is at the early end. No documented 5506 dated post-1964 has surfaced in the documented corpus.
 
The 5506 retires alongside the broader Cal 1530 → Cal 1520 transition that ran across the Air-King line in approximately 1963. By 1964 the gold-capped 5506 production ends and Rolex does not transition the 5506 onto the Cal 1520 the way the 5500 was transitioned. The gold-capped Air-King line then sits dormant for roughly a decade until the 5520 picks it up in 1974.
 
The capping thickness specification is contested. '''Goldammer and Robb Report both cite 40 microns''' — consistent with the 5502 sister reference and with the broader Rolex gold-capped catalog convention. '''Monochrome cites 14 microns''' for the 5506 specifically — a meaningful divergence from the 40-micron consensus. The 40-micron figure aligns with the broader 5502 / 5506 / 5520 documentation across multiple sources and is the more credible reading; the Monochrome 14-micron reading is captured as a contradiction worth flagging but is not the dominant attribution.
 
Total production output is not published. The 5506 is meaningfully scarcer than the 5500 in the secondary market — gold-capped pricing premium narrowed the buyer base, and the parallel 5502 reference split production. Direct 5506 lot essays at Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, and Antiquorum are scarce; Bonhams is the documented major-house anchor.
 
<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==
 
The 5506 runs '''Cal 1530 throughout''' — same architecture as the 5502 sister and the early 5500. '''25 jewels, 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz), approximately 44 hour power reserve, butterfly rotor, Breguet overcoil hairspring, Microstella regulation from 1959'''. The dial reads '''"AIR-KING" + "SUPER PRECISION"''' — the Cal 1530 era's marketing-tier text. The 5506 is '''not COSC chronometer rated'''.
 
The movement architecture is identical to the 5502 and to the early 5500 — Rolex did not develop a 5506-specific Cal 1530 variant for the gold-capped or Commonwealth-market positioning. The mechanical hardware is shared across the 1500-family base architecture in this generation; what distinguishes the 5506 from the 5502 sister and from the steel-only 5500 is case-trim metal and reference-number cataloging rather than movement specification.
 
<span id="case-and-construction"></span>
== Case and construction ==
 
34mm × approximately 12mm × 43mm L2L. Stainless steel base case with '''40 microns of yellow gold electroplated''' over the bezel, crown, and exterior surfaces (Goldammer and Robb Report consensus; Monochrome reads 14 microns — flag as contradiction). The caseback remains stainless steel — same standard gold-cap construction as the 5502 sister and the later 5520.
 
The bezel is fixed and smooth, gold-capped to match. Lugs are 19mm with drilled spring-bar holes. The crown is Twinlock screw-down, gold-capped. Water resistance is rated at 100m, period-standard.
 
The case is supplied by '''Kessi Frères SA in Biel''', with the '''KB tombstone hallmark''' inside the caseback — same case-supply convention as the 5502 sister. The KB hallmark is a useful authentication anchor across the 5502 / 5506 pair.
 
The crystal is acrylic plexiglass, domed. The case is otherwise consistent with the broader 5500-era Air-King platform; the gold-cap is the only visual deviation from the 5500 case.
 
<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
== Bracelets, end-links, and clasps ==
 
19mm Oyster across the production. The standard delivery configuration is the '''78351 gold-capped Oyster''' bracelet — same reference fitted to the 5502 sister and (across the production gap) to the later 5520. Bonhams's c.1960 5506 (auction 29125 lot 51) sold on a brown leather strap, which is a later replacement — leather is not the period-correct delivery configuration for a gold-capped Air-King.
 
The bracelet end-link generation tracks the broader Air-King line: rivet construction on early production transitioning to folded-link on later examples. Most surviving 5506s wear bracelets that have been serviced, replaced, or refitted over decades; bracelet originality on a 5506 needs case-and-clasp-date verification rather than relying on the bracelet reference number alone.
 
<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==
 
The 5506's dial palette is narrow, similar to the 5502's. Three documented configurations:
 
<span id="silvered-superprecision-5506"></span>
=== Silvered AIR-KING SUPER PRECISION ===
 
Heritage Auctions lot 5294-54248 (c.1959) catalogues a 5506 with silvered ground, applied gilt indices, and dauphine or alpha hands. The standard configuration on much of the 5506 production. "AIR-KING" + "SUPER PRECISION" text, gilt-on-silvered finish.
 
<span id="sunburst-champagne-5506"></span>
=== Sunburst champagne with dart markers ===
 
Bonhams auction 29125 lot 51 (May 2023, c.1960) catalogues a 5506 with sunburst champagne dial, applied gilt dart hour markers, and gilt dagger or dart hands. The champagne configuration pairs naturally with the gold-capped trim and reads more directly toward the dress-watch end of the catalog tier than the silvered standard.
 
<span id="black-5506"></span>
=== Black ===
 
Black ground 5506 examples are documented but uncommon in the surfaced corpus. The black-dial 5506 sits at the rare end of the production-volume distribution and trades at premium when condition and originality hold.
 
The Roman, Arabic, 3-6-9 Explorer, and tropical dial configurations that surface elsewhere on the Air-King line are not documented on the 5506.
 
<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==
 
The 5506 carries no documented retailer-signed (Tiffany / Cartier / Beyer), corporate-gift (Domino's), or government-crest configurations in the surfaced corpus through 2025. The Domino's program (1977 onward) post-dates the 5506's production window entirely. The Tiffany retailer-signed program existed across 1958–1964 but no Tiffany 5506 has surfaced. The 5506's narrow catalog visibility plus the gold-capped pricing premium kept it outside most of the corporate-gift and retailer-signing programs that defined other Air-King references.
 
The 5502 sister reference is the closest "branch" — same architecture, parallel production, distinct distribution channel.
 
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Reference details !! Result
|-
| Bonhams (auction 29125) || 51 || 2023 || 5506 c.1960, case 634,350, sunburst champagne dial with applied gilt dart markers, gilt dagger/dart hands, brown leather strap (later replacement) || Sold USD 2,550 with premium
|-
| Heritage Auctions || 5294-54248 || (c.2010s) || 5506 Super Precision automatic c.1959, silvered ground with applied gilt indices, dauphine / alpha hands || (sale price login-gated; details accessible via Heritage browse)
|}
 
The 5506 trades through dealer markets and via Bonhams at the USD 2,000–4,000 band depending on dial configuration and condition. Standard silvered Cal 1530 examples sit at the lower end (USD 2,000–3,000); sunburst champagne examples push into the USD 3,000–4,000 range with provenance. Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, and Antiquorum have no documented standalone 5506 essay-grade lots in the corpus through 2025; Bonhams and Heritage are the documented major-house anchors.
 
<span id="authentication"></span>
== Authentication ==
 
The 5506 is 60–65 years old. Authentication anchors mirror the 5502 sister reference's: the '''KB tombstone hallmark inside the caseback''' confirms Kessi Frères SA case construction; the '''40-micron gold-cap''' over a steel base is the standard construction (vs solid gold on the 5501 or 14-micron alternative reading from Monochrome — flag any 5506 dial sub-variant claim against the canonical 40-micron specification).
 
The dial text should match: "AIR-KING SUPER PRECISION" with Cal 1530 movement is correct. A 5506 with "PRECISION" text is service-replacement (likely a 5520 dial swap) or misattribution; a 5506 with "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER" text is service-replacement.
 
The hands should be alpha or dauphine — distinct from the 5520's baton/stick configuration. A 5506 with baton/stick hands is service-era replacement.
 
The movement should be Cal 1530 with 25 jewels at 18,000 vph; butterfly rotor and Breguet overcoil visible inside the case. A 5506 with Cal 1520 (5520-era) is service-replacement.
 
The bracelet should be 78351 gold-capped Oyster. All-steel bracelets and leather straps on a 5506 are service-era replacements (the original retail configuration was always gold-capped Oyster).
 
== Sources ==
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.rescapement.com/blog/rolex-air-king-history Tony Traina, "Rolex Air-King History: The Forgotten King", Rescapement]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-of-the-rolex-air-king-the-underrated-pilots-watch/ Erik Slaven, "History of the Rolex Air-King, the underrated pilots watch", Monochrome Watches, 2025]
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/rolex-airking-origin-history-and-design-evolution Marcus Siems, "Rolex Air-King Origin History and Design Evolution", Goldammer]
* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/complete-guide-to-the-rolex-air-king-1945-to-present-1235881849/ "The Complete Guide to Rolex Air-King Watches From 1945 to Present", Robb Report]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2013/07/the-complete-history-of-rolex-air-king.html Jake Ehrlich, "The Complete History Of The Rolex Air-King", Rolex Magazine, 2013]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29125/lot/51/rolex-a-gold-plated-automatic-wristwatch-air-king-ref-5506-c1960/ "Rolex Air-King Ref 5506 Gold-Plated c.1960 Bonhams", Bonhams, 2023]
* [https://jewelry.ha.com/itm/timepieces/wristwatch/rolex-air-king-ref-5506-oyster-perpetual-super-precision-automatic-wristwatch-circa-1959/a/5294-54248.s "Rolex Air-King Ref 5506 Oyster Perpetual Super Precision c.1959 Heritage", Heritage Auctions]
* [https://www.watch-wiki.net/doku.php?id=rolex_air-king "Rolex Air-King", Watch-Wiki]
 
 
 
[[Category:Air-King]]
[[Category:Working Draft]]

Latest revision as of 04:57, 2 May 2026

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