Rolex Date Anomaly

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8th January 2019, 11:38
raringtogo

Rolex Date Anomaly

Good Morning All,
Any chance of a little help please?

My wife’s Grandfather recently died and in his belongings was a Rolex Air King about which I know nothing, and wondered if someone could help answer a date question. Details are below:

Rolex Air King
Super Precision
Gold Arrowhead markers
1530 movement (an assumption based on the model)
Model Number 5500 – Stamped between the lugs at 12
Serial Number 771202 – Stamped between the lugs at 6
Twin lock crown
Bracelet is a 78350 with an N12 date code
End pieces are 557B

I am having trouble dating the actual watch as the serial number would appear to show it as having been produced in 1951, whereas I don’t believe the 5500 Air King was introduced until 1957?

Condition is fair. There are a couple of scratches to the Plexi? And the hands and indices are flaking. It does wind on the rotor and appears to happily tick along. The case has sharp edges on the lugs and it does appear unpolished.

I have attached some pics.

Any insight as to the date anomaly and a possible value would be greatly appreciated.

https://i.postimg.cc/t4VLq5FR/2019-01-08-10-26-05.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/1zhbfqKG/2019-01-08-10-26-11.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/hPYkRwz3/2019-01-08-10-26-52.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/TPVFm3kZ/2019-01-08-10-27-02.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/G3X0q9cR/2019-01-08-10-27-13.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/GhtWNr2y/2019-01-08-10-27-20.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/4yLrd28y/2019-01-08-10-27-27.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/3R36ZQVW/2019-01-08-10-27-41.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/ydnGQrCj/2019-01-08-10-27-48.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/rsmPvC8k/2019-01-08-10-27-56.jpg

Many thanks in advance,

Si
8th January 2019, 11:50
M4tt

Rolex started off using a six digit serial number. These got used up in the early fifties and they restarted with six digits again. By the Early fifties they'd made another million watches and restarted again, this time with a seven series serial number. This cause a lot of confusion and rather demonstrates what a minor player Rolex were compared to Omega or Eterna until the late sixties.
8th January 2019, 11:55
Haywood_Milton

You've used one of the many duff sources of case number information, usually recycled in ignorance, published on the internet.

I believe yours to be of 1962 manufacture and am confident that it was from a batch of at least 250 5500s .

Bracelet is later than the watch head, being circa 1990.

H
8th January 2019, 11:57
raringtogo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

You've used one of the many duff sources of case number information, usually recycled in ignorance, published on the internet.

1962 manufacture.

Bracelet is later than the watch head, being circa 1990.

H

Thank you H - appreciated
12th January 2019, 12:22
Xelor

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

You've used one of the many duff sources of case number information, usually recycled in ignorance, published on the internet.

I believe yours to be of 1962 manufacture and am confident that it was from a batch of at least 250 5500s .

Bracelet is later than the watch head, being circa 1990.

H

The expert has given verdict.

Value Haywood?
12th January 2019, 18:20
andyd30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xelor

Value Haywood?

I recall seeing this watch sell in sales corner for a reasonable sum, however to your valuation point, I am not sure how you would go about coming up with a value for Haywood and the more I think about it, the more wrong it feels :uncomfortableness: