Hands-On: Some Quick Thoughts On The New Rolex Air-King Versus The New Explorer (Live Pics, Official Pricing)

The most interesting, or I should say curious, introduction from Rolex this year is the Air King reference 116900. First, I never really expected to see an Air-King at all ever again after the new Oyster Perpetual was brought out last year, but here it is. And on top of that, the Air-King is back in, frankly, a semi-foreign form as a 40 mm, anti-magnetic aviator's watch with a multi-color logo. We'll get to that, so let's first talk about the brand new Explorer, which is a really similar watch, also introduced this year, that, in my opinion, will be often compared to the new Air-King.

The Rolex Explorer Reference 214270

So the new Explorer reference 214270, as introduced here on HODINKEE last week, is very much the same as the outgoing iteration of the same reference with its Oyster Perpetual case at 39 mm, 100-meter water resistance, and in-house caliber 3132. The big changes to this watch versus the original are aesthetic, with a richer application of lume, and wider, longer hands that answer the complaints of many purists who griped about the hands from a 36 mm Explorer on a 39 mm watch.

The Explorer 214270 features the excellent in-house caliber 3132, is now a superlative chronometer, rated to -2/+2 seconds per day. The Explorer features Paraflex shock absorbers as well, which suit the mountain-scaling nature of the design. The price for the Explorer 214270 will be $6,500 and will become available this fall. More here.

The Rolex Air-King Reference 116900

Now here is where things get interesting. The Air-King is back – and seemingly up-market from the point from which it departed some years back. You see, while the Air-King name was registered in the '40s by Rolex, it is known by most the smaller, entry-level, date-less cousin of the Datejust. Now that role belongs to the various Oyster Perpetuals, and the Air-King is its own man, and though it remains date-less, it is now the big brother to the Explorer (at least physically speaking – it's 40 mm).

Further, Rolex has positioned the Air-King as nothing short of a true aviator's watch. While the title was always there, never in my life did I consider a Rolex Air-King a pilot's watch, ever. But here it is, with 1940s military-style dial markings (5's as far as the eye can see) and a font straight off the earlier Air-Kings. The markers on this new Air-King are printed, except for the four poles, which are applied and share a look with the Explorer, which has every hour marker applied. What's more, the Air-King is the very first Rolex to feature a crown and signature in two different colors: here in yellow and green!

Here's where things get funky, though. The Air-King is anti-magnetic, and the Explorer is not (owing to its magnetic shield, the Air-King is 2 mm thicker). We have a true soft-iron case here in this new Air-King, which we don't have almost anywhere else in the professional Rolex line (save the Milgauss, naturally). Crazy, right? What the Explorer has that the Air-King does not are Paraflex shock absorbers, but short of that, the calibers are identical. And in fact, almost everything else is identical between the two watches – from the bracelet to the clasp, to even the price! The Explorer will come in at $6,500, as mentioned above, and the Air-King will be $6,200 – and it's anti-magnetic, and larger! It doesn't have fully applied markers on the dial or shock resistance, but one has to wonder which is actually the better deal here – shock resistance at 39 mm and $6,500 or magnetism resistance at 40 mm at $6,200.

More on the Air-King here.