closing tag is in template navbar
timefactors watches



TZ-UK Fundraiser
Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Rolex Date Anomaly

  1. #1
    Master raringtogo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Warwickshire
    Posts
    1,552

    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.






















    Many thanks in advance,

    Si

  2. #2
    Grand Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Sussex
    Posts
    13,888
    Blog Entries
    1
    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.

  3. #3
    Master
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Chester and Merseyside, UK
    Posts
    4,328
    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
    Last edited by Haywood_Milton; 8th January 2019 at 11:59.

  4. #4
    Master raringtogo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Warwickshire
    Posts
    1,552
    Quote Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton View Post
    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

  5. #5
    Journeyman
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Bath
    Posts
    114
    Quote Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton View Post
    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?

  6. #6
    Craftsman
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Norfolk, UK
    Posts
    473
    Quote Originally Posted by Xelor View Post

    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

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Do Not Sell My Personal Information