Rolex Air King - The perfect companion for ruling the skies

The iconic story of this luxurious timepiece started all the way back in 1945 when Rolex released the Air-King to honor the Royal Air Force for their selfless bravery and unforgettable service, during World War II. From then on, the Air-King has lived up to its name and has been the most preferred and coveted watch amongst pilots across the world.

The prolific evolution of the Rolex Air-King series has spanned over nearly half a century with continuous changes being made. The USP of the Air-King is that it is truly one of Rolex’s more affordable models. If you’re looking to enter the world of luxury watches, this should be the watch to buy.

It was the founder Hans Wilsdorf himself who conceptualized and developed this timepiece The Royal Air Force had already started using Rolex watches since their cases were larger and much more reliable. It was during the end of the 1930s, that Wilsdorf had developed a line of watches with the names “Air Tiger” "Air-Lion," "Air-Giant," and "Air-King." After the war ended, because of the popularity of the model, Rolex continued to produce the Air-King and also made it available for the general public to be able to purchase.

This watch can be easily identified because of the "Air-King" inscription on the top half of the dial, and also its streamlined design. Built to tell the time the traditional way, the Air-King has three central hands for hours, minutes, and seconds along with numerals or indices. The additional features were purposefully left out by Rolex to make it an easy-to-read watch. 

Unknown to many, although Air-King is known for being made with stainless steel, there are two rare and vintage models (reference nos. 5502 and 5506) that were introduced in 1958, which featured gold-plated 40 Microns!

Top 3 reasons to buy a Rolex Air-King:

• The extremely reliable caliber, that has been produced in house reliable, precise 
• Brilliant for collectors because of its rare limited editions, like the watches with the Pan Am logo
• An affordable watch to enter into the luxury watch scene

How much does an Air King cost?

Like we spoke about before, these pilot's watches from the Oyster collection are truly some of the most affordable Rolex watches in the market. The latest Air-King with the reference number 116900 would cost you around $6,500 in mint condition, while the pre-owned watches are available for about $6,300. 

The Air-King models with the reference number 114200 are even less costly at $4,200 for preowned, and $4,800 in mint condition, although not in production.  If you’re a collector, you might want to look at the blue dial variants, because these are considered particularly desirable.  

If you don’t really want a  chronometer-certified timepiece and want something cheaper, then the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-King will definitely pique your interest. You can buy a pre-owned version of this watch for only about $3700.

Alternatively, there are also other models of the Air-King, which were first introduced in 1957 available on the market.  You can buy a pre-owned version of this watch for the unbelievable price of just around $3,200. This watch also comes in a myriad of designs, and also features a variety of dials. The "Double Red" models are considered rare, which have both the  "Air-King" and "Super Precision" inscriptions written in crimson red.

What powers the Air King? 

Since the time they were released, it was the caliber 5500 powered the Air Kings. From 1957,  new calibers were introduced, which included the 1530 and 1540. The dial inscription "Precision" (caliber 1520) or "Super Precision" (caliber 1530) signifies the movement which powers this watch.

After some decades, the caliber 3000 replaced the earlier used movements in the 1990s. Did you know the caliber 3000 vibrates at 28,800 alternations per hour? This also has a bidirectionally winding rotor and a Breguet overcoil with an upraised final coil and reduced curvature, resulting in better precision.

To celebrate the new millennium, Rolex has fitted the Air-King with the new caliber 3130, the same movement which is used in the Submariner models without a date display. These new Air-Kings can be identified by the letter "M" (for modified) that has been added to the end of the reference number for easy identification. This movement can also be regulated through the Microstella nuts on its balance rim, like all other Rolex timepieces. 

From 2007, Rolex has started to deliver the Air-King along with a chronometer certificate, which is proof that it was certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).

Celebrities who love the Air-King:

The Air-King has won the hearts of celebrities and royalty alike, the world over. From Princess Beatrice to Ryan Gosling and even Keira Knightly and Mexican actor Gael García Bernal, there are quite a number of people living in the limelight, who love sporting this watch.

Things to consider when you’re buying the Air-King: 

As with most of Rolex’s other famous models, the Air-King also has been designed with a specific type of person in mind. Like the Submariner is built for people who love the seas, the Air-King is mainly meant for pilots or those who love the open skies. Over the years, pilots world over have chosen to adopt the Air-King. Did you know that some airline companies, like Pan Am, even gives these watches as gifts to retired pilots?  The Air-King look is also quite well recognized, and has fast become a highly prized collector’s piece, making it a brilliant investment, too!.

Conclusion: 

In a nutshell, there are various things that make this watch so special, beginning with its unbeatable looks. The eye-catching color combination of the green Mercedes-style hands and the Rolex logo that has been engraved in striking green and yellow, and set on the distinctive jet black dial complement each other very well and make this watch stand out! 

This watch is also an ideal entry-level model, with an affordable price tag. The Air-King also comes with a wide variety of strap options, and also the Oyster bracelet, along with the embedded sapphire crystal, making it the perfect Rolex model for both women and men. 

The Air-King truly is living up to its name as a timepiece that has been meticulously curated and crafted with high-quality workmanship,  reinforcing the inspiration for aviation!