Help With End Pieces ( Air King Date)

[Porsch83]

I have a 1967 Air King Date (5500) Case. I have a rivet band that has number (57) end pieces. The end pieces doesnt seem to fit exactly right with the Air King Case. Does anyone know which end pieces i need for proper fitment? Thanks in Advance

[jlee5050]

I believe the reference numbers for the AK date are 5700 and 5701?

[Porsch83]

Im sorry, your right about the 5700. I think both cases will use the same band.

[richardn]

Originally Posted by Porsch83

I have a 1967 Air King Date (5500) Case. I have a rivet band that has number (57) end pieces. The end pieces doesnt seem to fit exactly right with the Air King Case. Does anyone know which end pieces i need for proper fitment? Thanks in Advance

The end peices on my Air King Date are 557 although the band has been replaced with a 78350 when I think the 7835 was originally fitted.

[Andy B]

I have a 1959 Air King 5500 whci also has an original rivet bracelet that doesnt appear to fit snugly too. Does yours fit like this?

[richardn]

Originally Posted by Andy B

I have a 1959 Air King 5500 whci also has an original rivet bracelet that doesnt appear to fit snugly too. Does yours fit like this?

Mine was like that before it went in for its service but it's now fitting snugly. I did notice that they replaced the end pins so perhaps that has solved the problem. Cool bracelet btw!

[Andy B]

Thanks richardn,

Does yours still have the original 57 end pieces?

[richardn]

Originally Posted by Andy B

Thanks richardn,

Does yours still have the original 57 end pieces?

They are stamped with 557, which is where my knowledge stops! They do look way too similar to the 57 though. Perhaps the 557 is a AD replacement part ?

[Andy B]

Hello,
You have got the later style bracelet. Yours has srews that allow you to remove or add links. Mine is an old style rivet Oyster bracelet with cannot be extended like that, it has 57 ends. I think that 57 ends are universal to rivet bracelets and were issues to all Rolex Oysters of the 50's and early 60's. Oysters with perpetual automatic movements have slightly deeper cases than the hand winds so that, I think, is the reason why the rivet bracelets can fit better some oysters.

[Porsch83]

I attached a few pics of the way mine fits. My local watch shop kinda worked on mine yesterday and got it to fit a lot better than it was. I still not real happy with it. Thanks for the help and pics

[richardn]

Looks like mine has the wrong bracelet on it then.

Curious as to the difference between Precision on yours and Super Precision on mine now. Seems a bit strange.

It's very hard finding info on these Air King Dates.

[Andy B]

richardn, yours might actually have the right bracelet depending on when your watch was made. The difference between the "Precisions" and the Super Precisions was the movent used. The "Super Precisions" had a Cal.1530 whilst the "Precisions" had a Cal.1520.

[Andy B]

.....after having a second look at yours richardn, your watch was made early 60's so yes you have wrong bracelet. This may have been replaced by Rolex during a service.

Andy

[harry in montreal]

porch83, i wish all my endlinks looked and fit as well as that. i would leave it as-is.

maybe we should devote a new post to poor-fitting endlinks. that would be a real sight for sore eyes.

all this is to say that i think your watch looks great

[richardn]

Originally Posted by Andy B

.....after having a second look at yours richardn, your watch was made early 60's so yes you have wrong bracelet. This may have been replaced by Rolex during a service.

Andy

Thanks for that info Andy. My dad bought it new, I think in 1964 and passed it onto me. It seems Rolex really went to town on this one, it had the wrong hands put on it during one service as well! Hopefully they're a little bit better these days........

[TSW]

Original End pieces should be 557.