Air-king is a Rolex legend. Not only has the line been ticking since World War II, but it also has one of the longest production cycles in the company’s history. Decades on, Rolex air-king replica watch has barely changed. So we think we can always count on its cleanliness, simple aesthetics, and entry-level price range.
First launched in 1945, the Rolex Air-King was part of a bigger series of watches to honor the RAF pilots of the Battle of Britain. But long after the other fake watches were phased out in the 1960’s – Air-Lion, Air-Giant, and Air-Tiger – the Air-King, beloved by pilots, lived on.
It is small for a pilot’s watch of today’s standards. But when it was first released, that 34mm case was considered large. What pilots and collectors with style loved about the Air-King was that clean, simple face that was typical and simple to read on the fly. And even if it saw a myriad of dial changes all over the years, the Rolex Air-King largely kept the same.
For decades, you could always rely on those simple baton hands and smooth bezel. That statement even stands with the addition of rare international editions like the 36mm 5504 which borrowed a case from the Explorer, and the Air-King Date which characterized a date window at 3 o’clock, complete with cyclops magnification lens on its crystal. During this epic Air-King era, we saw references 4499, 6552, and the Air-King 5500 which remained in good production for 37 years.
The new fake Rolex Air-King is designed for users of their beloved timepieces in a new era. First, Rolex doesn’t want air-king to remain a classic entry-level product. Like most Rolex replica watches, each watch is designed for a specific person. Air-king was originally designed for pilots, but after years of flying it has fallen short of its origin.
One year before the 2016 release of the Air-King 116900, Rolex released a new 39mm version of the classic Oyster Perpetual to fill the classically styled, entry-level position within their catalog. Getting rid of these old expectations, Rolex has some creative space here, and air-king embodies the spirit of pilot watch again.
The black dial with the large contrast hour marker makes the new air-king face easy to read, the yellow and green accents of the Rolex badge, and the second hand bear a striking resemblance to the cockpit instrument that created the Swiss watch for the Bloodhound SSC project. But even without a mention of a hybrid jet car, the color and black of the body are reminiscent of cockpit instrumentation, aren’t they?
Other traits that make the new ref. 116900 Air-King look, and feel, like a completely different watch, include the upgraded 40mm case borrowed from the Rolex Milgauss. This tactile element might be the hardest new feature for Air-King lovers to get used to, as it is much larger, making a totally different presence on the wrist.
Another feature that takes a minute to get used to is the quirky hour markers. If you look close you’ll find that there are printed Arabic numerals at 5-minute intervals that indicate the minutes. But at 3, 6 and 9-o’clock you’ll see the hours which are white gold and applied to the surface. And you know what the other difference is? They are also Mercedes-style hands which are a big style-departure from the slender baton hands of previous models. But not all the changes to the replica Rolex Air-King are shown on the surface. Ticking inside is the Caliber 3131 that offers additional protection against magnetic forces.