Watch in the Box Episode 4 | Bob's Watches

Bob’s Watches is the world’s leading pre-owned Rolex exchange. Every day we receive dozens of boxes, each filled with a different luxury watch that has its own story to tell. We never know what exactly will be in the boxes, which makes the process all that more exciting. With our Watch in the Box video series, we bring you along for the ride as we reveal a new watch each episode. Join us as we discover…what’s in the box? During Episode 4, we unboxed a newer-model Rolex Air-King ref. 116900. A significant departure from the classic Air-King first introduced in the 1940’s, the reference 116900 features a larger 40mm case, improved materials, and a colorful new dial, Mercedes style hands, and a magnetic shield over its movement that is borrowed from the Rolex Milgauss. While previous generations of Rolex Air-King watches follow a very classic aesthetic, the appearance of the new reference 116900 is a significant overall departure. The dial more closely resembles the cockpit controls designed by Rolex for the Bloodhound SSC, a rocket car built to break the land speed record. Together with the larger case and sportier dial, the new Air-King 116900 wears much more like a sports watch than earlier references. To better understand the ref. 116900 Air-King, let’s take a quick look at the collection’s history. The Air-King was a member of Rolex’s Air Series of watches that also included the Air-Giant, the Air-Tiger, and the Air-Lion (among others). However, the Air-King is the only