Rolex Air-King Ref. 5500 Collector’s Guide

The Rolex Air-King ref. 5500, made from 1957-1989, could be considered one of the most “basic” vintage Rolex watches on the market. It has no fancy bezel, and no complications or special features of any sort. It’s quite common, and its 34mm diameter is considered unisex if not downright feminine by today’s standards. But plenty of men (myself included) still like the modest size and clean looks of the 5500 Air-King. Its movement is extremely reliable and serviceable, it’s supremely comfortable on the wrist, and it’s attainable for under $3,000, making it a great gateway drug into the vintage Rolex world. In this article we’ll go over all of the details of the Rolex Air King 5500, and how it evolved over its 32-year run.

Atlhough the steel Rolex Air-King 5500 is the epitome of vintage entry-level Rolex, solid yellow gold models were offered for the first decade of the 5500’s run as well (in both 9k and 14k). But before we go through all of the changes throughout the 5500’s run, let’s go over all the basic specs:

Rolex Air-King 5500 Specs

Model Name	Rolex Air-King
Reference Number	5500
Years Produced	1957-1989
Case Material	Stainless Steel (most common by far) 9k Yellow Gold (discontinued 1967) 14k Yellow Gold (discontinued 1974)
Case Size	Diameter: 34mm Thickness: 11.9mm Lug-to-lug: 39.2mm
Water Resistance	50m
Power Reserve	~42 hours
Movement	1957-1967: Caliber 1530 (Automatic, 5 beats per second) 1963-1989: Caliber 1520 (Automatic, 5.5 beats per second)
Crystal	Acrylic
Bracelet/Strap	1957-1967: Expandable (“stretchy”) rivet Oyster bracelet (6635 with 57 endlinks) 1957-1967: Non-expandable rivet Oyster bracelet (7205 with 60 endlinks) 1967-1975: Folded link Oyster bracelet (7835 with 357 endlinks) 1975-1989: Solid link Oyster bracelet (78350 with 557 endlinks) (Gold models also offered with brick bracelet or Siamese Jubilee bracelet)
Market Value (2024)	$2,600 (typical steel model) $3,000-$4,500 (with cool/unusual dial) $4,500-$6,000 (gold model without bracelet) $8,500-$13,000 (gold model with bracelet)

Rolex Air-King 5500 Evolution Timeline

• 1957 – Ref. 5500 first appears, featuring alpha hands, a rivet bracelet, and radium lume. Early dials often have applied gold logos and/or 3-6-9 markers, as well as arrowhead markers.
• 1962 – Rolex switches their lume from radium to tritium, and the “Super Precision” designation starts to get phased out. Underline dials appear during this transitional period.
• 1963 – Caliber 1520 (5.5 beats per second) is unveiled to replace the outgoing caliber 1530 (5 beats per second).
• 1965 – The now-familiar pencil baton hands replace the alpha hands, and straightforward stick dials become the standard.
• 1967 – The steel folded-link 7835 bracelet (with 357 endlinks) replaces the outgoing rivet bracelets, and the 9k gold model is phased out.
• 1971 – A few interesting/rare dial options briefly appear, like brushed dials and mosaic dials. Logo dials become increasingly common on the Rolex Air-King 5500, and around this time some steel Air-Kings appear with yellow gold hands and hour markers.
• 1972 – Hacking seconds function is added.
• 1974 – 14k gold models are phased out, leaving only the steel 5500 remaining.
• 1975 – The Air-King bracelet gets solid links as 78350 (with 557 endlinks) replaces the 7835. Note that newer bracelets are perfectly compatible with older models.
• 1979 – Rolex phases in the use of white gold hands instead of steel.
• 1989 – Ref. 5500 is replaced by ref. 14000, which has a newer movement and squared-off hands.

Rolex Air-King 5500 Dials

The vast majority of Rolex Air-King 5500’s have silver stick dials. Blue, black, and slate dials are less common. Some unusual dials were made in the early 1970’s as well, like chevron dials or this blue mosaic dial from Mineral Watches:

Some interesting examples with applied 3-6-9 markers, arrowhead markers and/or honeycomb dials were made early in the 5500’s run. Those dials were largely replaced with the more standardized stick dials in the mid-1960’s, when the alpha hands were replaced by the pointy baton hands. Here’s an exotic early 9k gold model with a 3-6-9 dial and alpha hands:

Precision vs. Super Precision

You may notice that some older Air-King 5500 dials say “Super Precision” while others simply say “Precision.” “Super Precision” usually means it has the older slower-ticking caliber 1530 movement.

Both movements are rock solid when properly maintained anyway, so although Super Precision models are less common, condition is more important than whether or not it says “Super” on the dial. Some early examples don’t have any Precision text at all, and some collectors like the clean look of those “No-Precision” dials. Here’s a nice example of a Super Precision with a rare underline dial from the Vintage Hour:

Movement

Early Rolex Air-King ref. 5500’s came with the caliber 1530 movement, which ticks five times per second. It was replaced by the caliber 1520 in the mid-1960’s, which beats 5.5 times per second. The hacking seconds feature was added sometime around 1972. As noted in Joseph Lavender’s History of the Rolex Air-King, caliber 1520 movements were made with 17 jewels for the US market, and 26 jewels elsewhere. The US government had a habit of suing the Swiss watch industry and enacting tariffs to protect their domestic watch industry.

“Not surprisingly, the 17-jewel version sometimes develops issues with auto-winding,” noted Rolex Forums user Dan S. But R.W.T. added that it’s “pretty easily remedied with two bridges or jewels, and Rolex jeweled every one that went through service that needed it.”

Most watchmakers with any tenure would tell you that the 15xx series is the best movement Rolex ever made. It’s pretty darned bullet proof.

R.W.T. via The Rolex Forums

5500 vs. 1002

The only differences between the Rolex Air-King ref. 5500 and the Oyster Perpetual ref. 1002 (aside from the words “Air-King” on the dial) are the hands, and the fact that 1002 has a chronometer-certified movement while the Air-King doesn’t. The baton hands on a 5500 have pointy tips while the 1002’s baton hands have the more common squared-off ends. On models made before about 1965, 5500’s have alpha hands and 1002’s have dauphine hands.

Rolex 5500 Extended Family

Since we’re doing a deep dive on the Rolex Air-King 5500, there are some other related models that it makes sense to mention. Some 5500’s are branded as Explorer models, most of which have Mercedes hands and the distinctive black 3-6-9 dial. But, those dials are so often faked and thrown on regular Air-Kings that I wouldn’t recommend touching one without doing some extensive research first.

There are also some gold electro-plated Air-Kings, as well as ones with gold shell and gold cap cases (those are three different things with three different reference numbers).

There’s also a date model and a larger 36mm Air-King. Here’s a table to keep it all straight:

Reference	Description
5500	Classic Air-King model, also sometimes branded “Explorer” or even more rarely “Metropolitan“
5501	Air-King/Explorer variant with white gold or yellow gold fluted bezel, sometimes branded “Everest“
5502	Gold shell a.k.a. gold-filled model, usually branded “Metropolitan” and sold in the US
5504	“Jumbo” model with 36mm case
5506	Gold-plated model (much thinner layer of gold than gold shell)
5520	Gold cap model (even thicker than gold shell, but it’s only on top–so the underside of the lugs is uncovered steel)
5700	Air-King Date model, one of the Rolex models mostly sold in Canada
5701	Air-King Date variant with white gold or yellow gold fluted bezel

Rolex Air-King 5500 Prices

You should be able to find a decent typical steel Rolex Air-King 5500 model for about $2,600. If you get a relatively beat-up one, or one without a bracelet, you can get closer to $2,000. Examples with interesting rarer dials tend to sell for $3,000-$4,500 while gold models without bracelets go for at least $4,500. The bracelets for gold Air-Kings also fit old gold Daytonas, so vintage Daytona collectors often snatch them up. But if you find a gold Air-King with its original bracelet still intact, expect to pay $8,500-$13,000. Interestingly, the market doesn’t seem to care much if it’s 9k or 14k gold; what matters is the condition.

No matter what variant you choose, a Rolex Air-King 5500 is a solid choice for any vintage enthusiast who appreciates 34mm watches.