EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ROLEX AIR-KING

It was not until 1957 that Rolex then created the Air-King model reference 5500, which was when you could see the Air-King we know today slowly take shape. Still featuring a 34mm steel case, the Air-King now had the classic three-link all brushed oyster bracelet giving it more of a rugged tool watch look and feel to it. However, the major change now was seen on the dial, gone were the highly legible Arabic numerals and in with the stick batons. The Air-King slowly became more integrated with the other models Rolex offered and you really would have found it hard to tell it apart from an oyster perpetual. 

Over the next 25 years Rolex would play around with the Air-King quite some bit, releasing some interesting bezels and dials experimenting which signs would stick best for the watch. Instead of just coming in a cream white dial colour, blue and black were introduced along with a variation of a fluted bezel to give the watch that extra bit of Rolex flare. In the late 1980s Rolex Air-King had a collaboration with Domino's Pizza, probably the most surprising collaboration you’d expect from Rolex. You could tell Rolex used this line to experiment around with new styles and quickie collaborations. That said, they still ensure the watch was a good fit within the Rolex

In 2007 the Rolex really began to take shape and now featured a balanced dial between stick hours markers and Arabic numerals at the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock position. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the newer Air-King is that the case size still has not changed at all, making it one of Rolex’s longest running models without a case size increase or decrease. The 34mm size was still in use and gave the watch an excellent balanced proportion look. However, soon enough Rolex would give the Air-King some major updates and change most features of it but still preserve certain elements of the original design and look. That said, whilst you can look back over time and see the original Air-King's DNA in the modern-day models, it has changed far more dramatically than any other Rolex watches evolution.

In 2014 the Air-King was discounted but brought back to life again in a new form in 2016 with the model reference number 116900. The 34mm case is long gone by now and the newer more modern proportioned 40mm case size was introduced to the line. This case incident was the exact same as the Milgauss’s case, giving it that tool watch yet dressy look at the same time. Featuring the modern Rolex oyster link bracelet all-brushed and with a 5mm easy-link extension too. The Air-King was now becoming more practical and having the modern day Rolex upgrades allowed people to now start wearing it everywhere and anywhere including swimming. The immaculate black glossy dial with bold Arabic numerals for every hour played tribute to its first iteration. The added touch of green for the seconds hand and dial print with the yellow Rolex crown gave the Air-King a bit more personality. 

Additionally, 2014 through to 2016 was the year that Rolex briefly pushed the Air-King further by creating a version designed to be installed as an instrument on the dashboard of racing cars. Given the newer and highly legible dial, the Air-King was tailor made for both the aviation and motorsport industry and Rolex was not going to hang around, they were going to prove its tool watch worthiness! Rolex created a variation of the Air-King that would end up being fitted to a car trying to break the record for being the fastest land speed vehicle ever made. The car in question was the Bloodhound SSC which was built to go to a speed of near 1600 km/h, a speed that almost seemed impossible to achieve but the Bloodhound did. This gave the Air-King a good bit of visibility and proof of its ability to be a tool watch, being on the dashboard of a rocket ship car setting an impressive speed record is never a bad thing to claim! 

Then in 2022, with all the rumours about the Air-King being discontinued were all soon revealed, Rolex did what they do best, continuous improvement. The Newer Air-King reference 126900 was released and at a quick first glance not much had changed. However, the second you stopped to spend any time with the watch you would quickly realise that the newer model had some major updates. From an external perspective, the added addition of crown guards made the watch have slightly more wrist presence and gave it that classic Rolex sports watch look. The added ‘0’ before the 5 brought the perfect symmetry to the dual and the major upgrade was the bracelet. The bracelet was the same however the clasp now featured the Rolex sports oyster flip-lock clasp with the 5 mm easy-link extension. The new Air-King suddenly had much more wrist presence, sporty look and feel with a more elegant slimmer case compared to the previous generation (1.7mm thinner).

The upgraded new calibre 3230 now lay at the heart of the Air-King giving the watch a generous 70 hours of power reserve. A movement proven to be unbelievably reliable and durable so you know no matter what scenario you ding yourself in, the Air-King can easily handle anything you throw its way. With a precision of -2 / +2 seconds per day, exceeding the standards set by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), accuracy has never been higher. It also features Rolex's patented Parachrom hairspring, which offers greater resistance to shocks and temperature variations, ensuring optimal reliability and accuracy in any situation. With a recommended service interval of 10 years, the Rolex Air-King is going to be a watch you can rely on whether or not you wear it as an occasion piece or a daily. However, with its work horse of a movement inside, 40mm slime case and all brushed finishing the Air-King was perfectly designed to be worn all day every day.