The 2016 Air-King with box and card, for less.

The Air-King is the Rolex that was a pilot’s watch before Rolex made sports watches: a plain Oyster with the name in script since 1945. In 2016 Rolex rebuilt it as the 116900, a 40mm case borrowed from the Milgauss with the magnetic shield inside, a black dial with oversized 3, 6 and 9, a five-minute scale round the edge for navigation, green ROLEX lettering and a green seconds hand, no date. It ran to 2022, when the 126900 replaced it with crown guards and a 5 on the dial.

Of Rebag’s two Air-King 40s here, this one has the box as well as the card, is sized to a 7.5 inch wrist, is graded with light rather than plain wear, and costs less. It is the one to pick unless the smaller sizing matters. Neither states a reference; the card does.

Rebag gives the case at 40mm and 13mm high, the band at 19mm, a wrist size of about 7.5 inches, the band and case as stainless steel, the dial colour as black, an automatic movement with a screw-down crown, a dated warranty card and the box as included, and the condition as Very Good with scratches and light wear, and no reference. The smooth bezel, 3-6-9 dial with green text and Oyster bracelet are from the photograph. The 116900 match and its calibre are Rolex’s published figures for the reference it appears to be.

Rebag authenticates in-house and is not a Rolex authorised dealer, and Amazon adds its 30-day return window. Ask for the reference and the serial, whether the removed links come with it, and when it was last serviced. Nothing here was measured on the watch.

This unit is sold by Rebag through Amazon Luxury Stores, authenticated by the seller with Amazon’s 30-day return window on top; it is one piece, and when it sells the listing goes away, so the second button opens the live search for Air-Kings.

Steel sports Rolexes have resold close to what pre-owned buyers paid, sometimes more, sometimes less; that is a pattern, not a promise, and nothing here is investment advice.