![]() |
ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX
ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX
![]() |
#1 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Real Name: Jon
Location: Chattanooga Tn.
Watch: Gmt master II
Posts: 172
|
The Rolex Air King (Past and present)
Lets get a thread going on these guys and gals! I would like to see some pics with some reference to production years on all the models as well as some variations on the bezel and different band combination's ie the 5501,5500,14010,14000,14000M, 114234,114210 and the 114200, Thanks, Jon
__________________
Gmt master 16710 Omega 3570.50 "Moon Watch" Tudor Sub NAWCC member |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 3
|
My Air King
Mine is a 1995 model 14000.
Purchased in Feb'95 from Alexanders Jewelers in Farnham England. I wore it daily for about 9 years then it started to loose quite a bit of time and stopped regularly. I did a bit of shallow'ish scuba diving in it wihich I dont think helped either - some condenstation appear under the crysal for a few days after that event - which I bearly recall I was so drunk! It was well due a service, but I never got round to it - until now! Just done last week - pretty hefty cost of £295 via a high end Jewelers in Glasgow but it went to 'Rolex' in London for the work. It had a couple of wheels replaced. You could hear it 'whirring' when you gave it a good shake and there was plenty of internal wear. It's now as good as new and is looking fine ! ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Real Name: Ian
Location: Spain
Watch: Ω & ♛
Posts: 1,321
|
Airking 5500
This is one of mine, part stripped for restoration. Its from 3rd quarter 1958 and has a butterfly rotor. I think the 3-6-9 dial is quite unusual.
__________________
Rolex GMT, Zenith Chronomaster Sport, Zenith Pilot type 20 40mm, IWC mkXVI, Tudor BB58, Glashütte Original SeaQ 39. 5 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 | |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Hudson Ohio
Posts: 3,561
|
Quote:
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Real Name: Jun Cajayon
Location: Philippines
Watch: Milgauss
Posts: 21
|
Air King 14010 Engine Turned Bezel
Hi Jon,
The Air King has always been one of my favorite Rolex models. I'm not sure if you've read through this excellent link in the Rolex Watch Reviews which pretty much shows all variations of the Air King. I've attached the link nevertheless. http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=67230 Just some pictures of my 14010 with the engine turned bezel. Acquired locally (Philippines) in 2001 but U serial number dates production around 1997. ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
"TRF" Life Patron
Join Date: Jun 2005
Real Name: Peter
Location: Llanfairpwllgwyng
Watch: ing you.
Posts: 52,766
|
Some say the first Airkings were particularly designed for pilots as such but IMHO they were not, but world war 11 did have a part to play with the Airking. And many models now becoming collectable especially the Airking dates especially the red date roulette.Now before WW11 Rolex was always popular with the armed forces in the UK.Now old Hans being a good business man saw there was a market for a slightly bigger watch.Now watches at these times were quite small 30m was the average size.Now Rolex started producing 33m models under the names of Air Lion,Air Tiger,Air Giant and the Air king.They all used a 15 jewel manual wind movement,then came in steel even TT plus all gold but then mainly 9ct.And were in production from the mid 1940s to early 1950s when they were all dropped,except for the Airking.Now over the next few years the Air king gained a auto movement and now the same size as OP,and some of the most sort after Airkings now are models like the 1960s 5504 with the honeycombed dial.Now the first Airking date arrived on the scene late 1960s Ref 5700 were only sold in the then Commonwealth countries like Canada and the UK.Now they made a 5700n Explorer Date but that was only sold in the USA.Later 1970s 5701 Airking dates had the cal.1525/35 movements,and they made a TT version of the 5701 quite rare, but again for the Canadian only market but the Airking date faded out of production in the 1980s. IMO a shame the Airking has quite a lot of history, and IMHO now a very underrated watch.
The Air King is a classic and the one of the longest continuously produced models in the whole Rolex line Air-King models though the years. 4365,4499, 4925, 5500, 5501, 5506, 5520, 6500, 6552, 7784,14000, 14000M, 14010, 14010M
__________________
ICom Pro3 All posts are my own opinion and my opinion only. "The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop. Now is the only time you actually own the time, Place no faith in time, for the clock may soon be still for ever." Good Judgement comes from experience,experience comes from Bad Judgement,.Buy quality, cry once; buy cheap, cry again and again. www.mc0yad.club Second in command CEO and left handed watch winder ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: USA
Watch: See my signature
Posts: 1,189
|
Here's my 5700... Sweet little watch.
All original and bought right here on TRF. ![]()
__________________
"Woody and Jen say hey from North Kakalaki" ![]() 19019, 19018x3, 17000x2, 16570x2, 16220, 5700, 1501, 6564, 16030, 16710, 16610 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 | |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Real Name: Dean
Location: Philippines
Posts: 1,037
|
Quote:
![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 | |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: May 2009
Real Name: Jib
Location: SJ, California
Watch: sun dial
Posts: 8,189
|
Quote:
Now you need to decide which is easier: fishing out the papers, or removing the bracelet! ![]() BTW, here's mine ![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Real Name: Dan
Location: Chichester
Watch: Tudor Black Bay
Posts: 1,581
|
Here is my Rolex Air-King as requested!
Dan
__________________
Tudor Heritage Black Bay 79220R (2015) Tudor Black Bay GMT 79830RB (2022) Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 79030B (2023) |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: May 2008
Real Name: Paul
Location: ATL
Watch: the one I'm wearin
Posts: 526
|
Latest of (one of) the greatest!
Great thread! Thanks for kick starting this. My latest arrival:
Model# 114200 34mm COSC Domed Bezel Sapphire Crystal Self Winding Water resistance 100m/330ft ![]() ![]() --Paul
__________________
"Whether we wake or we sleep, Whether we carol or weep, The Sun with his planets in chime, Marketh the going of Time." --Edward Fitzgerald |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Real Name: Jon
Location: Chattanooga Tn.
Watch: Gmt master II
Posts: 172
|
Wow Paul!! What a beauty! I love those orange numbers, Jon
__________________
Gmt master 16710 Omega 3570.50 "Moon Watch" Tudor Sub NAWCC member |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 | |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Real Name: Dean
Location: Philippines
Posts: 1,037
|
Quote:
hahahha! thanks for the tip! ![]() i think we have the same AK! ![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 4
|
non-precision 5500?
![]() ![]() I am a new user to the forum, and just bought my first [hopefully genuine] Rolex, a 1981 5500. it came with the original papers, boxes, and polishing cloth. I took it to an authorized dealer, and they said it was real, but did not take off the back. They removed the oyster bracelet, and it had the correct markings, and the numbers matched the paperwork. (cut out with a bunch of holes like my passport number.) So, here's my question: it is not marked "precision" or "suer precision". is this an indication of a fake, or does this imply something esle? it beats 5.5x per second (19,800), so i think it is a calibre 1520? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks How do you post pictures on this thing? Last edited by PandaScout; 24 March 2010 at 06:25 AM.. Reason: adding picture |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#15 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Jakarta
Watch: Rolex 126300
Posts: 111
|
hi all I'm new in this forum and this is my first post. This is my 14010 ca. 2002.
![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#16 | |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: jeanlee411
Posts: 2
|
Quote:
I suggest all of you come across this link, you can know more about the "AIR-KING STORY" |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#17 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Dallas TX
Watch: Rolex
Posts: 2,812
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#18 |
Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: U.S.
Posts: 296
|
Here's my 14000.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#19 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Jakarta
Watch: Rolex 126300
Posts: 111
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#20 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: London, ON, Can
Posts: 8
|
My 1957/58 Dress Explorer
Here is a pic of my 57/58 Explorer 5500 and bracelet. Still keeps excellent time.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#21 |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Real Name: Michael
Location: SATX
Watch: Air-King
Posts: 57
|
My 2002 Air-King
Love my Air-King!
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#22 |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Real Name: Richard
Location: South Africa
Watch: Omega 58 Conny 504
Posts: 20
|
Did any mid 60's air king precision come with a plain blue dial with no markers or numbers?
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#23 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: May 2008
Real Name: Alan
Location: Maryland
Watch: 14060M
Posts: 164
|
I just received this back from Michael Young at Classic Watch Parts. I had the bracelet tightened. These are Iphone pics, so they are not the greatest. The Model is 5501 and the movement is 1570. I know they used this movement for the Rolex Sub back in the late 60s or early 70s and I am guessing that this watch is from 1970, give or take a couple of years.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#24 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BraSil
Watch: Sub 16610
Posts: 131
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#25 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Real Name: R
Location: Toronto, Canada
Watch: d a t e j u s t 2
Posts: 462
|
What's the largest mm size these come in?
__________________
My current "Rolex Fund" savings status: ~$15,000 CAD What am I buying next? I want a solid 18k gold Rolex. Got a great deal I should know about within my budget? Tell me!! |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#26 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Dallas TX
Watch: Rolex
Posts: 2,812
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#27 |
2024 ROLEX DATEJUST41 Pledge Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Real Name: Joe
Location: New Mexico
Watch: Explorer
Posts: 12,827
|
34mm
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#28 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NJ / PA / FL
Watch: Exp 1 and 2
Posts: 284
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#29 |
2024 ROLEX DATEJUST41 Pledge Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Real Name: Joe
Location: New Mexico
Watch: Explorer
Posts: 12,827
|
The new AirKings are 34mm NOT 36mm
http://www.rolex.com/en#/rolex-watch...b_3_6_9__70190 http://www.rolex.com/en#/rolex-watch...b_3_6_9__70190 The Oyster Perpetual is 36mm http://www.rolex.com/en#/rolex-watch...b_3_6_9__70200 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#30 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NJ / PA / FL
Watch: Exp 1 and 2
Posts: 284
|
Ahh, I stand corrected, I saw a picture of a new AK and an older Explorer 1 side by side and they looked identical, must just be the newer bigger case.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
|
|
*Banners
Of The Month*
This space is provided to horological resources.