164 Rolex Esteemed and Historic Explorer Automatic Wristwatch in Steel, Reference 5500, With Black Dial

Estimate: € 4,000 –⁠ 8,000

Sold € 6,500

Model: Explorer
Reference: 5500
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Bracelet Material: Leather Strap
Year: 1963
Movement: Automatic
Caliber: 1530
Case N°: 971978
Dimensions: 34 mm
Signed: Dial, movement and case

The Explorer is simply an expression of the basic Oyster Perpetual: it doesn’t boast construction like Deep Sea or Sea-Dweller beasties, nor does it feature a revolving bezel. It simply promises the wearer absolutely faultless legibility, abetted by all of the security imparted by the standard Oyster case. That why, this very model was the one chosen by Rolex experts to accompany Sir Edmund Hillary on his successful ascent to the top of Mount Everest. Immediately after this quest, this very model gained popularity so that Rolex decided to produced different variations. One of them is the reference 5500, that was essentially an Air King with Explorer dial. The present specimen is a fair and gorgeous 550 with a three body stainless steel case preserved in fair conditions still maintaining the original proportions. The black dial has the iconic configuration with the luminous triangle at 12, luminous Arabic numerals at 3, 6, and 9 and luminous baton numerals for the remaining hours and the “Super Precision” designation at 6 o’clock.