Will The Rolex Air-King Be Discontinued?

As a brand, Rolex is normally fairly predictable in terms of the way they release their timepieces, as well as how they design them. They did not manage to achieve the legacy status that they have as a brand today by taking unnecessary risks or not being strategic – quite the opposite, in fact.

Will the Rolex Air King be phased out in 2023? As with every year, there has been a lot of speculation about Rolex’s new releases. The Air King is one of the most talked about, speculated about, and anticipated models. It was widely assumed that Rolex would discontinue the Air-King reference 116900, and this has now been confirmed.

The Rolex Air-King 116900 is no longer in production! The Air-King 116900 debuted at Baselworld in 2016 and is now being phased out five years later. However, Rolex must still discontinue the Air-King model entirely. They instead used the new reference 126900.

Will The Rolex Air-King Be Discontinued? — The 2016 Air King dial was chastised for lacking luminescent hour markers for 12, 3, 6, and 9. They were instead made of white gold. As a result, the numbers on the black Explorer-style dial introduced in this version frequently appeared to be lost.

For the 2022 edition, the dial has been updated with a Chromalight display and luminescent hour markers at 12, 3, 6, and 9. The number “0,” placed before “5”, improves the dial’s overall clarity. The enhancement enhances the new dial’s unity and readability.

The shape of the 2016 Air King was slightly different from previous models. It has a domed bezel and more curved lugs. Furthermore, the acrylic crystal was modified with synthetic sapphire for increased durability. The new one, on the other hand, has a non-functioning bezel and crown guards for the first time! These new additions fortify the watch even further. Furthermore, as is customary for Rolex, the 2022 model has an advanced movement thanks to the new caliber 3230. The 2016 iteration was powered by Calibration 3131.

Rolex Air King 126900 vs 116900 Rolex Air King Watch

The Rolex Air King is one of the more underappreciated watch lines in Rolex’s catalog. Despite the fact that it has been around for the better part of a century, the horological press does not spend a lot of time writing about this particular timepiece. want to know to learn more click here.

Air King 116900 Discontinued

Nobody was surprised when the Air-King 116900 was no longer in service. It was even more predictable. One of the reasons for this is that the watch is powered by an older-generation caliber 3130. Rolex works hard to transition all of its watches to new-generation calibers. This model would have the no-date caliber 3230. The caliber 3130 had been in production for quite some time and was in desperate need of an upgrade. That’s exactly what happened in the end.

Why is the Rolex Air-King Discontinued?

Most of the time, there is very little mystery surrounding why a product is discontinued – it normally has to do with a timepiece not selling well or being well-received by the public. However, this has nothing to do with sales in this particular instance – it has to do with this watch’s connection to the Bloodhouse SSC.

What is the Bloodhouse SSC?

The Bloodhouse SSC was an attempted high-speed vehicle that was supposed to reach 1000 mph on land. The tachometer and cockpit watch for the project were designed by Rolex and served as an inspiration for the Air-King 116900. However, in 2018, the project was no longer deemed financially viable, and it ended up filing for bankruptcy.

Rolex detached itself from the project completely, and many people have speculated that, due to its failure, Rolex will take the timepiece off of the market.

Rolex Air King 126900 After Discontinuation

On March 30, 2022, Rolex unveiled the much-anticipated Air-King 126900 at Watches & Wonders in Geneva, Switzerland. The Rolex Air-King 126900 replaces the earlier production 116900 in typical Rolex fashion. It was exactly as expected, and it was powered by the latest-generation Caliber 3230.

Aside from the new dial, the most noticeable upgrade and change to the Air-King is the addition of crown guards to its design by Rolex. This results in a more athletic appearance and a plan that is more in line with the Air-King.

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