1996 Rolex Air-King Ref. 14000 – Blue Dial

Elegant. Robust. Timeless. Versatile. Perfect. Named in 1945 by Hans Wilsdorf in tribute to the Royal Air Force pilots who were already wearing his Oysters during the Battle of Britain, the Air-King is one of Rolex’s oldest collections – and the only one whose name explicitly commemorates a category of users. Eight decades later, its fundamentals remain those of the day it was launched: a robust Oyster case, a reliable automatic movement, great legibility and a compact format. This superb Rolex Air-King in steel, a reference 14000 produced (serial number T30xxxx) in 1996, features a smooth steel bezel and a magnificent, pared-down blue dial with luminous stick markers and hands (tritium-based). In perfect aesthetic and mechanical condition, recently serviced by an experienced watchmaker, and entirely original down to the bracelet clasp code (also produced in 1996), this example embodies Rolex’s very DNA: efficient lines, purity and elegance, durability, mechanical reliability and exemplary wearing comfort, and is today equally suited to both men’s and women’s wrists.