Rolex
Rolex Air-King 5500
The Rolex Air-King (reference 5500) is a 34 mm stainless steel watch. It runs on the automatic caliber 1520 / 1530. It was introduced in 1957.
Specifications
Case
- Reference
- 5500
- Collection
- Air-King
- Case size
- 34 mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Bracelet / strap
- Oyster
Dial and bezel
- Bezel
- Smooth fixed bezel
Movement
- Movement
- Automatic
- Caliber
- 1520 / 1530
- Functions
- Time only
Production
- Production
- 1957 – today (discontinued)
Dial versions
This reference was made with these dials and finishes.
5500 Black
Black
5500 Grey
Grey
5500 Silver
Silver
5500 Silver Air-King derived
Air-King derived; Precision / Super Precision marking
How it compares within the Air-King family
Side by side with other references in the same collection, from the catalog.
About the Air-King family
The Air-King dates back to the mid-1940s, when Rolex named a series of simple Oyster watches after aviation as a tribute to pilots of the Royal Air Force. For decades it was the entry point to the Oyster range: a plain, time-only watch, with the long-running ref. 5500 the best-known vintage version.
The modern Air-King is a different watch. The ref. 116900 of 2016 brought a 40 mm case, a black dial with large 3, 6 and 9 numerals, a minute track for flight timing and a green and yellow Rolex logo, with a magnetic shield around caliber 3131. The current ref. 126900 of 2022 adds crown guards, a zero before the 5 on the dial and caliber 3230. Dealers separate the two modern references quickly by the crown guards and the dial numerals.
Quick answers
- What size is the Rolex Air-King 5500?
- The Rolex Air-King 5500 has a 34 mm case.
- What movement does the Rolex Air-King 5500 use?
- It uses the automatic caliber 1520 / 1530.
- Is the Rolex Air-King 5500 still in production?
- Discontinued.
- When did the Rolex Air-King 5500 come out?
- It was introduced in 1957.
- What is the Rolex Air-King 5500 made of?
- The case is stainless steel. Bracelet or strap: Oyster.
- Which dials was the Rolex Air-King 5500 made with?
- The catalog lists 3 dials: Black, Grey, Silver.
Catalog facts checked October 2026.