Air-King has crown guards for..

[Maxy]

..a very simple reason. I posted long back when Air-King used the 369 gold markers as Rolex always tries to use parts for multiple watches at same(but many didn't like the post). Once they ran through their stock, they moved to lumed 369 as they did with Explorer . Now, once they ran through the cases for discontinued Milguass, they didn't make new case for Air-King but instead are using the same case GMT Master II and that's how they ended up having crown guards for Air-King. It was not some high design meeting to include crown guards for AirKing but just using the same case from another watch's extra stock and using them here. Wow, this has to be most disappointing reason to see crown guards in Air-King.

I know folks will again think am attacking Rolex but this is stupid to stop using Milguass case and then start using GMT Master II case for a watch not related to them. Rolex again proved that Air-King is not their main focus, making it from leftover parts.

[Gaijin]

Rolex is seriously phoning it in this year.

[6120]

Originally Posted by Gaijin

Rolex is seriously phoning it in this year.

I agree

[Chewbacca]

So it’s a skunkworks dept. watch. Respect for Rolex in that case.

[S’portEye]

Does it matter in the grand scheme of things? What would you rather see with the Air King?

[telesquire]

Who says its the same case as the GMT? It has different contoured crown guards.....





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[Devildog]

Originally Posted by telesquire

Who says its the same case as the GMT? It has different contoured crown guards.....





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Agreed, its not even close.

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by telesquire

Who says its the same case as the GMT? It has different contoured crown guards.....





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I think it may be the same, that GMT pic is taken at an upward angle .

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[Andad]

Originally Posted by zengineer

I think it may be the same, that GMT pic is taken at an upward angle .

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I think the thread is a fail.

I’m not sure about the upward angle.

But do you think the lugs are similar?

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by Andad

I think the thread is a fail.

I’m not sure about the upward angle.

But do you think the lugs are similar?

I only spent about 3 seconds looking so probably not.

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[77T]

Originally Posted by zengineer

I only spent about 3 seconds looking so probably not.

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Originally Posted by Andad

I think the thread is a fail.

I’m not sure about the upward angle.

But do you think the lugs are similar?

I rethought the matter - while we agree the AK & GMT crown guards (and possibly lugs) are different, the blanks could be identical stampings.

Then the early machining could be identical. But the AK blanks would get a different final machining step to yield those different midcase crown guards and lugs.

So OP could be right about a cost saving midcase utilization step is in play (noting that 90+% of an AK & GMT midcase is same).


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[Nav01L]

Originally Posted by Andad

I think the thread is a fail.

I’m not sure about the upward angle.

But do you think the lugs are similar?

No, the new case is unique. First generation of the “new” AK has proven a commercial success and justified a dedicated case. To my knowledge no shared parts there any longer (for now), as opposed to the indexes.

[Hemdog]

Originally Posted by telesquire

Who says its the same case as the GMT? It has different contoured crown guards.....





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/thread

[JSolution]

Doesn’t look like a gmt case to me …

[francoamerican]

I don't buy these extra parts-lying-around-resulting-in-new-watches theories generally. It's not like they were forced to switch to the lume explorer, they could have kept making the unlumed explorer until they ran out.

It would only make sense if the runs were very limited; you would still get overruns on the new parts you make to have used the old parts if you arbitrarily. These are not difficult logistical matters for a behemoth.

[seosub]

crown guards are there so that if the plane crashes the watch is protected, duh

[winst]

Originally Posted by seosub

crown guards are there so that if the plane crashes the watch is protected, duh

Honestly, what’s this - Amateur Hour? I think you’ll find it’s to stop the Air Stewardesses’ Bra Straps / Thong Straps catching on the crown of the Pilot’s Air King! (Allegedly)

[jstan9]

Originally Posted by winst

Honestly, what’s this - Amateur Hour? I think you’ll find it’s to stop the Air Stewardesses’ Bra Straps / Thong Straps catching on the crown of the Pilot’s Air King! (Allegedly)

I knew there was an answer!

[Meyrin]

Originally Posted by winst

Honestly, what’s this - Amateur Hour? I think you’ll find it’s to stop the Air Stewardesses’ Bra Straps / Thong Straps catching on the crown of the Pilot’s Air King! (Allegedly)

Wonderful, the mind boggles! I was drinking from a can of Coke when I read this, and nearly sprayed my iMac with coke!

[Ceb]

Definitely different proportions to the GMT master II (ceramic bezel) case, both lugs and crown guards are much larger. However, does look similar to the pre-ceramic GMT Master case. Who knows?

[Hvrnaut]

I believe it is a slightly different case. That said, the new and improved movement is the real star here, not the crown guard.
That said, owners of the older version have nothing substantive to gain, unless they just want to collect both variants.

[Maxy]

Originally Posted by Maxy

..a very simple reason. I posted long back when Air-King used the 369 gold markers as Rolex always tries to use parts for multiple watches at same(but many didn't like the post). Once they ran through their stock, they moved to lumed 369 as they did with Explorer . Now, once they ran through the cases for discontinued Milguass, they didn't make new case for Air-King but instead are using the same case GMT Master II and that's how they ended up having crown guards for Air-King. It was not some high design meeting to include crown guards for AirKing but just using the same case from another watch's extra stock and using them here. Wow, this has to be most disappointing reason to see crown guards in Air-King.



I know folks will again think am attacking Rolex but this is stupid to stop using Milguass case and then start using GMT Master II case for a watch not related to them. Rolex again proved that Air-King is not their main focus, making it from leftover parts.

Just to give context!

[pavinc]

From what I read, it's a similarly shaped case to GMT but it didn't state that it's the same case. The GMT case clearly looks different from the new AK to me. May be I'm wrong.

Originally Posted by Maxy

Just to give context!

[LVx2]

Originally Posted by Maxy

Just to give context!

Completely new case, in the style of the GMT, is how I read that excerpt.

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by LVx2

Completely new case, in the style of the GMT, is how I read that excerpt.

Hoodinkee never gets it wrong...

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[eonflux]

Rolex has definitely done suboptimal things to save money:
- Used 36mm hands on T-rex Explorer 39mm
- Used a lot of bracelet/clasp parts from 11x Sub on 11x DSSD, and still now sharing a lot of parts across models
- Still using a movement with a calendar wheel designed for a cyclops on a DSSD w/out a cyclops

But...
1) AK case looks very different from GMT case
2) Hodinkee, and other websites, are wrong frequently

[DaveDhc]

This thread reminds me of the threads a few days ago saying that the teaser video showed titanium crystals. It was just a bunch of speculating from wild guesses. A bunch of nonsense.

[AbeFroman]

Not even remotely the same case.

I’m glad they added in the crown guards though. Makes it a proper professional reference.

Originally Posted by DaveDhc

This thread reminds me of the threads a few days ago saying that the teaser video showed titanium crystals. It was just a bunch of speculating from wild guesses. A bunch of nonsense.

I saw that too.

[mgsooner]

I still wouldn't buy an Air King, but they've undoubtedly made it a better watch. The fact it is the only reference in the Rolex catalogue that has crown guards without a sport bezel is cool.

[Nikrnic]

Isn't it a completely new case and thinner than the Gmt? Looks more like a 5 dgt Sub.

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