Here is a wonderful, all original Rolex Air King from 1973. The silver sunburst dial is in fine condition, with the steel Rolex crown at 12 o’clock and faceted steel strip hour markers with lume dots at the outer ends, wider markers at the poles. There is a small scuff at around 10 o’clock and a couple of smaller ones at around 1 and 5 o’clock. The steel baton hands show light corrosion and are in fine condition, with the original lume intact albeit slightly degraded.

The stainless steel bezel is in fine condition with some overall wear, such as at around 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. The stainless steel case has a radially brushed face and polished sides and is in fine condition with a few marks both at the lugs and on the case sides. The stainless steel case back has a brushed central pattern with polished slopes and is in fine condition with some overall wear. The case does not appear to ever have been polished.

The original stainless steel Oyster bracelet is in very fine condition with little stretching and light overall wear. It is big enough for moderately large wrists. Make sure the specific bracelet size listed in the details is not too small for your wrist as finding spare links for older bracelets can be very difficult. The bracelet can be shortened by up to about 2cm simply by moving a spring bar in the clasp.

Inside the watch, Rolex’ wonderful 1520 movement beats strongly and accurately to within about +-8 seconds per day. The watch was fully serviced in November 2025 and comes with a 12 month warranty on its proper mechanical functioning.

The Air King is a classic if there ever was one, and it’s a perfect showcase of Rolex’ timeless and elegant design. This watch is a joy to wear and admire on your wrist and it’s understated enough to use as a daily driver.

Our watches are delivered in a luxury wooden watch box, fully serviced with a 12 month warranty that covers the mechanical functioning of the watch under normal use. We offer 14 days full return rights and are very proud of our reputation for outstanding customer satisfaction.

NB! Note that we are based in Switzerland and that the buyer is responsible for any import fees their country may impose on a purchase from abroad. Ask us if you have any questions.

Basic info

Brand    Rolex
Model   Air King
Reference number  5500
Code    VWS-3104
Movement    Automatic
Case material    Steel
Bracelet material   Steel
Year    1973
Condition    Very good (Worn with little to no signs of wear)
Scope of delivery    No original box, no original papers
Gender    Men's watch/Unisex
Location Switzerland, Lonay

Caliber

Movement    Automatic
Movement/Caliber   Rolex 1520
Power reserve    40 h
Number of jewels    26
Frequency  19800 A/h

Case

Case material    Steel
Case diameter    34 mm
Lug to lug 40 mm
Water resistance    Not water resistant
Bezel material   Steel
Crystal    Plexiglass
Dial    Silver
Dial numerals    No numerals

Bracelet/Strap

Bracelet material    Steel
Bracelet length 195 mm
Bracelet color  Steel
Lug width    19 mm 
Clasp    Double fold clasp
Clasp material    Steel

Functions

Others

Central seconds, Only Original Parts, Luminescent Hands, Luminous Indices