Rolex Left-Handed GMT Master II and New Air King, Watches and Wonders 2022

To start off the coverage of Watches and Wonders 2022, why not start with the big crown, Rolex and their newest releases for the year. Last year, Rolex celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Explorer II, and this year, they came out with some pieces that will hands down be some of the most collectible and desired watches over the next few years.

To kick things off, Rolex released a new GMT Master II with a green and black Cerachrom bezel this year. It of course, joins the other GMT Master II’s in the Rolex line up known as the coke and pepsi, each with a unique combination of colour on their bezels. What is even cooler is they also gave it another interesting feature - the watches crown is on the left side of the case, making it a left handed watch. This is the first time we have seen Rolex release something like this in the last 10 years. The watch also has the calibre 3285 which Rolex describes as the “new-generation movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex.”

Next, Rolex decided to rework their Air King. When the watch was first released in 2016, Rolex decided to use the classic DateJust case design for the Air King. The watch was sleek, classic, and subtle enough to garner immense support from passionate Rolex lovers. This week, Rolex showcased their new iteration where they completely reimagined the case design for the watch. Instead of using the DateJust case design, they decided to use the Explorer II case design in their new ref. 126900. The watch is in stainless steel, 40mm in diameter and has all the rugged elements you would find in an Explorer II. The watch is a bit fuller, features crown guards which the previous version did not, and overall gives the Air King line a whole different feel.

If one put on their vintage collecting hat, you can only imagine what the 2016 version of the Air King will probably garner. The subtle case changes by brands is what makes many watches extremely collectable, like the early Rolex Submariners. One could speculate that the change in the Air King line is setting up an interesting time ahead of us as we move into the future.

Rolex also released a whole host of DateJust models where they had fun with dial variations. Check out the video below for more.

Enjoy!