Rolex 5500 Air-King
Air-King › 5500
The 5500 is the steel Air-King made from 1957 until the 14000 replaced it in 1989. It has a 34mm Oyster case with a smooth bezel, acrylic crystal and Twinlock crown. Early examples use caliber 1530; caliber 1520 became the main movement.
The standard 5500 dial is silvered. Phillips catalogued two 1962 examples with gilt 3-6-9 dials signed by Joyería Riviera. Other examples have black or blue dials, transitional lume markings, or retailer and commissioned signatures.
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.
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
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
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
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
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.
Further Antiquorum records
Lots catalogued by Antiquorum as ref. 5500 or 5500/1002, as printed in the lot pages. Results are in the currency shown on each page; the fee basis is not stated consistently. The catalogue year for case 5371065 (1958) does not fit that case number on the serial-number table, which dates 4,004,200 to 1974 and 5,905,044 to 1978, placing a 5,371,065 case in the mid-1970s.
| Sale | Lot | Case (catalogue date) | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva, 12 May 2013 | 156 | 5371065 ("made in 1958") | Steel; Super Precision; Jubilee bracelet; no reserve | CHF 1,250 |
| Hong Kong, 22 June 2013 | 67 | 3921393 (circa 1974) | 14K yellow gold with 14K bracelet; "precision" | Estimate HKD 39,000-54,000; no result shown |
| Hong Kong, 26 October 2013 | 147 | 6344773 (1980) | Catalogued 5500/1002; Pool Intairdrill logo dial | HKD 21,250 |
| Geneva, 11 May 2014 | 227 | 418707 (circa 1959) | Explorer, two-tone dial, Super Precision; riveted bracelet | CHF 5,000 (estimate CHF 4,000-6,000) |
| New York, 30 September 2014 | 85 | 985124 (1964) | Catalogued 5500/1002; Explorer, tropical dial, Super Precision | USD 4,000 (estimate USD 2,200-3,200) |
| New York, 11 December 2014 | 205 | Dial and hands only | Loose "Metropolitan" dial and hands for ref. 5500 to fit Cal. 1530; luminous material reapplied | No result shown |
| New York, 30 September 2015 | 152 | Dial only | Loose Pool Intairdrill logo dial for ref. 5500 to fit Cal. 1520; no reserve | USD 188 |
| Geneva, 13 November 2016 | 547 | 985124 (1964) | Same case as the New York 2014 lot; Explorer, tropical dial, steel buckle | CHF 5,625 (estimate CHF 4,000-6,000) |
| Geneva, 13 November 2016 | 20 | 9350983 (1986) | Catalogued 5500/1002; steel; Rolex bracelet with deployant clasp | CHF 1,250 (estimate CHF 1,000-2,000) |
| Monaco, 17 January 2018 | 23 | Not stated (1978) | "Explorer dial" | EUR 3,864 (estimate EUR 3,000-5,000) |
| Monaco, 17-18 July 2018 | 302 | Not stated (1978) | "Explorer dial"; black dial with painted Arabic numerals | Estimate EUR 3,000-5,000; no result shown |
| Monaco, 17-18 July 2018 | 397 | Not stated (1981) | Winn Dixie logo dial | Estimate EUR 2,500-4,500; no result shown |
| Hong Kong, 27 October 2018 | 264 | L572250 (catalogue year "1889") | United Arab Emirates military crest at 6 o'clock | Estimate HKD 42,000-50,000; no result shown |
| Monaco, 16 July 2019 | 199 | 3242467 (circa 1972) | Silver dial | Estimate EUR 1,800-2,500; no result shown |
| Geneva, 1 October 2020 | 141 | 571865 (circa 1960; caseback IV.60) | Silver dial; no reserve | CHF 2,250 (estimate CHF 700-800) |
| Hong Kong, 29 November 2020 | 230 | 5335702 (circa 1977) | Signed Tiffany & Co. | HKD 30,000 (estimate HKD 21,000-38,000) |
| Forte dei Marmi, 26 June 2021 | 67 | 1127266 (circa 1960) | Explorer dial | EUR 9,625 (estimate EUR 8,500-15,000) |
| Geneva, 7 November 2021 | 515 | 5039899 (circa 1976) | Explorer Precision; no reserve | CHF 8,750 (estimate CHF 5,000-7,000) |
| Geneva, 3 January 2022 | 322 | 893675 (circa 1962) | Steel | CHF 2,000 (estimate CHF 1,300-2,700) |
| Geneva, 9 May 2022 | 135 | 355759 (circa 1960) | Steel | Estimate CHF 2,500-3,500; no result shown |
| Geneva, 6 November 2022 | 301 | 977524 (1963) | Explorer, honeycomb cream dial | CHF 11,875 (estimate CHF 5,000-9,000) |
| Hong Kong, 8 March 2023 | 129 | 6160106 (circa 1979-1980) | Silver dial; catalogued manual winding | HKD 17,500 (estimate HKD 9,000-15,000) |
| Hong Kong, 8 March 2023 | 135 | 3709246 (1975) | Blue dial | Estimate HKD 13,000-23,000; no result shown |
| Geneva, 4-5 November 2023 | 125 | 1355759 (1966) | Catalogued 5500/1002; Explorer dial | CHF 2,375 (estimate CHF 1,500-2,500) |
| Geneva, 11-12 May 2024 | 104 | L925254 (circa 1989) | Mid-size steel | CHF 2,750 (estimate CHF 2,000-4,000) |
| Hong Kong, 1 June 2024 | 74 | 6017165 (circa 1980) | Oyster Perpetual Air-King; no reserve | HKD 25,000 (estimate HKD 25,000-35,000) |
| Geneva, 8 October 2024 | 117 | 6596095 (circa 1981) | Black dial with gold index and hands, "Swiss Made" | Estimate CHF 2,900-4,800; no result shown |
| Geneva, 3 April 2025 | 115 | 374283 (circa 1958) | Super Precision | CHF 1,764 (estimate CHF 1,100-2,100) |
| Geneva, 10 May 2025 | 759 | R373967 (sold April 1988) | Black dial; original box and punched warranty | CHF 4,250 (estimate CHF 3,000-5,000) |
| Hong Kong, 31 May 2025 | 318 | 3579200 (circa 1974) | Catalogued Explorer | HKD 32,500 (estimate HKD 25,000-45,000) |
| Hong Kong, 18 September 2025 | 88 | 571865 (1960) | Black dial; no reserve; same case number as the October 2020 Geneva lot | HKD 37,800 (estimate HKD 19,400-38,800) |
| Geneva, 10 May 2026 | 509 | 1169995 (1964) | Catalogued 5500/1002; Air-King Precision | CHF 2,500 (estimate CHF 1,500-2,500) |
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.
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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