Rolex’s ties to aviation stretch quite a bit farther back than most people realise.
On April 19, 1933, a Westland PV-6 and a Westland PV-3 – piloted by Sir Douglas Douglas-Hamilton and David McIntyre – made the first-ever flight over Everest. On each of the pilot’s wrists was a Rolex Oyster. 11 years later – in 1944 – Rolex launched its Air collection, which included the Air-Giant, the Air-Tiger, and the Air-Lion. All three watches proved very popular among British RAF pilots, who famously bought them out of their own pocket. When the war ended, Rolex released the Air-King in tribute to the pilots who had fought in the Battle of Britain.
The watch on offer here – the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-King ref. 116900 – is quite different from its legendary predecessor, but it builds upon its heritage with genuine respect.
The Air-King’s distinctive black dial features large applied Roman numeral indices marking the hours and a minute scale for navigational time reading around its outer edge. The Oyster case is as stylish as ever, showcasing a mixture of fine hairlines and mirror-polished surfaces. Unsurprisingly, the Oyster bracelet shares the case’s immaculate finish.
The ref. 116900 is powered by the same movement that powers the Milgauss collection. The in-house caliber 3131 boasts a power reserve of 48 hours and is, like all modern Rolex movements, a Certified Superlative Chronometer.
Our offering is in excellent condition and comes in a full set of boxes and papers.
Covered by manufacturers international warranty (started in 02.2019).
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| Complications/Functions | Central seconds, Chronometer, Luminous hands, Luminous indices, Screw-down crown |