Reference:5506: Difference between revisions
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Publish reference article: 5506 (Air-King, gold-capped Super Precision, cal 1530) — image sourcing still needed Tags: Removed redirect Reverted |
Fix: strip dealer attribution from prose (hard rule 5, Goldammer x3), remove price from intro (hard rule 10), strip research-scaffold leaks (dealer corpus x2, login-gated, in the corpus), escape SEO title pipe Tag: Reverted |
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Air-King 5506}} | {{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Air-King 5506}} | ||
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|title=Rolex 5506 Air-King — Gold-Capped Super Precision, Commonwealth Markets | |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. | |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 | |keywords=Rolex, 5506, Air-King, gold-capped, Cal 1530, Super Precision, Kessi Freres | ||
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<small>[[Reference:air-king|Air-King]] -> '''5506'''</small> | <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 | 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 listings. 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) | 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) — the strongest standalone 5506 auction-house anchor documented so far; see the auction record below for the result. 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. | ||
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| case | | case | ||
| 34mm × ~12mm × 43mm L2L stainless steel base with 40 microns yellow gold electroplate ( | | 34mm × ~12mm × 43mm L2L stainless steel base with 40 microns yellow gold electroplate (majority reading; a minority reading gives 14 microns — captured as contradiction) | ||
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| caseback | | caseback | ||
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== Where it sits in the line == | == 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 | 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 listings. | ||
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. | 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. | ||
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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 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. ** | The capping thickness specification is contested. **Most sources 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. | 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. | ||
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== Case and construction == | == 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 ( | 34mm × approximately 12mm × 43mm L2L. Stainless steel base case with **40 microns of yellow gold electroplated** over the bezel, crown, and exterior surfaces (majority reading; 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 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. | ||
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| 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 | | 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 | ||
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| Heritage Auctions || 5294-54248 || (c.2010s) || 5506 Super Precision automatic c.1959, silvered ground with applied gilt indices, dauphine / alpha hands || (sale price | | Heritage Auctions || 5294-54248 || (c.2010s) || 5506 Super Precision automatic c.1959, silvered ground with applied gilt indices, dauphine / alpha hands || (sale price not publicly disclosed; lot details accessible via Heritage's own listing) | ||
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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 | 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 through 2025; Bonhams and Heritage are the documented major-house anchors. | ||
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