Rolex’s Air-King model was first launched in 1945, and named for the airmen of the British Royal Air Force that had defended their country so bravely during WWII. Hans Wilsdorf, wishing to commemorate these veterans, released a range of “Air” models, including the Air-Lion, Air-Tiger, and Air-Giant. The only one of these post-war year models to survive was the Air-King. Offered in many different forms since then, it is one of Rolex’s longest lasting offerings. It was designed to be an affordable gateway into Rolex, with no complications, without sacrificing quality.

The reference 5500 was introduced in 1957 in a compact, 34-millimeter case, and proved a mainstay of the Rolex mid-century catalogue, as it was in continuous production until 1989 when it was replaced by the reference 14000. The Air-King was briefly discontinued in 2014 but resurfaced in 2016 as the reference 116900 in an upsized 40-millimeter case.

Ref Variations: 5500-1002IV65, 5500-1005, 5500-1002,