Rolex Air-King

The Rolex Air-King is a luxury watch introduced in 1945, after the Second World War, as a tribute to the pilots in the Battle of Britain. The Rolex Air-King watch is usually a stainless steel utility watch designed for aviation.

Although primarily designed with pilots in mind, the Air-King is a design classic and is one of the oldest and most historically important Rolex watches of all time.

How to Sell Your Watch With Burlingtons

Our process is swift, seamless, and designed with your best interests in mind. Bid goodbye to the hassle of intermediaries or middlemen that delay and complicate your transactions. Instead, embrace our trusted expertise.

Our dedicated specialist conducts all valuations, ensuring you receive an attractive selling price promptly. With our commitment to transparency, all valuations are offered without obligation and completely free of charge.

Get in Touch

Contact our team to share the details of the luxury watch or watch collection you would like to sell. We’ll schedule an in person valuation with you.

In Person Valuation

Our specialist will visit at the agreed time and place to carry out a thorough assessment of any items you wish to sell, offering an expert, no-obligation valuation.

Instant Payment

If you choose to accept our offer, we will transfer the agreed amount to your bank account via BACS or make the payment with cash if preferred.

Burlingtons Ltd have been buying and selling Rolex watches for over 20 years. Our experts are on hand to give you the best evaluation for your watch.

Sell Your Second-Hand Air-Kings

Second-hand Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-Kings and similar variants are collectable and have a wide variety of references. Classic features on most Air-King references include:

Small cases: It is a curious trend, but watch cases have become larger since the 1950s. Indeed, in 1945 pocket watches were still very common. So, Air-King’s most notable feature is a relatively small case size. Most vintage models tap out at about 36 mm and even modern Air-Kings only hit 40 mm at most.

Stainless steel materials: The Oyster case and smooth bezels and bracelets (mostly the Oyster bracelet but occasionally the Jubilee on vintage models) are almost all made of Rolex’s famed stainless steel. The idea is for high-performance and durability during aviation, but some uncommon varieties have white gold bezels or diamond straps, too.

Basic dial colours: Unlike the other pilot’s watch made by Rolex, the GMT Master, the Air-King does not use a timing bezel and opts for simple dial colours, such as white, black, blue or salmon. This is because the main concern in 1945 was to be able to read the dial quickly during a flight, so basic colours help achieve this for the wearer.

You can sell your Rolex Air-King with our private buying service, which will let you avoid all auction fees. You will see an impressive service that lets you sell many types of watches, including pre-owned Rolex Air-King models of various vintages, when you get in touch with our friendly, honest and professional watch buyers to book your free valuation.

Air-Kings are a tribute to aviators and will prove a good investment to many keen watch fans. Contact us if you have an interest in buying and we will see if we can help.

More About Rolex Air-King References

There have been a lot of redesigns and refinements over the years, with the first Air-Kings created by the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, who lived through both World War 1 and World War 2. For the most part, references are high-performance designs with low emphasis on materials.

The majority of collectable Air-Kings are vintage, and new retail models are difficult to source from Official Rolex® Retailers. Let’s explore some of the references and what makes them so brilliant to wear, buy, sell, collect or simply appreciate as top watches:

Rolex Air-King ref. 5500

This Rolex Air-King 5500 is the quintessential design of this model. As it is such an old watch, the 5500 is a relatively modern addition with models still being made up until 1989. Many people consider the 5500 as the original Air-King of the modern era – as does the Rolex company.

It has many of the classic Air-King features, such as the plain dials, stainless steel materials and a small 34 mm case. There is no date display, so it is quite good for people who want a Rolex without unnecessary frills. The 5500 is very collectable and always in fashion.

Rolex Air-King ref. 14000

The Rolex Air-King 14000 is the upgraded version of the 5500. The 14000 adds some modern features, such as the engine turned bezel that is available alongside the classic smooth bezel look. The crystal sapphire across the watch face is another upgrade that resists scratches.

The 14000 was made from 1989 to 2006, and the newer version (the 14000M) has an upgraded calibre for better timekeeping. The 14000 has classic dial colours, so there is room for some customisation among collectors. It still looks quite small, housed in the classic 34 mm case.

Rolex Air-King ref. 114200

This Air-King has been a stalwart over the years of Rolex and is an interesting addition to our list, as it is one of the few models that was available with other materials. In this case, the other material present is a white gold bezel. Not all 114200 references have different materials though, so you will get the classic steel appearance on most.

The 114200 makes the list for another reason, too; it’s the first Air-King with a COSC-certified movement, so it has greater precision and more accurate timekeeping than older Air-Kings. The 114200 uses the same 34 mm size case. As a short production run, it is desirable to collectors.

The Benefits of Using Burlingtons

A professional service in the 
comfort of your home
No fees, commissions 
or hidden charges
Over 20 years
experience
Free no obligation
valuations
Immediate 
payment
We can offer prices 
unachievable at auction

Get A No-Obligation Valuation

You can sell Rolex Air-Kings in many places thanks to their popularity. However, if you sell yours with an auction house you may be charged fees. The best way to avoid all fees is to sell Rolex Air-Kings using our private buying service, which always gives you a fair price with no fees.

Testimonials

Dominic Kenny

30th March 2025

Excellent service. Fast and efficient.
We met Daniel at our home address, which was a round trip of about 200 miles for him.
Very happy with his expert advice and valuation for the jewellery.
No nonsense and all settled very quickly.
I would have no hesitation in recommending Burlingtons Ltd to anyone looking for a fair deal.

Dale MacDonald

28th March 2025

Craig was very fair with his price. Communication was excellent and he went the extra mile to complete our business. We got there in the end !! 🙂
Would recommend him to do business with.

Angela Parke

27th March 2025

Although they claim on their website to offer better prices than those achievable at auction, I was offered less than half the scrap value for multiple silverware items. I was told that although a 4 piece silver tea set was in good condition, it had no real saleable value as “people don’t really want to buy silver tea sets”. I was also told that I would have to subtract the weight of 3 bakelite handles, and that this would be 500 grams. When I took the handle off a damaged teapot I was sending for scrap, it weighed 48 grams. So a certain amount of inflation was going on there! When I said that I was not prepared to accept the offer, I was asked “Well what are you going to do with it then?” It felt like I was being pressured to sell at the very low offer. I politely declined. Today, I scrapped a damaged silver teapot and 2 small jugs (970g) for more than half the offer made by Burlington’s, and the tea set (2kg) will go to auction.

John de la Rue

25th March 2025

Craig visited my home a short while ago, to value some jewellery and provided some excellent advice. Craig presented a thorough valuation all while, maintaining a no-pressure approach. The valuation was fair, and Craig came across as a genuinely kind and courteous person. I would thoroughly recommend Burlingtons Ltd, to anyone looking for a professional and a trustworthy valuation.

Tamasine LittleJ

20th March 2025

A friendly and helpful personal
Service with WhatsApp chat answering questions and giving accurate and fair proposals . No pressure or hurry to act , when i decided i was ready i did receive prompt same day payment as proposed. I would definitely use them again after trying a few different outlets Burlingtons were actually very good.

Neil Clark

19th March 2025

We had researched several buyers of silver. Craig gave the most positive response, was as good as his word when he came to see it and paid instantly. Very pleasant to deal with.

G Z

11th March 2025

Very helpful and friendly. Received a call from Craig not long after my package arrived,got a quote and money into my account within minutes,would def recommend .

X X

8th March 2025

Excellent

F Brother

5th March 2025

Excellent very professional very quick reply came to my home early next morning gave me a valuation I was very happy with would only ever use this business from now on money put straight into my account thanks Burlingtons ltd

Melanie Teff

4th March 2025

Very professional service – I was impressed with the thought put into valuing each item. It was very convenient to have a home visit and an instant transfer of funds for the items purchased.