Baselworld as a grand event, it attracts many watchmakers to open their exhibitions. Rolex also have their watch display at this year’s Baselworld. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-King, a substantial re-introduction of an old classic, may have been upstaged by its better-known siblings the Daytona and Explore, but this is the sleeping giant.
The 40mm watch, which pays tribute to its aviation roots, is at once both attractive and technically advanced. The Rolex watch holds the brand’s Superlative Chronometer Certification, meaning that the movement not only undergoes rigorous testing to pass the COSC standards, but also undergoes further testing in the Rolex workshops after being cased.
Crafted in 904L steel, the distinctive watch features a black dial with three large numerals (3,6,9) and a bold minute scale that counts out 5, 10, 20, 25, etc. instead of the traditional numbers. The best thing about the dial, though, is the Air-King name – written in original 1950’s Air-King typeface — prominently placed and written in bright green.
Back in the 1930’s, Rolex was highly involved in the world of aviation and exploration, and the Rolex Oyster accompanied a number of pioneers on their endeavors, including being used on the first flight over Mount Everest (at altitudes higher than 33,000 feet) by the Houston Expedition in 1933. The new watch pays homage to those adventures with its technical advances that include a high degree of anti-magnetism, 100 meters of water resistance, and high-precision caliber.
