Foversta presents a hands-on review of the 2016 Rolex Air-King, a watch that defied expectations and sparked contrasting reactions at Baselworld. He explores Rolex's strategic decision to revive the Air-King name with a radically new design, drawing inspiration from the Bloodhound SSC land speed record vehicle and integrating elements from the Explorer and Milgauss.
The latest Daytona with the black Cerachrom bezel can be considered as the symbol of the 2016 Rolex collection because it was generally expected by the fans of the brand and its presentation led to a positive consensus. The new Air-King is a kind of mirror effect of the Daytona. It was definitely not expected in this configuration and it provoked highly contrasting reactions. This is the reason why I find it exciting!
What is fascinating with Rolex is its ability to create surprises and to be where we don't expect the brand to be from the aesthetic point of view even if all the ingredients used are completely known and controlled. It is at the end the summary of this Air-King: taken one by one, each component is an integral element of the Rolex world. But their gathering creates the originality and therefore the interest of the watch. In fact, Rolex did with the Air-King a 180-degree flight path change, no pun given the name of the watch. The Air-King had become over time the watch dedicated to the entry level of the catalogue, simple and tasteful and suitable for small wrists. Its come-back is performed in an opposite context. The Air-King becomes more impressive and is certainly more segmenting. It doesn't embody any longer the consensual dimension of its predecessor which was featuring a 34mm diameter and leaves to other models of the catalogue the role to be the most affordable way to own a watch from the prestigious manufacture.
Actually, it is not at all the same watch and this observation makes me wonder why Rolex decided to use such name. After all, this come-back is not done not in an aerial environment, despite the Rolex communication on the topic, but rather on land. Indeed, the design of the dial is inspired by the two measuring instruments (speedometer and chronograph) that are located on the dashboard of the vehicle Bloodhound SSC whose objective is to break the world record for land speed. So why this name "Air-King"?
I see two reasons.
The first one is that Rolex has collection names with a strong foothold in the catalogue. They embody stories, events, special relations between the watches and their owners. Such a famous name as Air-King couldn't leave the catalogue for years.
The second one is that the vehicle Bloodhound SSC is powered by a rocket engine allowing it to exceed 1,000 mph. In this context, I connect more the name Air-King to the concept of supersonic speed than to a pure land vehicle. So I imagine that other models will be developed in the Air-King collection around this theme and so will be back and in the air.
The risk was that this new Rolex Air-King could be seen as a synthesis piece and not like a watch with its own identity. Indeed, by watching very closely, I find elements from the Explorer (the hands including the second hand, the numerals 3-6-9 in relief) and from the Milgauss (the case and movement) giving and the feeling of being in front of the improbable cross between these two reference watches.
And then something creates all the difference and puts the Air-King in its own universe: the dial. Rolex worked on two specific points: the numerals and colors. In fact, the dial combines the aesthetics of the speedometer (graduated from 0 to 11) and of the analog chronograph (graduated from 0 to 60 with steps of 5) of the vehicle Bloodhound SSC. That's why it gathers simple 3-6-9 numerals in relief to represent the hours while the minute markers are located on the same circumference of the dial. The result is surprising and may even be confusing because two different graduations are on the same scale. Fortunately, Rolex avoids this pitfall thanks to the applied numerals that are perceived in the foreground while the graduations of the minutes seem to be behind.
The other important element is the color pattern. Still inspired by the same measuring instruments, Rolex adorns its own crown with bright yellow while the brand name and the second hand use the emblematic green color (the driver of the vehicle Bloodhound SSC is by the way named Andy Green!). These two colors are clearly distinguishable given the contrast with the black background of the dial. They bring a casual atmosphere to the watch that appears instantly as sportier and less austere. And above all, the combination of all these elements gives to the Air-King an unique and original style in the Rolex catalogue.
Obviously, the case had to be at the same level to be the right companion for such dial. The 904L stainless steel case of the Milgauss, here in a brushed version with a smooth bezel, perfectly fulfills its mission. It brings its discretion, its harmonious size (40mm) and a very masculine style given its relative thickness. Providing a waterproofness of 100 meters, it is characterized by its Twinlock crown and its Oysterclasp folding clasp. A quick Easylink extension link allows to adjust it for an optimized comfort what is a good thing because the watch is relatively heavy due to the Milgauss context.
The thickness of the case is due to the protection of the movement by a magnetic shield since Rolex wanted to increase the anti-magnetic performance of the watch due to its vocation. Β΅It is also the reason why the movement is the same than the Milgauss one, the caliber 3131 that uses a Parachrom blue spiral and a paramagnetic escapement wheel. Its frequency is 4hz and the power reserve is 48 hours which is far enough given the legendary winding efficiency of the automatic Rolex calibers. This power reserve is nonetheless a little too short by today's standards but as the Air-King doesn't have any additional complication, the time setting only takes a few seconds. The chronometric performance of the caliber 3131 follows those of the Superlative Chronometer certification in a range of -2 / + 2 seconds per day what is more demanding than the COSC.
The characteristics of the components of the Air-King are very convincing and impregnated by the Rolex seriousness and reliability. And of course, I didn't have any problem at this level when I discovered the watch on pictures. But I needed a test to confirm my first very favorable impression, more specifically on the particular aesthetic of the dial. There are actually two ways to consider the Air-King and they were reflected in the reactions of the visitors of the Baselworld fair. Either you consider it as inconsistent and confusing or you appreciate its originality, character and colorful details. I definitely belong to those who love this aesthetic approach that goes beyond the usual offer from Rolex. I found the Air-King more than seductive, almost irresistible. Ultimately, clear-cut reactions, negative or positive, are always a boon for Rolex. Because the crowned brand has this magic that allows it to totally change the minds of its most ardent detractors. I easily see a very promising future for the Air-King following the principle of the ugly duckling that turns into a beautiful swan: Rolex watches which are nailed to the wall by some become "must-have" a few years later to the eyes of the very same people. The ability to provoke strong emotions is the key to success in the watches industry. And Rolex is better than any other brand on this field. Unquestionably, the Air-King left its mark on the 2016 edition of Baselworld and it bodes well for a beautiful aesthetic potential which could be developed in the future in the Rolex catalogue.
Thanks to the warm welcome from the Rolex team during Baselworld.
Pros:
+ An original dial in the catalog of the brand
+ A watch with character, serious and casual at the same time
+ The brushed case
+ The comfort on the wrist
Cons:
- The power reserve is a bit too short by today's standards
This message has been edited by foversta on 2016-04-10 03:18:11 
