Rolex Air King 14000M ‘Dominos’

Unlike the usual suspect from the Rolex line-up, the Air King collection is launched in 1945 and has remained as one of the longest-span production line-ups. Immediately after WWII, the Air-King made its debut for British pilots and Royal Air Force with a 34mm case which was considered ‘large’ at the time. The first reference 4925 and 4499 featured manual-winding hunter movements and much hidden away under daylight in old-school collectors’ hands. The 14000 is a significant reference marking its transition towards the millennium with upgraded movement, steel finish and sapphire crystal. The ‘Dominos’ version embedded a deeper narrative and only in extremely low production for its story.

As a counterpart of the Air-King, the Dominos issue represents a reward to sales manager hitting $25,000 in sales a week and months in a row. The pieces were originally commissioned by Schlanderer and Sons in Michigan where Dominos headquarters directly ordered from Rolex in Geneva. The tilted logo version is considered the most sought after due to its sapphire glass, upgraded 3130 movement with sharp prints on the dial where indices are Super-Luminova. It is no wonder the endless debate about whether the commission itself is idiosyncratic or eclectic with two different giants in their industry once collaborating officially to commemorate the other. The piece has gone through a fresh service and is ready to be heralded by its new collector. With competition at a minimum 20K upwards, this is an excellent example to offer.