Like all Rolex watches, the Oyster Perpetual Air-King has been awarded the Swiss Chronometer Super Chronometer certification to ensure the highest level of performance on the wrist.
This designation proves that the Air-King and every watch that leaves the Rolex workshops have successfully undergone a series of tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories to its own standards before the movement is officially certified by the official Swiss chronometer testing institute. The in-house certification tests are designed to guarantee superlative performance in terms of precision, power reserve, water resistance and self-winding. The Rolex Super Chronometer is accurate to -2/+2 seconds per day.
The new generation Air-King is equipped with the caliber 3230, a self-winding movement at the forefront of watchmaking technology, capable of displaying hours, minutes and seconds. Developed and manufactured entirely by Rolex, the 3230 calibers was first released in 2020. This invention, which led to the filing of several patents, excels in terms of precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks and magnetic fields, convenience and reliability.
In addition, the caliber 3230 features Rolex’s patented Chronergy escapement, which combines high energy efficiency with impressive reliability. The exceptional efficiency of the barrel construction and escapement results in a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
First introduced in 1945, the original Rolex Air King symbolizes the privileged relationship between watchmakers and pilots during the golden age of aviation in the 1930s. As a tribute to the pilots of that era and the role played by the Oyster in their epic story, the new generation of the Air-King is an inherently legendary timepiece.
In the 1930s, astonishing advances in aircraft performance continued to expand man’s ability to conquer the skies, marking a new demand for timekeeping precision. Several pilots of the time set records while wearing Oyster watches, while others used Rolex watches as onboard chronometers.
Since 1958, the name “Air-King” has appeared on the watch’s dial in a font that makes the model instantly recognizable. Since 2016, the Air-King has featured a distinctive black dial with a combination of large 3, 6, and 9 numerals to mark the hours and a prominent minute scale for optimal reading of sailing time, while the green seconds hand echoes Rolex’s signature colors.
