Watch #9 Rolex Air-King 5500

As a young teenager in the late '70s and early 80's I enjoyed wearing a simple quartz Timex and a nylon "preppy" multi color band.  Well before NATO straps ever existed.  It is what I wore.  One of them has already been reviewed.  Like any hip kid into watches in the early '80s one got a SWATCH.  In short, I wore watches for style, trend but in truth had ZERO knowledge about watches.  As I think back I don't understand how I was just a 100% consumer and 0% gatherer of knowledge.  Could it be due to BG? 

 

Along came graduation from College and my Mom presented me with my graduation gift.  It was a watch with a "metal" band.  Yuck.  It was not my style and I was less than overjoyed at the gift.  At the time I did not know a Timex from a Rolex.  I obligingly put it on and wore it for the rest of graduation.  She told me to wear it everyday and NEVER to take it off.  

The watch will be 40 years old next year and it is still running.  I did wear it non stop until COVID when I left it at home by mistake and had a darn hard time to get home.  And, I started wearing a Garmin for fitness.  I wear it 50% of the time now.  In truth, I am enjoying getting to know, learn about other watches.  If I had to have one watch, this would obviously be the Air-King hands down.  I has been with me for most of my life.  40 of my 62 years.  The only other watch that can make that claim in the M-Cell Timex.  Now broken and I need to fix.

The technical details, this is known as a 5500 reference and likely has the 1520 movement due to the use of Precision while the 1530 had the Super-Precision.  This rule is not always the case.  For a fully history go here or here.  Mine was purchased in Switzerland at Bucherer on 9-25-84 and not the USA so who knows.  SN 72809X, 6 digits.  While the Service says 72809XX, 7 digits.  Intrigue and mystery perhaps.

Service.  After 25 years she would stop occasionally.  I proudly walked into the NYC Rolex building and was directed upstairs to service.  They treat you likely royalty while your watch is taken in back and opened.  They bring it back to you and write up your service slip.  I made the unfortunate mistake of approving the installation of a new crystal.  They said nothing about it not being the SAME crystal.  It came back with a taller, bulkier crystal which I do not like.  At the time, 2010, I just accepted it.  In hindsight I should have not done the crystal service and at a minimum, requested all my old parts back.  Poly Watch would have easily given the watch a fresh crystal look.  Oh well.  And too boot, it runs fast.  14 years later it still runs fast.  Time-grapher says 18 sec/day but with zero beat error!