PURCHASE - Vintage Gilt Dial Rolex Air-King
Rolex Air-King circa 1977 with black gilt dial, ref. 5500
ITEM: Rolex Air-King Ref. 5500
AGE: Manufactured in mid to late 1970's
PROVENANCE: Purchased from Carl Cohen (Veralet)
Most of the timepieces that captivate my imagination and lust for ownership must sadly remain largely aspirational due to the limitations of my wallet. But I firmly believe that there are great pieces to be had at all price points, and I have acquired many over the years that I enjoy wearing and that have brought me much joy of ownership. Lately, I have been particularly drawn to vintage Rolex, though not the higher-priced pieces that seem to sell for such astronomical prices today that I can only see millionaires and billionaires being able to snap them up, not unlike the fine art market.
Though I don't have the wallet to purchase watches indiscriminately, my efforts to thin out the "herd" of late has afforded me the easy rationalization to up my price bracket a bit, and in so doing I recently purchased this Air-King.
THE DEETS
So this is an "Air-King" model Rolex, ref 5500, made sometime in the mid to late 1970's. The case measures to 34mm, is made of stainless steel, and was fitted with a ref. 78350 bracelet with 557 end links. The dial of the watch features very classic "stick" gold hour markers, gold baton hands, and the script is gilt (gold). Gilt dial Rolex's are highly sought after, so having one on what is considered the entry price point Rolex makes for a very enticing value proposition. I purchased this watch from Carl Cohen of VERALET during a trunk show he was hosting at Leffot in the West Village. That was October 26th, 2017, the same day that Paul Newman’s Paul Newman hammered at $17m.
-M