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Rolex Air-King
Ref. 116900
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Stepping up in Rolex's range
The Air-King name stretches back to the 1950s, when Rolex produced it as a tribute to aviation. When the 116900 arrived in 2016, it made a sharp break from that quieter tradition — borrowing the internal soft-iron Faraday cage from the Milgauss to produce a watch that actively resists magnetic fields rather than merely commemorating a flying heritage. The movement inside, Calibre 3131, is COSC-certified and held to Rolex's own tighter standard of plus or minus two seconds per day. The dial is unlike anything else in the current Rolex range. Its layout — a 5-to-55 minute track, white gold applied numerals at three, six and nine, a green seconds hand, a green crown logo, a yellow coronet — draws from the instrument panel of the Bloodhound SSC supersonic car, and it reads immediately as designed rather than evolved. Worth knowing before buying: Chromalight lume reaches only the Mercedes hands and the twelve o'clock triangle. The white gold numerals carry none, so the dial reads unevenly in darkness — a layout some collectors find characterful, others find incomplete. The anti-magnetic cage accounts for the 13.2mm case depth, which is honest thickness for a time-only watch at this width. The 49mm lug-to-lug keeps it from overwhelming an average wrist. On the bracelet, the Easylink system allows a 5mm length adjustment mid-wear, without tools — a detail that earns its keep in the warmer months.
- Reference
- 116900
- Brand
- Rolex
- Collection
- Air-King
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 13.2mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 3131
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 49mm
- Power reserve
- 48 hours
- Origin
- Swiss made
Learn more about Rolex
Hans Wilsdorf founded Wilsdorf & Davis in London in 1905 with his brother-in-law Alfred Davis, importing Swiss movements and casing them in England. He registered the name Rolex in 1908 — short, pronounceable in any language, and easy to fit on a dial.
Wilsdorf's conviction was that the wristwatch, then regarded as a woman's ornament and hopelessly fragile, could be made accurate and durable. He proved the first half in 1910 by obtaining the first chronometer certification for a wristwatch, and the second in 1926 with the Oyster case, sealed by a screw-down crown and caseback. Mercedes Gleitze swam the Channel wearing one in 1927, and Wilsdorf bought the front page of the Daily Mail to say so — arguably the first modern watch marketing campaign.
The Perpetual rotor followed in 1931, giving automatic winding in a form the whole industry eventually copied. The company relocated to Geneva during the First World War to escape British wartime duties.
The professional models arrived in a compressed burst in the 1950s: Submariner, Explorer, GMT-Master, Milgauss, and later the Daytona. Each was built for a specific job — diving, exploration, aviation, laboratory work, racing — and each became a design template.
Wilsdorf left his shares to a private foundation on his death, so Rolex answers to no shareholders. It remains the largest producer of certified chronometers in Switzerland by a wide margin.
- 1905
- Hans Wilsdorf founds Wilsdorf & Davis in London.
- 1908
- The Rolex name is registered.
- 1926
- The Oyster case introduces genuine water resistance.
- 1931
- The Perpetual rotor brings modern automatic winding.
- 1953
- The Submariner and Explorer launch.
- 1963
- The Cosmograph Daytona arrives.
Also in 2 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (3,355) and Automatic Watches (1,699).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 40mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Rolex's range as we list it
Rolex Air-King alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 116900 | 03.4000.3620/21.I001 | SBGJ265 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,150 | £7,200 | £6,900 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 48 hours | 60 hours | 55 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 48 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 49mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £8,150 is the cheapest of 7 UK retailers, against £9,350 at the dearest — a difference of £1,200.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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