Air-King date question about dial etc.

[CharlesN]

Hi all,

I am thinking of buying a watch today ....

An Air-King Date. (5700).

It was fully serviced by Rolex and does NOT have original papers but does have the service papers .. Thats OK for me.

Rolex replaced the clasp (Ok for me).

Rolex replaced the plexiglass (OK for me)
But .. They also replaced the dial and hands. Is that a problem ? It is now saying just Swiss Made No mention of the "T" for Tritium.

What are your thoughts ?

[Woody]

It is what you think that counts. There are plenty of all original Air-Kings around so depends on what you are looking for. If it is for a collection then originality is king but if you are planning to use this as a regular wearer then it is not so important. But looking at the list of watches you already have you must know all this already?? If you do decide to purchase then please remember to post some pictures. The Air-King appears to be a model that is quickly gaining in popularity.

[Sublovin]

You have been a member here since 2005, and have a bunch of watches in your signature...you know how this works. Up to you...if you want the function over originality.

[cswjames]

Your hands and dial will glow in the dark, to me that's a good thing. I love air kings��

[CharlesN]

I'm really not sure now.

A lot of Sunday thinking is to be done.

[Dan S]

Any potential collectible value is gone, but it can still be a nice watch to wear if that's what you're looking for. At the moment, it doesn't affect the value very much, but that could obviously change in the future.

I notice that some members of this forum often pooh-pooh the idea that DJs, OPs, and AKs could be collectible, and suggest that people should only concern themselves with the originality of sport models. Frankly, I think that's probably short-sighted, and if I'm buying a vintage Rolex of any type, I'm looking for something that is attractive and original.

[Woody]

Originally Posted by CharlesN

I'm really not sure now.

A lot of Sunday thinking is to be done.

If you have doubts I would give it a miss. There are plenty of Air-Kings for sale online - they appear to range from around 2200 - 4200 GBP dependent on originality, papers etc. Yet another model that is appreciating in value......not sure if that is a good or a bad thing but it is what it is. Good luck with your decision.

[Old Expat Beast]

The Air-King-Date is quite uncommon, much like the Explorer Date with which it shares reference numbers (5700/5701). I've never seen one with a service dial but if it looked similar to the original but with Swiss Made, I would certainly consider it if the price was right.

[harry in montreal]

Have you held it in your hand? It’s a smaller watch, like a Rolex ‘date’ model. Mine was a Coca Cola pres piece and had a two tone head and a folded 7835. Nice but I traded it pretty fast.