Reference:5520
Air-King → 5520
The Rolex ref. 5520 is a 34 mm gold-capped Air-King with a steel caseback and a calibre 1520 in the auction examples examined here. Its production dates are not settled: catalogues date watches to 1969, circa 1970, 1974 and 1983, while published reference histories give different date ranges. The records also disagree over the inner case designation on one Domino’s-signed example.
Core facts
| Detail | Record |
|---|---|
| Reference | 5520; Antiquorum and Christie’s use different suffixes for the inner case designation on catalogued examples |
| Family | Air-King |
| Case | 34 mm; auction catalogues describe a gold-capped or gold-filled case with steel back |
| Movement | Calibre 1520, 26 jewels, in the examined auction examples |
| Dial | Auction examples include satin-gilt/champagne dials with applied baton markers; one Domino’s logo is described by Christie’s as later applied |
| Date | Published dates conflict; see production outline |
| Bracelet | Antiquorum describes a gold-plated Rolex Oyster bracelet on its 1983 example, without a bracelet reference |
Where it sits in the line
The 5520 is an Air-King with a two-tone appearance created by a gold outer case over steel. Auction catalogues call examples “GoldShell,” “gold-capped” or “gold-filled.” The records reviewed here do not establish the thickness or manufacturing method for every case, so claims that all examples carry a 40-micron electroplate go beyond the evidence. This construction differs from the ref. 5501, which is described as having solid-gold bezel and crown parts; the 5520’s caseback remains steel in the cited lots.
The earlier gold-capped Air-King refs. 5502 and 5506 are associated in published histories with calibre 1530 and “Super Precision” dials. The 5520 auction examples instead have calibre 1520. These examples establish a difference between the watches catalogued, but do not prove that every 5520 left the factory with the same dial or movement configuration.
Production outline
Published dates do not agree. Antiquorum’s 2006 Mondani catalogue dates case 7,473,941 to 1983 and says the reference appeared in Rolex catalogues from 1974 to 1986. Rolex Magazine also lists 1974–1986. Antiquorum’s 2007 catalogue dates a Domino’s-signed 5520, case 2,743,281, to 1969; Christie’s later listed that same case number as manufactured in 1974. Christie’s separately dates another 5520 to circa 1970. The available records therefore do not support one uncontested start year or a firm production span.
Christie’s and Antiquorum also describe case 2,743,281 differently: the 2007 Antiquorum entry calls it a 5520, while Christie’s 2010 entry calls it 5520/1025 and says the Domino’s logo was later applied. Antiquorum’s 2006, 1983 example is identified as 5520/1024. These are catalogue descriptions; they do not establish a universal suffix rule for the reference.
Movement notes
The two Antiquorum lots and the Christie’s records identify calibre 1520; Antiquorum gives 26 jewels for its 1969 and 1983 examples. Rolex’s technical material describes the calibre at 19,800 beats per hour. The cited auction entries do not establish a 42-hour power reserve, so that figure is omitted here.
Case, dial and bracelet
The auctioned watches are 34 mm. Antiquorum’s 1983 example has a satin-gilt dial with applied gold baton markers and luminous dots. Christie’s describes the 2010 Domino’s example as having a gilt brushed dial and a later-applied Domino’s Pizza logo. Its case number matches the 1969 Antiquorum listing, although the catalogues give different production dates. These records document individual examples; they do not establish a complete factory dial range.
Antiquorum describes a gold-plated Rolex Oyster bracelet on the 1983 watch but gives no bracelet reference. Christie’s 2010 listing records a gold-plated buckle. Neither entry establishes that a particular bracelet reference was standard or original delivery for the 5520. Check the bracelet and clasp as separate components when assessing a watch.
Domino’s-signed example
Antiquorum’s 2007 catalogue records a Domino’s Pizza logo on the dial of case 2,743,281. Christie’s 2010 catalogue identifies the logo on that same case number as later applied. The records document a Domino’s-signed 5520, but they do not show that Rolex supplied it as an award, that its dial was original to the watch, or that it belongs to a formally named “Golden Egg” variant. Beckertime uses “Golden Eggs” as a description in its article; it is not established here as a factory or auction category.
Auction records
| Sale | Lot | Catalogue description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 2006 | 108-188 | 5520/1024, case 7,473,941; dated 1983; gold-capped steel; calibre 1520; satin-gilt dial | CHF 3,776 |
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 2007 | 107 | Case 2,743,281; dated 1969; Domino’s logo; calibre 1520; estimate CHF 4,000–6,000 | Result not shown in listing |
| Christie’s, Geneva, 2010 | 190 | Case 2,743,281; listed as 5520/1025 and manufactured in 1974; later-applied Domino’s logo | CHF 3,125 |
| Christie’s | 1891.69 | Ref. 5520, circa 1970; 34 mm; calibre described with 26 jewels | Result not included here |
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Ref. 5520 Air-King -
Domino’s-signed dial, case 2,743,281; catalogued by Antiquorum in 2007
Sources
- Antiquorum, Geneva, 14 May 2006, lot 108-188
- Antiquorum, Geneva, 11 November 2007, lot 107
- Christie’s, ref. 5520, lot 1891.69
- Christie’s, Geneva, 10 May 2010, lot 190
- Jake Ehrlich, “The Complete History of the Rolex Air-King,” Rolex Magazine, 2013
- Robb Report, “The Complete Guide to Rolex Air-King Watches From 1945 to Present”
- Hodinkee, “The Domino’s Rolex Air-King With A Slice Of Pizza”
- Beckertime, “Hunting Golden Eggs Gold-Shell Rolex Air-King Watch”