For 2022, Rolex has completely redesigned and relaunched the Oyster Professional Air-King watch with a new model known as the Reference 126900. While the name “Air-King” is not new at Rolex, this particular model family really started in 2016 when Rolex introduced the Air-King Reference 116900, which the new 126900 completely replaces. There’s a lot to be said about the new replica Rolex Air King watch, and perhaps most importantly, Rolex has now “fixed” one of the weaker links in its sports watch lineup. The previous generation Air King was hardly defined as a truly novel model, as it was for the most part a different dial placed on the aging Rolex Milgauss platform. In 2022, the Rolex Air-King not only gets its own case and an updated Rolex in-house mechanical movement, but Rolex has really refined some of the core issues that enthusiasts had with the previous generation. So say hello to another highly desirable Rolex watch that remains very challenging to get your hands on this year.
Don’t let the name “Air King” confuse you – this is not a pilot’s watch in its modern form. In fact, the dial of the modern King of the Air was inspired by a car – the fastest car in the world. Rolex was right to support such an interesting project, but the jet-powered Bloodhound LSR car never reached its goal of 1,000 mph because funding ran out and I believe the actual car itself was later sold. The legacy of Rolex’s relationship with the Bloodhound jet remains on the dial of the modern Rolex Air King watch.
For 2022, the Air-King isn’t just brand new, it also fixes design elements that some enthusiasts felt were somewhat lacking on the dial. The watch is still made of replica Rolex Oyster steel and is 40mm wide, but otherwise slightly different in shape and refinement. Let’s start with the case, which has a slightly new, flatter design and now has a crown protector. It is water-resistant to 100 meters and the case has a combination of brushed and polished, with a fully brushed strap.
Rolex has also revised the Air-King dial – which few fans liked when it was introduced in 2016. Many weren’t aware that the dial was inspired by the gauges of the cheap Rolex-designed Bloodstock, and the overall execution wasn’t refined enough to be a serious classic. That said, most do agree that it’s good to see Rolex trying something new, and for 2022, the Air-King 126900 watch gets the dial treatment that I think the model line deserves. Looking back, the Air-King is currently the only Rolex watch to actually feature the gold/yellow and green crown and logo combination that you can see in more Rolex stores, for example.
The one change to the dial is the addition of a “0” at the 5-minute marker. The absence of the “0” in front is the way the blood bracelet when clockwork, making it look strange and asymmetrical, fake Rolex wisely decided to replace it with the “05” marker with the “5” marker. Most importantly, in my opinion, Rolex has eliminated the low-end applied polished hour markers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock and replaced them with similar Rolex Chromalight luminol markers. Not only does the dial now glow much better, but the once ugly applied hour markers are finally beautiful.
