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The Rolex Air-King: A history of the Crown’s most divisive model

The Rolex Air-King: A history of the Crown’s most divisive model

Dániel Dobai

When you think of Rolex, you don’t exactly think of quirky or unusual watches. Nowadays, the massive brand is known for its simple, surgically measured designs. Only one model remains the odd one out. The Air-King is probably the quirkiest Rolex piece currently in production, along with the Milgauss. It is one of the oldest models from the brand, is made of stainless steel, and has the Rolex logo on the dial, but why doesn’t it get all the hype that other stainless-steel Rolexes get? If you ask me, it is still a great option if you want a Rolex but want to stand out a bit at the next dinner with your friends.

The Air-King story starts in 1945. It was Hans Wilsdorf’s idea to make a product line directly tailored to pilots. In the troubled times of the Second World War, many pilots began to wear wristwatches, especially Rolex Oysters. In aviation, a watch is not only used for timekeeping, it can be very useful for navigation and various calculations as well. That is why many pilot’s watches come with an endless number of scales printed on their dials. Back then, all they had was a basic three-hander.

Rolex Air-King ref. 4925. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s

The first Air-King was the reference 4925. It was part of the “Air” series, along with the Air-Giant, the Air-Lion, and the Air-Tiger. The first Air-King is now hard to find as these watches became collectible and are now close to being 80 years old. The 4925 was very much like the Bubblebacks from the same period. It featured a creamy white dial with even Arabic numerals. The Rolex crown was way smaller and simply printed. For a few years, the Air-King remained an Oyster spin-off with roughly the same aesthetics and hand-wound movements. It was in 1953 when the collection started to establish its own design language. The reference 6652 has abandoned the Arabic numerals and now featured 11 sticks on the dial. The crown has moved up to a position familiar to us.

Rolex Air-King ref. 5500 with a Cartier retailer stamp. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s

Probably the most significant release was the reference 5500 in 1957. This reference was available for 32 years. It had a 34-millimetre Oystersteel case with a matching three-link bracelet. This became the iconic Air-King, with either the calibre 1520 or 1530 inside. The easiest way to identify which one is used is to look at the dial. The 5500 was minimalist, with only a couple lines of text on its dial. If it said “Precision” it housed the 1520 movement; however, if the dial read “Super-precision” it used the more modern 1530. Being the entry-level Rolex, the Air-King was never “Superlative Chronometer Certified”. Interestingly, the 5500 was the first ever Rolex to feature an in-house movement. Throughout its 32-year life, the model got some little updates, mainly visual ones. For example, the lume was changed from radium to tritium, for obvious reasons.

Rolex Air-King ref. 14000. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s

In 1989, Rolex finally released an update to the Air-King collection. Under its new sapphire crystal, the reference 14000 featured a dial layout similar to the one on today’s Air-Kings with Arabic numerals at 3, 6, and 9 separated by stick markers. An option with only stick markers was also present. The model got the new calibre 3000 movement running at 4 Hz with 42 hours of power reserve. It was like a spaceship compared to the movements used previously. At this time the engine turned bezel made its introduction into the Air-King. It was a logical addition, as Rolex only made fluted bezels from precious metals, which did not fit the entry-level model’s image. After the Earth survived Y2K, Rolex updated the collection with the 3130 movement. It featured a longer power reserve and a Parachrom hairspring.

Rolex Air-King ref. 114200. Image courtesy of SwissWatchExpo

For the first time in its history, the Rolex Air-King became a chronometer with the introduction of reference 114200. It still used the same movement, but it was now certified. Along this line, the option for a white gold fluted bezel shifted the model from being the simplest Rolex.

Rolex Air-King ref. 116900

In 2016, the weirdness mentioned at the beginning started. Rolex introduced the reference 116900 after discontinuing the previous reference in 2014. It now featured the same 40-millimetre Oystersteel case as the Milgauss, the other weird kid on the block. It also shared the same movement with the same anti-magnetic features, pushing the Milgauss to the side. Many changes happened to the dial, too. The quirky numerals surrounding the unusual amount of colour for a Rolex are my favourite part of this watch. It is likely the most polarising Rolex dial of all.

Rolex Air-King ref. 126900. Image courtesy of Rolex

Last year was a big year for the Air-King. Rolex debuted the reference 126900 with an all-new movement and an improved bracelet. Oh, and crown guards. Overall, the 2022 update gave a sportier look to the entry-level Rolex model. Now, it is similar to the Explorer line, only with a different dial. And what a dial that is. Judging from the brand’s habits, the divisive dial is here to stay for at least a few years. Many will not like it, but thankfully it is not the only watch in Rolex’s catalogue.