Reference:5500: Difference between revisions

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The caliber 1530 carried production from 1957 until roughly 1963. It beats at 18,000 vph with 25 or 26 jewels and about 44 hours of reserve, a butterfly rotor on the earliest examples giving way to a half-moon rotor, a Breguet overcoil hairspring, and 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, though isolated COSC examples exist.

The caliber 1520 took over from about 1963 and ran to the end in 1989. It is faster at 19,800 vph, with 17, 25, or 26 jewels and roughly 42 hours of reserve; ~~the 17~~-jewel ~~variant was a~~ US and Canada market ~~move keyed to import~~-~~duty~~ jewel~~-count brackets rather than a~~ movement difference ~~of substance~~. Regulation is by stick regulator alone, with the Microstella screws and the Breguet overcoil both gone. Dial text on 5500s with the 1520 typically reads "PRECISION" or carries no precision text at all. Rolex never submitted the 1520 for chronometer certification.

The caliber 1520 took over from about 1963 and ran to the end in 1989. It is faster at 19,800 vph, with 17, 25, or 26 jewels and roughly 42 hours of reserve; import-duty jewel-count brackets in the US and Canada market drove the 17-jewel variant; it carries no functional movement difference from the 25- or 26-jewel version. Regulation is by stick regulator alone, with the Microstella screws and the Breguet overcoil both gone. Dial text on 5500s with the 1520 typically reads "PRECISION" or carries no precision text at all. Rolex never submitted the 1520 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; neither implies a chronometer rating. 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 1500, 1560, 1535, and 1525 calibers that circulate in Air-King writing belong to the related references, the Air-King-Date 5700 and 5701 and the Oyster Perpetual 1018 among them, rather than to the 5500.

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

Some 5500s left the factory without AIR-KING text on the dial — instead carrying just OYSTER PERPETUAL above six. These are mechanically identical to standard AIR-KING 5500s and were sold as plain Oyster Perpetuals; the absence of AIR-KING text is a marketing choice ~~rather than a~~ movement or case ~~difference~~. The "5500/1002" caseback stamp reflects the same case-middle reuse.

Some 5500s left the factory without AIR-KING text on the dial — instead carrying just OYSTER PERPETUAL above six. These are mechanically identical to standard AIR-KING 5500s and were sold as plain Oyster Perpetuals; the absence of AIR-KING text is a marketing choice, with the movement and case unchanged. The "5500/1002" caseback stamp reflects the same case-middle reuse.

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=== 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. 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; many have since entered the secondary market despite never being sold at retail. 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. A Christie's online sale of a Domino's 5500 cleared roughly $20,000.

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5500s with the Saudi Armed Forces crest at six o'clock are documented across the 1970s and 1980s. Silver or black ground; sometimes paired with "Sultan" script. These are commemorative gift dials commissioned for senior officers and government officials, ~~not~~ military issue. The crest dial sits above the standard 5500 market.

5500s with the Saudi Armed Forces crest at six o'clock are documented across the 1970s and 1980s. Silver or black ground; sometimes paired with "Sultan" script. These are commemorative gift dials commissioned as recognition pieces for senior officers and government officials, a civilian channel outside standard military issue. The crest dial sits above the standard 5500 market.

@@ Line 103: / Line 103: @@
 The caliber 1530 carried production from 1957 until roughly 1963. It beats at 18,000 vph with 25 or 26 jewels and about 44 hours of reserve, a butterfly rotor on the earliest examples giving way to a half-moon rotor, a Breguet overcoil hairspring, and 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, though isolated COSC examples exist.
-The caliber 1520 took over from about 1963 and ran to the end in 1989. It is faster at 19,800 vph, with 17, 25, or 26 jewels and roughly 42 hours of reserve; the 17-jewel variant was a US and Canada market move keyed to import-duty jewel-count brackets rather than a movement difference of substance. Regulation is by stick regulator alone, with the Microstella screws and the Breguet overcoil both gone. Dial text on 5500s with the 1520 typically reads "PRECISION" or carries no precision text at all. Rolex never submitted the 1520 for chronometer certification.
+The caliber 1520 took over from about 1963 and ran to the end in 1989. It is faster at 19,800 vph, with 17, 25, or 26 jewels and roughly 42 hours of reserve; import-duty jewel-count brackets in the US and Canada market drove the 17-jewel variant; it carries no functional movement difference from the 25- or 26-jewel version. Regulation is by stick regulator alone, with the Microstella screws and the Breguet overcoil both gone. Dial text on 5500s with the 1520 typically reads "PRECISION" or carries no precision text at all. Rolex never submitted the 1520 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; neither implies a chronometer rating. 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 1500, 1560, 1535, and 1525 calibers that circulate in Air-King writing belong to the related references, the Air-King-Date 5700 and 5701 and the Oyster Perpetual 1018 among them, rather than to the 5500.
@@ Line 160: / Line 160: @@
 === "Oyster Perpetual"-only dial (no AIR-KING text) ===
-Some 5500s left the factory without AIR-KING text on the dial — instead carrying just OYSTER PERPETUAL above six. These are mechanically identical to standard AIR-KING 5500s and were sold as plain Oyster Perpetuals; the absence of AIR-KING text is a marketing choice rather than a movement or case difference. The "5500/1002" caseback stamp reflects the same case-middle reuse.
+Some 5500s left the factory without AIR-KING text on the dial — instead carrying just OYSTER PERPETUAL above six. These are mechanically identical to standard AIR-KING 5500s and were sold as plain Oyster Perpetuals; the absence of AIR-KING text is a marketing choice, with the movement and case unchanged. The "5500/1002" caseback stamp reflects the same case-middle reuse.
 <span id="tropical"></span>
@@ Line 203: / Line 203: @@
 === 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. 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; many have since entered the secondary market despite never being sold at retail. 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. A Christie's online sale of a Domino's 5500 cleared roughly $20,000.
 <span id="pool-intairdril"></span>
@@ Line 225: / Line 225: @@
 [[File:Ref 5500 government-saudi-armed-forces-sultan.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=5500 with Saudi Armed Forces emblem and rarer Sultan script|5500 with Saudi Armed Forces emblem and the rarer "Sultan" script under the crest]]
-s with the Saudi Armed Forces crest at six o'clock are documented across the 1970s and 1980s. Silver or black ground; sometimes paired with "Sultan" script. These are commemorative gift dials commissioned for senior officers and government officials, not military issue. The crest dial sits above the standard 5500 market.
+s with the Saudi Armed Forces crest at six o'clock are documented across the 1970s and 1980s. Silver or black ground; sometimes paired with "Sultan" script. These are commemorative gift dials commissioned as recognition pieces for senior officers and government officials, a civilian channel outside standard military issue. The crest dial sits above the standard 5500 market.
 <span id="uae-armed-forces"></span>