Ever since its unveiling at Baselworld back in 2016, I’ve wanted a Rolex Air-King Ref. 116900 . And, perhaps rather oddly, I’ve yearned for this polarising watch even longer than that. Allow me to explain. Back in 2014, Rolex announced they had made a bespoke pair of dash clocks for what was formerly known as the Bloodhound SSC, a supersonic missile on wheels that aimed to break the outright land speed record and reach speeds in excess of 1600 km/h. I remember reading about the dash clocks at the time, and thinking to myself, “That is cool.” The fact that Rolex had gotten behind the project was utterly fantastic and, without wanting to sound overly gushing, it was downright inspiring to see that the Big Crown still supported those who dared to push the boundaries of what we previously thought wasn’t possible. I also loved the way the dash clocks looked – the archetypal Rolex green of the text, contrasted by the distinct yellow of the regal crown motif, and the unique looking typography of the Arabic numerals, was all such a radical departure from the watchmaker’s normal design language, yet it somehow worked. A couple of years passed, and…
The post A YEAR ON THE WRIST: With a twist… Why I love the polarising Rolex Air-King Ref. 116900 but why I won’t wear it appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.