Rolex 5502 / 5506 Air-King
Air-King › 5502 / 5506
References 5502 and 5506 are related mid-century Air-Kings with gold-finished Oyster cases and Cal. 1530 automatic movements. The public record places examples around 1958–1965, but the reference split and case finish are not documented consistently enough to call the two numbers identical. Surviving watches show silvered, champagne, and black dials, alpha or dauphine hands, and both bracelets and straps.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| references | 5502 and 5506 |
| family | Air-King |
| production | Published examples and reference guides place the pair around 1958–1965; exact cutovers are unproved |
| case | About 33–35mm in published auction records; gold-finished steel Oyster case |
| bezel | Smooth bezel on documented examples |
| crown and crystal | Screw-down Oyster crown and acrylic crystal |
| movement | Cal. 1530 automatic, 25 jewels and 18,000 vph in the cited Heritage record |
| dial text | “AIR-KING” and “SUPER PRECISION” on documented examples |
| hands and markers | Gold or gilt applied markers; alpha, lance, or dauphine hands depending on example |
| case finish | Described variously as gold plated, gold filled, or gold capped; inspect the case rather than relying on a listing term |
| bracelet | Gold-finished Oyster bracelets are documented, but leather straps and replacements also occur |
| caseback marks | KB markings are reported on some cases; their meaning and coverage need case-level evidence |
Where it sits in the line
The 5502 and 5506 sit beside the steel 5500 in the Cal. 1530 Air-King generation. Reference 5504 is the larger Explorer-case relative, while 5520 belongs to a later gold-finished Air-King generation with a different movement and dial wording. The Air-King family index summarizes 5502 as a US-market reference and 5506 as a UK/Commonwealth reference. The direct lot sample does not establish that assignment as a universal rule, so it remains a distribution hypothesis rather than a factory statement.
The watches are time-only Air-Kings with center seconds. Their gold-finished cases and “SUPER PRECISION” dials distinguish them from many steel or later “PRECISION” Air-Kings, but those features do not prove the original delivery configuration of an individual watch.
Production outline
The Vintage Rolex Field Manual lists 5502 and 5506 with Cal. 1530 and a 1958 date. Other modern histories place formal catalogue coverage nearer 1960–1965. The evidence supports a late-1950s to mid-1960s range; the exact start and end depend on the source and on each watch's case and movement.
No published source reviewed gives a factory production total. The auction sample is much smaller than the 5500 record, but that does not establish a scarcity percentage or a complete serial range. Case numbers, movement numbers, and dial details should be recorded per watch.
Movement notes
Heritage’s circa-1959 5506 records Cal. 1530, automatic winding, rhodium plating, and 25 jewels. The movement family is consistent with the “SUPER PRECISION” Air-King generation, but that dial wording should be checked against the movement because service replacements occur.
Cal. 1530 is not the same as the later Cal. 1520 used in many “PRECISION” Air-Kings. The 5502/5506 page should not promise a fixed reserve, regulator, rotor detail, or shock-protection configuration without inspecting the movement. Later service work can change visible parts.
Case and construction
Auction records describe steel cases with gold on the upper surfaces, around 33–34mm wide, screw-down backs, and acrylic crystals. The terms “gold plated,” “gold filled,” and “gold capped” are used inconsistently in dealer and editorial sources. They are not interchangeable technical descriptions, so record the metal test, wear pattern, and case construction for each watch.
The KB tombstone marking is reported on some cases and may identify a case supplier, but the reviewed sources do not establish that every 5502 and 5506 case carries the same stamp. A missing or unclear mark deserves inspection; it is not by itself proof of a counterfeit or a genuine case.
Bracelets, end links, and clasps
Gold-finished Oyster bracelets appear in the period record. Heritage’s 5506 lot was fitted to a black leather strap, and the Bonhams 5502 records describe both a gold-finished bracelet and a leather strap. Those examples show why bracelet originality must be established from the clasp, end links, and case fit rather than from the reference number.
A bracelet or clasp date dates that component. It does not date the watch head or prove original delivery. Record later replacements separately from period-correct parts.
Dial map
Documented examples include silvered dials with applied gold markers, sunburst champagne dials with dart markers, black gilt dials, and at least one silvered 5506 with dauphine hands. These are observed configurations, not a complete factory catalogue.
Heritage’s circa-1959 5506 has a silvered dial, applied gold markers, outer luminous dots, and gold luminous lance hands. The lot was not sold. Bonhams catalogues a champagne 5506 and black and champagne 5502 examples; those lots remain individual case and movement records.
Black gilt, champagne, and dauphine-hand examples should be judged from the dial printing, marker feet, hands, lume, and movement together. A rare-looking colour or hand set is a lead for inspection, not proof of a separate reference branch.
The reviewed sources do not document retailer-signed, Domino’s, or government-crest 5502/5506 examples. Absence from this small sample is not proof that none existed.
Auction record
The direct auction sample is small and mixed. The Heritage record provides the clearest movement and case data in the cited set; the Bonhams entries remain catalogue leads until their lot text and images are checked against the watches.
| Venue | Lot | Date | Reference | Documented configuration | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonhams New York | 30 | 2023 | 5502, circa 1959 | Case 478525; champagne dial; Cal. 1530; gold-finished bracelet | USD 3,520 (catalogue record) |
| Bonhams London | 101 | 2024 | 5502, circa 1959 | Case 478779; black dial; Cal. 1530; leather strap | GBP 3,072 (catalogue record) |
| Bonhams | 51 | 2023 | 5506, circa 1960 | Case 634350; champagne dial; Cal. 1530; leather strap | USD 2,550 (catalogue record) |
| Heritage Auctions | 54248 | June 2017 | 5506, circa 1959 | Case 506405; silvered dial; Cal. 1530, 25 jewels; leather strap | Not sold |
| Antiquorum New York | 240-49 | September 2010 | 5516, related reference | Gold-finished Super Precision Air-King, included only as context | Hammered USD 1,250 |
The Heritage lot directly supports a circa-1959 5506, 33mm case, Cal. 1530, 25 jewels, silvered dial, and leather strap. The Bonhams entries remain catalogue leads until the lot descriptions and images can be checked again. The 5516 is a separate reference and should not be used as a 5502/5506 price equivalent.
The sample does not support a market band, average, or ranking of dial variants. Keep the result, currency, condition, and bracelet configuration with each lot.
Authentication
Start with the case reference, case number, movement, dial printing, hands, and metal construction. A Cal. 1530 and “SUPER PRECISION” dial fit the documented generation, but either part can be replaced.
Check the gold finish at worn edges and on the underside of the case, the crown, and the bezel. A case described as gold capped, gold filled, or plated should be tested and photographed rather than identified from seller language. Steel showing through wear can be consistent with a gold-finished case; it is not enough on its own to authenticate the watch.
Check the dial for refinishing, moved text, loose markers, and relumed dots. Alpha, lance, and dauphine hands are all reported in the sample, while a later “PRECISION” dial or Cal. 1520 needs an explanation as a service replacement or a misidentification.
Bracelet and clasp evidence belongs to the bracelet. A leather strap or later Oyster bracelet does not, by itself, disprove a 5502 or 5506 head.
Related references
See also the Air-King family index, movement reference, bracelet and clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.
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5502 Air-King -
5502 crown and case -
5506 champagne dial -
5502 black gilt dial
Sources
- Heritage Auctions, ref. 5506, lot 54248
- Bonhams, ref. 5506, lot 51
- Bonhams catalogue, ref. 5506, circa 1961, 25-jewel Cal. 1530
- Bonhams New York, ref. 5502, lot 30
- Bonhams London, ref. 5502, lot 101
- Rolex Magazine, Air-King history
- Robb Report, Air-King guide
- Marcus Siems, Air-King history
- Watch-Wiki, Air-King reference notes
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra