Air-King 116900 52Mondayz- week 47-2019

April 18, 2014

Some will remember that, for a period of exactly one year, which is 52 weeks, we published a rather popular column named 52Mondayz. Inherent to its name, after one year, this column came to an end. And although it has been a while since it stopped, we still get positive reactions concerning this feature.Revival of 52MondayzSo we think it s a good time to revive 52Mondayz, although, with?a slightly different approach. Was it mainly me writing every Monday which watch I would wear that week, now all of the Fratello authors will take part in the fun. So, I will kick off this week, but next week you ll learn about a watch worn by one of our other editors. This way, it will give an even larger spread of different watches and watch types, which will make it interesting for an even more diverse group of readers. Like you. Air-King 116900Thus, here it is, the first edition of our new 52Mondayz series, and the Air-King 116900?is my watch of choice for this week (read our review on this watch here). It might be a bit of a controversial watch, I understand that. Within the Sports range, the current Air-King is a somewhat abnormal breed. Probably not the watch technically as such, but certainly its looks.…the Air-King has been a watch with moderate expressionIn the past, the Air-King – present in s collection since 1958 – has always been a watch with a very moderate expression. Like a mix between a Datejust and an Explorer.?What is so deviating about the current Air-King then? We ll find that mainly in the design of the dial, which has been the subject of discussion ever since the introduction of the 116900 in 2016.The odditiesLet s start with the logo. In no other model we see a logo with the crown printed in yellow, and the word below it in green. It s the first and only to feature this. Quite odd and very frivolous for altogether.Besides this colorful logo, used two different types of numerals in the dial. On one hand, the applied 3, 6, 9, hour-numerals, well known from the Explorer, are used. However, together with these, double-digit (except for the 5) printed numerals are used for the minutes. That seems a strange combination, and to be honest, that s how it looks. In fact, there are three different styles of indexes in the dial. The white-gold high-gloss polished applied hour-numerals, the printed white double-digit minute numerals, and the applied white luminous triangle at twelve.…instruments for a supersonic car Inspiration for the colored logo and double-digit numerals were two analog instruments of a supersonic record-setting car, the Bloodhound SSC. worked with Bloodhound SSC since 2011 and produced a speedometer and a chronometer for them. These instruments had the same dial design as now used for the Air-King. Unfortunately, because of financial reasons, the Bloodhound SSC project came to an end. It has been continued as Bloodhound LSR, but without as far as I know.Why I was attracted to the Air-King 116900Anyhow, together with a green second hand, I can imagine that some people might find this dial-design a bit of a mess, and never expected this in a sports model. Neither did I. And that was probably one of the reasons I wanted to own the Air-King 116900. produces many watches in line with our expectations. If they produce one outside of that box, I become interested in it.What else is remarkable?So far, the design of the dial, which you might like or not like on a personal basis. But then there s a pleasant surprise on the technical side of the watch. While its name, Air-King, has always referred to aviation, technically the watches in this model line never were quite suitable as pilots watches. In many airplanes, severe magnetic fields occur, and none of the former Air-King models was seriously anti-magnetic shielded. There was a model for use in harsh magnetic environments, that was – and is – the Milgauss. The Milgauss introduced in 1956, later left the stage for over two decades, only to be back in 2007.…a serious anti-magnetic professional toolwatchTo finally make the Air-King a real aviators watch, decided to use an equal case for it as the current Milgauss 116400. Including the internal magnetic shield, and the 3131 caliber with Faraday cage. By this, not only became the Air-King seriously anti-magnetic, it became seriously larger as well. While the Air-King had always been a 34 mm watch, it s now 40 mm in diameter. With its larger size and anti-magnetic properties, all of a sudden it s not an entry-level anymore, however, a serious professional toolwatch. It might just not look like one…And not only its looks might diminish the professional status of the Air-King 116900. One way or the other, decided not to inform the potential Air-King buyers about the professional magnetic shielding of the 116900 overly clear. Only deep in its specifications, one is able to find that the Air-King s movement is, in fact, protected by a magnetic shield.Caliber 3131 shared with the MilgaussAs said, together with the size and anti-magnetic specifications, the Air-King 116900 shares its movement with the Milgauss 116400 as well. Both sport the reliable and very accurate (+2/-2 sec/day) 3131 caliber. The 3131 has?a Parachrom hairspring but not the Paraflex shock absorbers which the 3132 has been fitted with. The 3131, however, has a Faraday cage for anti-magnetism, while the 3132 hasn t. The power reserve for these movements is around 48 hours.Last but not least, the priceWhile the Air-King is technically so equal to the Milgauss, I m puzzled by the huge difference in price. The Milgauss 116400, advertised by to ‘honor science , currently retails for $ 7.550,=. The Air-King 116900, advertised as a ‘homage to aviation , costs ‘only ?$ 5.700,=. That s $ 1.850,= or 25% less. Why? I really have no clue. It can t just be the green sapphire crystal, can it? Anyhow, in my opinion, it makes the Air-King besides an exceptional , and exceptional opportunity as well.#gallery-2 {margin: auto;}#gallery-2 .gallery-item {float: left;margin-top: 10px;text-align: center;width: 50%;}#gallery-2 img {border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;}#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {margin-left: 0;}/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */More information on the Air-King 116900 can be found on s website here. While for comparison purposes, information on the Milgauss 116400 is linked here.Watch specifications Brand Model Air-KingReference 116900Dial BlackCase Material Stainless steel 904LCase Dimensions 40 mmCrystal SapphireCase Back Screwed-in, solid Movement Automatic, caliber 3131Water Resistance 100 meters / 330 feetStrap Stainless steel bracelet with 5 mm Easylink extensionFunctions Hours, minutes, secondsPrice $ 5.700,= incl. VAT Special Note(s) Anti-magnetic to 1000 Gauss.COSC + certification after casing