Rolex Air-King 5700

Rolex Air-King 5700

The Air-King was named in honour of the brave RAF pilots of WWII, when Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf discovered they were ditching their standard issue watches for his Oyster Perpetual. As one of the longest continuously manufactured and most affordable Rolex watches, the Air King is a staple of the company's range, but there is a rare anomaly—the Air-King Date. The first Air-King Date ref. 5700 appeared in the late 1950s, and was—for reasons unknown—only available in the UK and Commonwealth countries. By the 1980s production of the Air-King Date had stopped again, and with such low numbers made it has become an increasingly rare and valuable find. This Rolex Air-King 5700 has a silver baton dial and a bracelet strap. Due to age, this Rolex may not fall within our typical expected tolerances for timekeeping, and is no longer suitable for use in wet environments or submersion in water. In the interests of preserving original features, utmost care has been taken to sympathetically restore this watch. It has also been referenced against technical documents and manufacturer records where available to ensure authenticity and a clean history. One of our skilled polishing technicians has removed marks on the case and bracelet of this watch, brought about by daily wear and tear, which is why this watch does not come with the remaining manufacturer’s warranty.