
Jonathan Darracott
Global Head
£10,000 - £15,000
Our Watches specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistGlobal Head
Head of Department
Head of sale, Knightsbridge
Traditionally, the reference 5500 is associated with Rolex's Air-King design. For a few years in the 1960s however, Rolex also produced a small number of reference 5500 watches with Explorer dials that were almost indistinguishable from the classic Explorer Reference 1016. Instead of "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" the dials would spell out "Precision" or "Super Precision" below the hands.
The current example is an exceedingly rare variation of the Explorer dial with a number of features to set it apart. The beautifully preserved gilt lacquer finish showcases the Underline beneath the Super Precision and a double -T25 printing perfectly.