Founded in 1905 and rooted in Geneva, Rolex has defined the standard of Swiss watchmaking for over a century. The Air-King holds a special place in the catalogue — first introduced in 1945 as a tribute to RAF pilots, it was boldly reimagined in 2016 as a modern tool watch with a distinctly unconventional character, making the 116900 one of the more collectable Rolex references of its generation.

The Rolex Air-King, reference 116900, is a 40 mm Oystersteel sport watch with a nicely structured matte black dial featuring large white Arabic numerals at the five-minute intervals, applied 18ct gold hour markers at 3, 6 and 9, and the signature green and yellow Rolex coronet — a direct nod to the aviation instrument panels that inspired the design. Chromalight luminescence ensures strong legibility in low light. At its heart beats the in-house Calibre 3131, a Superlative Chronometer-certified movement with a blue Parachrom hairspring, running at 28,800 vph with a 48-hour power reserve and solid antimagnetic protection. A sapphire crystal protects the dial. Water resistance is rated at 100 metres. The watch is fitted on the Oyster bracelet with the Easylink 5mm comfort extension.

This Air-King is from May 2019, is in very good condition and comes as a full set.