{"id":18513,"date":"2022-08-17T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-17T15:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/?p=18513"},"modified":"2023-03-13T17:49:21","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T00:49:21","slug":"new-vs-old-rolex-air-king-comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bobswatches.com\/rolex-blog\/rolex-info\/new-vs-old-rolex-air-king-comparison.html","title":{"rendered":"Watch Comparison: New vs. Old Rolex Air-King"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Air-King has always occupied a simple, entry-level position within Rolex\u2019s lineup. While the collection has consistently received far less attention than most of Rolex\u2019s other, more expensive and feature-packed offerings, the Rolex Air King<\/a> has a unique and rich history that spans over seventy years of near-continuous production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historically, the Rolex Air-King has always been a relatively small and understated timepiece. The reference 5500 is the longest-running iteration of the Air-King, and it most closely resembles a more humble and stripped-down version of the brand\u2019s classic Oyster Perpetual line of watches. However, in 2016, the Rolex Air-King received what could arguably be considered its single most significant update thus far, when Rolex unveiled the reference 116900 with an entirely new appearance and an updated set of features that had never before appeared on the Air-King collection. With that in mind, when Rolex updated the Air-King yet again in 2022, many collectors thought that the model might make a slight return to its roots. However, the new Rolex Air-King 126900 that made an appearance earlier this year at Watches and Wonders Geneva continues the theme established by its predecessor, and it only further establishes the Air-King as a line of purpose-built tool watches created for professional pilots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here for our Ultimate Buying Guide on the Rolex Air-King.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t