Next lost cause project...

[automatico]

Another Air King project.  

Was going to finish a tutone AK 5501 next but this 5500 has been apart for a long time (since 9-9-2017, the movement was in an MBK '5513' for a while) and needs to be finished first.  The 5501 is all together needing c/o, (Yuki) dial etc. so it can wait a while.  Ran across a manual wind ref #6422 that has been apart for years when digging this one out, so it is also due to be finished.  Sooner or later.

I'll put a few pics of it up when it is going together.

 

This 5500 is from the third quarter of 1968 and the movement is a 1520 hack.  The dial/hands are original from the late 1960s.  No corrosion on the case and all it needs is a crystal, case tube/crown, and gaskets.  Many True Blue (internet educated) newby Rolexers claim there were no hack movements before the early 1970s but this one is a hacker and for what it's worth, a few late 1960s watches with 15xx movements were hacks.  Since my time travel machine is in the shop, I can't prove it either way, so I will go with the expert info below:

 

From VRF Apr 23, 2009:

  "I own two late 1960's GMT's, one from 1968 and other from 69 and they both hack...I also owned another matte 200/660 dialed 5513 as well as a 1016 from 1967 with a hacking 1520 and 1570 no date calibers. I am sure some 1601's form late 1960 also came with a hacking 1570 date caliber.

So to say non date 15xx calibers were the first 15xx calibers to have hacking feature is very plausible.

The point is as a watchmaker, having worked and owned a few late 1960's hacking 15xx calibers. I would be daring to say around 1967 or so the hacking caliber came onto the market. But for sure the ubiquitous 1570 date feature hacking caliber was around in 1968 along side with it's non hacking brother.

So logically the 1680 should follow the GMT's caliber line up during these years when both a hacking and no-hacking caliber existed.

 

I am sure other members will chime in and show other examples of early hacking calibers.

I think it is impossible in my opinion to put a 100% exact year when the hacking feature arrived on the scene.

Basically (for the new members) a hacking feature is to put in layman's terms, is a small channel machined into the caliber plate fitted with a spring tension activated straight thin metal bar located between the winding pinion and ending to ever so genitally touching the balance wheel similar to a hand brake on a car. Technically speaking it was very easy for Rolex to incorporate this design without much tooling involved.

 

Logically Rolex had to use up the stock of non hacking 1520-70 caliber models, so as always Rolex had two products coexisting at the same time. But this always raised another issue for me, maybe Rolex did some reworking of the non hacking caliber plates to channel them for the simple hacking components.

Over the years I had a few vintage collectors email me regarding the procedures needed to convert a non hacking caliber to a hacking one. Please people DO NOT try to convert a non hacking 15xx caliber to a hacking one. The channel alignment and machining involved of the removal of plate material is very exacting work. It is more than simply drilling out a channel a buying a hacking spring."

(aakviper)

 

Most of the Guts (balance not shown)...

 

Body...

Case dated third quarter 1968.

 

I'll put more pics up as it progresses.

 

March 18, 2023...

Project on hold, can't find the escape wheel and some other parts. 

They are in a little plastic cup, somewhere in the watchjunk wasteland.