Reference:5500

Air-King › 5500

Rolex Air-King 5500, silvered dial, c.1965

The 5500 is the long-running steel Air-King, made from 1957 until the 14000 replaced it in 1989. It uses a 34mm Oyster case with a smooth bezel, acrylic crystal and Twinlock crown. Caliber 1530 examples precede the longer 1520 run.

The reference appears with standard Air-King dials, Explorer-style 3-6-9 dials, transitional luminous markings, retailer signatures and commissioned corporate or government dials. Those branches need to be assessed against the individual case, movement, dial and provenance.

The gilt 3-6-9 Explorer-style dial is one documented 5500 branch. It shares the 1530-era architecture with the 1016 but remains a 34mm Air-King case. Joyería Riviera-signed examples are represented in the auction record; the standard silvered Air-King dial is more common.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	5500
family	Air-King
production	1957 to 1989, with catalogue and physical end dates not always identical
total produced	not published
case	34mm stainless steel Oyster, three-piece, smooth bezel, ~12mm thick
crystal	acrylic plexiglass, domed
crown	Twinlock screw-down
movement	caliber 1530 (early run) then caliber 1520 (main run); generally non-chronometer, with individual exceptions requiring documentation
dial text	"AIR-KING" + "PRECISION" or "SUPER PRECISION"; some 5500s sold without "Air-King" text and read as plain Oyster Perpetuals
bracelet	19mm Oyster examples include riveted, folded-link and solid-link bracelets; reference and end-link fit must be checked against the individual watch
caseback	screw-down Oyster; documented cases carry 5500 or 1002 inner stamps with date codes
water resistance	Period markings vary; read the dial and case documentation for the individual watch
predecessor	6552 (1953–57, first automatic Air-King, cal 1030)
successor	14000 (1989, sapphire crystal, cal 3000)

Where it sits in the line

The Air-King line traces to 1945 and the post-Battle-of-Britain naming exercise that produced the Air-King, Air-Lion, Air-Tiger, and Air-Giant on a small batch of hand-wound 4925-class Bubblebacks. The Air-King survived the cull; the Lion, Tiger, and Giant did not. By the 1950s the name had settled onto the 6552, the first automatic Air-King and the direct predecessor to the 5500.

The 5500 belongs to the 1500-family Oyster group. Related references include the 1002 Oyster Perpetual, the 36mm 5504, the gold-capped 5502/5506 and 5520, the Rolesor 5501, and the date-equipped 5700/5701. The early 1016 Explorer uses related 1530 architecture, but its 36mm case and Explorer reference remain distinct from a 34mm 5500. A 3-6-9 dial does not turn a 5500 into a 1016.

After 1989 the line moves to sapphire crystal and the 3000-series caliber: the 14000 (1989, cal 3000), 14000M (2000, cal 3130), and 114200 (2007, cal 3130, refined case) carry the Air-King through to the modern reset of 2016 (the 116900) and 2022 (the 126900).

Production outline

The published record generally places the 5500 from 1957 to 1989. Catalogue stock and physical production do not always end in the same year, and the longer figures sometimes quoted for the Air-King family include other references.

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. Colin A. White's The Vintage Rolex Field Manual treats the dial-to-caliber pairing as a strong indicator that admits exceptions.

Rolex has not published a 5500 production total. Corporate and institutional orders show that some runs were made in quantity, but they do not establish the output of the reference as a whole.

Some 5500 casebacks carry a 1002 stamp with a Roman-quarter date code. The shared case-middle explanation is supported by catalogued examples, including Phillips Hong Kong 2019 lot 831 and a Sotheby's 2020 5500/1002 entry. The stamp is evidence about the case component; it does not by itself prove original assembly or rule out later replacement.

Movement notes

The 5500 runs two calibers in succession.

The caliber 1530 appears in early 5500 examples, generally at 18,000 vph. Published jewel counts and reserve figures vary by specification. Early rotor, hairspring and regulator details should be read from the movement rather than inferred from the dial. "SUPER PRECISION" is a common 1530-era dial line; it is not a chronometer certificate.

The caliber 1520 took over around 1963 and remained in the reference through 1989. It runs at 19,800 vph. Jewel counts, reserve and regulator details vary across documented executions, so the movement should be inspected before assigning a single specification. "PRECISION" or no precision line is common on 1520-era dials. The caliber is generally treated as non-chronometer in this application.

The "Super Precision" / "Precision" distinction is a Rolex dial designation associated with the caliber generations; neither phrase implies a chronometer rating. Surviving 5500s sometimes pair a 1530 movement with a "PRECISION" dial, or the inverse, because service and dial changes occurred during the long run. Reading caliber from dial text alone is unsafe.

The 1500, 1560, 1535 and 1525 numbers that circulate in Air-King writing belong to related references such as the 5700/5701 and 1018. The 5500 entries documented here use 1530 or 1520.

Dial map

The 5500 has a broad documented dial range. Across the run, surviving examples show different luminous markings, applied baton and 3-6-9 layouts, several hand styles, retailer signatures and commissioned dials. Dial text and lume are useful evidence, but service and replacement parts are common.

Silvered AIR-KING / PRECISION

The most common configuration. Silvered or matte-grey ground, applied baton hour markers, baton or pencil hands. AIR-KING text at twelve, PRECISION (or SUPER PRECISION on early 1530 examples) above six. This is the standard configuration described in the cited auction record. Sotheby's 2020 Watches lot 169 (a 1958 cal 1530 example) and Sotheby's Cologne 2023 lot 116 (a 1965 cal 1530) document the layout.

Black gloss AIR-KING

Glossy black lacquer ground with applied indices and matching black-on-black or silver-printed AIR-KING text. Sotheby's 2020 Watches Online catalogues a c.1966 5500/1002 with black dial and Cal 1520. Phillips Geneva FOUR 2016 lot 22 catalogues a 1965 black gloss 5500 with riveted Oyster bracelet and 57/357 end-links.

Dark blue AIR-KING

Monochrome and Rescapement both note dark-blue 5500 dials; no major-house lot has anchored this configuration.

Explorer 3-6-9 dial

This configuration recurs in the specialist auction record. It uses a black gloss or matte ground with 3-6-9 Arabic numerals at three, six, and nine, baton or dagger indices at the other hours, and Mercedes or pencil hands. It resembles the 1016 Explorer layout, but the 5500 remains a 34mm Air-King case, with AIR-KING text on some dials. Phillips Geneva THREE 2016 lot 102 (1963, black gloss "T<25" double, hammered CHF 28,750), Phillips Geneva FIVE 2017 lot 76 (1962 gilt 3-6-9, double-Swiss exclamation, Joyería Riviera signature, CHF 32,500), Phillips Double Signed Geneva 2019 lot 49 (1962 gilt 3-6-9 Joyería Riviera, CHF 37,500), and Phillips Hong Kong May 2019 lot 831 (c.1970 Mercedes hands, HK$ 87,500) are the reference lots for the configuration.

The Explorer 3-6-9 examples include gilt glossy dials and later matte executions. The finish and caliber association is a useful lead, not a fixed cutoff, because catalogued examples and service history do not line up perfectly.

Hodinkee's Explorer I collector's guide includes the 34mm 5500 Explorer-style watch and photographs a 1966–67 example with a glossy gilt dial. That is later than the c.1963 cutoff sometimes inferred from dial finish, so the finish is only a dating lead. The guide also warns that 5500 cases are used for counterfeit Explorer-style builds. Dial, case, movement and provenance must be checked together.

Underline and exclamation transitional dials

Two short-window variants document the radium-to-tritium changeover c.1962–1963.

The "underline" dial carries a small horizontal line under the AIR-KING text or the SUPER PRECISION line, signaling that the luminous material had changed. Tony Traina, writing at Rescapement, attributes the underline to the radium-tritium transition. The "exclamation point" dial carries a single dot below the six-o'clock marker — a similar luminous-dosage flag indicating reduced radium content. Phillips lots 76 and 49 both feature exclamation-point dials.

Both variants appear in early-1960s examples. They are documented on Explorer-style 5500s and also occur on standard Air-King dials; the exact production window remains approximate.

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. Documented in collector literature; no major-house lot has anchored the variant.

All-Arabic dial

A UK-market variant carries Arabic numerals at every hour, replacing the baton indices used elsewhere. Documented in Rescapement; comparable to similar all-Arabic configurations on the 1016 Explorer.

"Oyster Perpetual"-only dial (no AIR-KING text)

Some 5500s are catalogued without AIR-KING text and carry OYSTER PERPETUAL instead. The caseback and movement evidence still need to agree; the absence of the name does not by itself prove a separate reference.

Tropical and oxidised

Tritium-period 5500 dials can fade to brown, mustard or chocolate over decades of exposure. Antiquorum Geneva November 2016 lot 547 documents a 1964 caliber 1530 Explorer-style example with an oxidised dial. A tropical appearance needs inspection for originality and refinishing.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

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; the Triplock arrived later, and on the sport references.

The 5500 is the steel reference. The 5501 Rolesor and the gold-capped 5502, 5506 and 5520 are separate references. A gold or two-tone watch described as a 5500 needs its case and reference markings checked.

Water-resistance text varies across surviving dials and catalogues. Record the exact marking on the individual watch rather than converting one period marking into a universal rating.

Inside casebacks carry 5500 or 1002 stamps in documented examples, with variation by period and case component. The stamp does not determine the dial branding by itself.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

Three Oyster bracelet generations sit across the run, all in the 19mm lug-width family.

The riveted 7205 or 6635 with the 57 end-link, sometimes the 357, covers 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.

The folded-link 7835 with the 357 end-link runs from the mid-1960s through about 1976, and it is the combination most often seen on 1960s and early-1970s 5500s. The 7835 is the same folded-link Oyster used on the 1016 Explorer of the same era.

The solid-link 78350 with the 557 or 557B end-link takes over from the late 1970s to 1989 and carries the 5500 into the modern bracelet era.

Caseback and 78350 solid-link Oyster bracelet with 557 end-link, from the circa-1982 Qatar Armed Forces commission example

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.

Period-correct boxes follow the same progression Rolex used across the Oyster Perpetual, Air-King, and Datejust line: green oval early, green pillow mid-run, navy-blue suede pillow late.

Special branches

The 5500 also appears in documented corporate-gift and government-crest programs.

Domino's Pizza

Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, is associated with a Rolex incentive program for franchisees. Surviving watches carry awardee names and sales-related inscriptions. Monaghan's Pizza Tiger is the strongest source for the program's existence; other target figures and the exact reference mix are less secure.

Pool Intairdril

A late-1970s and early-1980s safety-incentive program from Pool Intairdril, an offshore drilling firm operating rigs for Occidental, Agip, and Libya's NOC. Casebacks engraved with the awardee's name and an accident-free record. Less well known than the Domino's program, and better documented.

Circle Bar Drilling Co.

A 1974–1979 corporate-award 5500 program from Circle Bar Drilling. Rescapement describes the surviving examples as uncommon.

Winn-Dixie and Levi's

Winn-Dixie and Levi's are also reported in secondary coverage as corporate-gift programs. Their scale and exact delivery configurations are not established here.

Royal Saudi Armed Forces

5500 with Saudi Armed Forces emblem and a reported "Sultan" script under the crest

5500s with the Saudi Armed Forces crest at six o'clock are documented in secondary coverage from the 1970s and 1980s. Silver or black grounds and a “Sultan” script are reported. The commission history and original delivery should be checked on each watch.

UAE Armed Forces

A 1989-dated 5500 with a champagne dial and 18k yellow-gold applied markers carries the UAE Armed Forces commemoration. A late-production branch; the surviving public record is small.

Bahrain Al Khalifa

Late-1980s 5500s carry the signature of Emir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain. Documented in editorial coverage; no major-house lot has anchored the branch.

Kuwait — Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

5500 c.1962 with Sheikh Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah signature

Christie's catalogued a 5500 with the signature of Sheikh Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (1934–1987) in November 2018. Secondary accounts describe only a small number of examples. This Kuwaiti commission is separate from the Sultan of Oman and Khanjar programs; no documented Khanjar 5500 is cited here.

Kuwait Army

5500 with Kuwait Army crest dial, 1960s

A separate group of 5500s is reported with a Kuwait Army crest at six o'clock, distinct from the Al-Sabah signature dial. Printing detail and the emblem layout need to be checked against the individual watch.

Qatar Armed Forces

5500 Air-King with Qatar Armed Forces crest dial

A small group of 5500s is reported with a Qatar Armed Forces crest. Christie's has catalogued a late example alongside other Gulf-state commissions. The scale of the group and its market position are not established here.

Joyería Riviera and other retailer signatures

Joyería Riviera-signed 5500s appear in the Phillips auction record, including lots 76 from 2017 and 49 from 2019. Their results belong to those documented examples. Tiffany and Cartier signatures are reported in secondary listings and need independent verification.

Auction record

Sale	Lot	Year	Reference details	Hammer / estimate
Phillips Geneva THREE	102	2016	1963 cal 1530, black gloss Explorer 3-6-9, T<25 double	CHF 28,750 (est. 5,000–8,000)
Phillips Geneva FOUR	22	2016	1965 cal 1520, black gloss Explorer 3-6-9, riveted Oyster + 57/357 end-links	CHF 6,000 (est. 3,500–4,000)
Phillips Geneva FIVE	76	2017	1962 cal 1530, gilt 3-6-9, double-Swiss exclamation, Joyería Riviera	CHF 32,500 (est. 7,000–12,000)
Phillips Double Signed Geneva	49	2019	1962 cal 1530, gilt 3-6-9, Joyería Riviera	CHF 37,500 (est. 20,000–40,000)
Phillips Hong Kong	831	2019	c.1970 cal 1520, Explorer 3-6-9, Mercedes hands, caseback stamped 1002 + III.71	HK$ 87,500 (est. 40,000–80,000)
Antiquorum Geneva	547	2016	1964 cal 1530, tropical Explorer Super Precision	CHF 5,625 (est. 4,000–6,000)
Christie's	—	2018	Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Kuwait signature	CHF 18,750
Sotheby's Watches	169	2020	1958 cal 1530, silvered standard	est. USD 1,500–2,500
Sotheby's Online	—	2020	c.1966 cal 1520, black 5500/1002	not located
Sotheby's Cologne	116	2023	1965 cal 1530, silvered, race-car-driver charity provenance	est. EUR 2,000–4,000

The results above show a wide spread between standard, transitional, tropical and signed examples. They are lot-specific and should not be read as a general valuation for the reference.

Authentication

The 5500 has a common case-and-movement format, but dial originality is harder to establish. Service-era dial swaps, refinished dials and aftermarket restorations all circulate. The caseback, dial, lume, movement and bracelet need to be checked together.

The caseback stamp reads 5500 or 1002 in documented examples. A Roman-quarter date code belongs to the case component; compare it with the case serial and other evidence rather than treating it as a stand-alone authentication test.

The dial text should match the caliber generation: SUPER PRECISION on Cal 1530 examples, PRECISION (or no precision text) on Cal 1520 examples. Mismatches occur from service swaps and parts-bin overlap, but a clean original 5500 should match.

The applied indices should sit flat against the dial, but that observation alone cannot establish originality. Lume type is useful evidence when read with the dial printing, movement and documented service history.

Bracelet and end-link combinations can suggest a production period, but they do not prove original delivery. Record the part numbers and clasp date separately; a later bracelet may be a service or owner replacement.

Government-crest and signature dials need provenance and close comparison with the individual case. The Kuwait Al-Sabah signature has a major-house auction entry; the other branches cited here rely mainly on dealer or editorial coverage.

Related references

• Air-King 5700, 1959–1988
• Air-King 14000M, Cal 3130 'Precision', 2000–2006
• Air-King 4365
• Air-King 4499
• Air-King 4925
• Air-King 5501

See also the Air-King family index, the Explorer family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

• 
  Qatar Armed Forces commission example, caseback and bracelet.
• 
  Saudi Armed Forces crest dial with reported “Sultan” script.
• 
  Kuwaiti signature-dial example.
• 
  Kuwait Army crest-dial example.

Sources

• The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
• Tony Traina, "For Your Reference: Rolex Air-King Reference 5500", Rescapement
• Erik Slaven, "History of the Rolex Air-King, the underrated pilots watch", Monochrome Watches, 2025
• Marcus Siems, "Rolex Air-King Origin History and Design Evolution", Goldammer
• "Rolex Air-King Ref. 5500 gilt Explorer 3-6-9 Joyeria Riviera", Phillips, 2017
• "Rolex Air-King Ref. 5500 black gloss Explorer T<25", Phillips, 2016
• "Rolex Air-King Ref. 5500 black gloss Explorer with riveted Oyster bracelet", Phillips, 2016
• "Rolex Air-King Ref. 5500 gilt Explorer Joyeria Riviera", Phillips, 2019
• "Rolex Air-King Ref. 5500 c.1970 Explorer dial Mercedes hands", Phillips, 2019
• "Rolex Air-King Ref. 5500 tropical Explorer Super Precision", Antiquorum, 2016
• "Rolex Reference 5500 Air-King silvered dial c.1958", Sotheby's, 2020
• "Rolex Ref 5500/1002 Air-King black dial c.1966", Sotheby's, 2020
• "Air-King Reference 5500 silvered dial 1965", Sotheby's, 2023
• "Rolex Caliber 1520 and 1530", Beckertime
• Jon Bues, "A Comprehensive Collector's Guide To The Rolex Explorer I", Hodinkee, 2022
• "Rolex Government Logo Dials", Luxury Bazaar