Reference:4925: Difference between revisions

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{{#seo:

|title=Rolex 4925 Air-King, c.1945–1950s — Hand-wound Oyster reference | Rolexopedia

|description=Reference guide to the hand-wound Rolex Air-King 4925, commonly dated from around 1945, with a 34mm Oyster case, Hunter-family movement, ~~subsidiary or centre~~ seconds ~~variants~~ and documented early Air-King dial forms.

|description=Reference guide to the hand-wound Rolex Air-King 4925, commonly dated from around 1945, with a 34mm Oyster case, Hunter-family movement, central seconds and documented early Air-King dial forms.

|keywords=Rolex, 4925, Air-King, Battle of Britain, Hunter caliber, Air-Lion, Air-Tiger, Air-Giant

|image=Ref 4925 hero.webp

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</div>

The 4925 is ~~commonly treated~~ as the first Air-King reference: a hand-wound 34mm Oyster ~~that appears in sources~~ from around 1945. It appears alongside the Air-Lion, Air-Tiger and Air-Giant names. The automatic 6552 follows in the early 1950s, with the 5500 continuing the Air-King line from 1957. The exact boundary between 4925 catalogue production and later case-stock assembly remains disputed.

The 4925 is widely identified as the first Air-King reference: a hand-wound 34mm Oyster documented from around 1945. It appears alongside the Air-Lion, Air-Tiger and Air-Giant names. The automatic 6552 follows in the early 1950s, with the 5500 continuing the Air-King line from 1957. The exact boundary between 4925 catalogue production and later case-stock assembly remains disputed.

~~The~~ Battle of Britain explanation ~~is repeated in modern Air-King histories~~, but ~~this article has not found a~~ period Rolex advertisement, Wilsdorf statement or other primary source ~~that~~ confirms it. It ~~belongs in the article as~~ attributed collector and editorial history~~, not as settled fact~~.

Modern Air-King histories repeat a Battle of Britain explanation, but no period Rolex advertisement, Wilsdorf statement or other primary source cited here confirms it. It remains attributed collector and editorial history.

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== Production outline ==

Modern histories commonly date the launch to 1945. That date does not by itself prove the Battle of Britain explanation, which remains an attributed story without a primary source ~~in this review~~.

Modern histories commonly date the launch to 1945. That date does not by itself prove the Battle of Britain explanation, which remains an attributed story without a cited primary source.

The end year is contested. 1953 is the consensus retirement date — Siems, Monochrome, Rescapement, Robb Report. Antiquorum lot 382 (25 September 2002) reads instead "the Air-King was first introduced in 1953 in honor of the Royal Air Force pilots who flew in the battle of Britain," treating the automatic 6552 as the "real" launch — a major-house catalogue text that contradicts the 1945-launch consensus. ''Time-Wire'' narrows the 4925 specifically to "approximately 1945–1946" and reads the 4499 as its 1946 replacement. Sotheby's lot 190 (4 September 2020) catalogues a 4925 by case number 354,085 to c.1956, and a dealer-documented eBay artifact carries a 1958 dial — both push the upper bound past the 1953 consensus.

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The cautious reading is that 4925 enters the catalogue around 1945 and is replaced in the catalogue by the automatic 6552 around 1953. The Sotheby's c.1956 example may represent late case-stock assembly, but the source does not establish how common that practice was.

Rolex production ~~totals are not~~ published ~~here~~. The ~~cited~~ record contains a ~~Sotheby's~~ 4925 lot and two Baer & Bosch examples~~, with~~ other Air-King auction entries often ~~referring~~ to later references. That ~~is a~~ record ~~of the sources reviewed,~~ not ~~a count of surviving~~ watches.

No Rolex production total is published for the 4925. The indexed record contains a Sotheby’s 4925 lot and two Baer & Bosch examples; other Air-King auction entries often refer to later references. That record does not establish how many 4925 watches survive or how many were made.

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The Hunter movement links the hand-wound Oyster references to the automatic 1030 generation that follows. Its smaller manual-wind package does not need the deep rotor clearance of a Perpetual Bubbleback, which helps explain the flatter case profile.

Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' treats early Hunter calibers as a transitional Aegler movement family. The 4925 examples ~~cited here~~ use that family; the 6552 is associated with the later automatic 1030 generation.

Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' treats early Hunter calibers as a transitional Aegler movement family. The 4925 examples in these records use that family; the 6552 is associated with the later automatic 1030 generation.

[[File:Ref 4925 movement.webp|thumb|right|300px|Cal. Hunter movement, 17 jewels stamped ROW; inner caseback marked "4925" with an RWC LTD service tag|alt=Cal. Hunter movement, 17 jewels stamped ROW; inner caseback marked "4925" with an RWC LTD service tag]]

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=== Early-1945 dials with no SWISS MADE text ===

Time-Wire records early examples without “SWISS MADE”. The reason for the omission ~~is not established by the cited evidence~~.

Time-Wire records early examples without “SWISS MADE”. The cited evidence does not establish the reason for the omission.

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=== The Battle of Britain commemoration ===

Modern histories often say that Hans Wilsdorf named the Air-King for RAF pilots and the Battle of Britain. ~~This review found no~~ Wilsdorf statement, period Rolex advertisement or other primary source ~~confirming~~ that explanation. It remains an attributed origin story.

Modern histories often say that Hans Wilsdorf named the Air-King for RAF pilots and the Battle of Britain. No Wilsdorf statement, period Rolex advertisement or other primary source cited on this page confirms that explanation. It remains an attributed origin story.

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=== Early-1945 dials without SWISS MADE ===

A small early-production sub-variant is reported without “SWISS MADE” at the bottom edge. Time-Wire records the variant, but the reason for the omission ~~and~~ its exact date range ~~are not established here~~.

A small early-production sub-variant is reported without “SWISS MADE” at the bottom edge. Time-Wire records the variant, but the available sources do not establish the reason for the omission or its exact date range.

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The movement and case should be assessed together. A 4925 example with caliber 1030, 1530 or 1520 would need a service or re-case explanation because the cited 4925 examples use the 10½-ligne Hunter family; the movement must be inspected before making that call. The “stamped ROW” marking documented on Sotheby's lot 190 is evidence for that lot, not a universal requirement.

~~The bracelet usually doesn't help~~. ~~Most surviving 4925s wear post-1960s bracelets —~~ Baer & Bosch lot AN3907 is on a 1967-clasp ~~7205 —~~ and ~~a period-correct rivet Oyster~~ from the 4925~~'s own~~ production window ~~is rare in surviving inventory~~. Authenticate the head and movement first, then ~~read~~ the bracelet as supplementary evidence ~~rather than as an originality anchor~~.

Bracelets provide limited dating evidence. Baer & Bosch lot AN3907 is on a 7205 with a 1967 clasp date, and the cited record contains few bracelets from the 4925 production window. Authenticate the watch head and movement first, then treat the bracelet as supplementary evidence.

== Related references ==

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See also the [[Reference:air-king|Air-King family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

~~== Gallery ==~~

File:Ref 4925 hero.webp|alt=Rolex 4925 Air-King|Rolex 4925 Air-King

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* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/rolex-airking-origin-history-and-design-evolution Marcus Siems, "Rolex Air-King Origin History and Design Evolution", Goldammer]

* [https://beckertime.com/blog/rolex-decades-the-40s-air-king-versus-the-50s-air-king/ "Rolex Decades The 40s Air-King Versus The 50s Air-King", Beckertime]

* [https://time-wire.com/watch_model/air-king/ "Air-King: History, Specs & References", Time-Wire]

* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2013/07/the-complete-history-of-the-air-king.html "The Complete History Of The Air King", Rolex Magazine]

* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-3/rolex-reference-4925-oyster-air-king-a-stainless "Rolex Reference 4925 Oyster Air-King Stainless Steel Center Seconds Wristwatch c.1956", Sotheby's, 2020]

* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-30-382 "Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-King Super Precision 1950s Lot 382", Antiquorum, 2002]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{#seo:
 |title=Rolex 4925 Air-King, c.1945–1950s — Hand-wound Oyster reference &#124; Rolexopedia
-|description=Reference guide to the hand-wound Rolex Air-King 4925, commonly dated from around 1945, with a 34mm Oyster case, Hunter-family movement, subsidiary or centre seconds variants and documented early Air-King dial forms.
+|description=Reference guide to the hand-wound Rolex Air-King 4925, commonly dated from around 1945, with a 34mm Oyster case, Hunter-family movement, central seconds and documented early Air-King dial forms.
 |keywords=Rolex, 4925, Air-King, Battle of Britain, Hunter caliber, Air-Lion, Air-Tiger, Air-Giant
 |image=Ref 4925 hero.webp
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 </div>
-The 4925 is commonly treated as the first Air-King reference: a hand-wound 34mm Oyster that appears in sources from around 1945. It appears alongside the Air-Lion, Air-Tiger and Air-Giant names. The automatic 6552 follows in the early 1950s, with the 5500 continuing the Air-King line from 1957. The exact boundary between 4925 catalogue production and later case-stock assembly remains disputed.
+The 4925 is widely identified as the first Air-King reference: a hand-wound 34mm Oyster documented from around 1945. It appears alongside the Air-Lion, Air-Tiger and Air-Giant names. The automatic 6552 follows in the early 1950s, with the 5500 continuing the Air-King line from 1957. The exact boundary between 4925 catalogue production and later case-stock assembly remains disputed.
-The Battle of Britain explanation is repeated in modern Air-King histories, but this article has not found a period Rolex advertisement, Wilsdorf statement or other primary source that confirms it. It belongs in the article as attributed collector and editorial history, not as settled fact.
+Modern Air-King histories repeat a Battle of Britain explanation, but no period Rolex advertisement, Wilsdorf statement or other primary source cited here confirms it. It remains attributed collector and editorial history.
 <span id="core-facts"></span>
@@ Line 87: / Line 87: @@
 == Production outline ==
-Modern histories commonly date the launch to 1945. That date does not by itself prove the Battle of Britain explanation, which remains an attributed story without a primary source in this review.
+Modern histories commonly date the launch to 1945. That date does not by itself prove the Battle of Britain explanation, which remains an attributed story without a cited primary source.
 The end year is contested. 1953 is the consensus retirement date — Siems, Monochrome, Rescapement, Robb Report. Antiquorum lot 382 (25 September 2002) reads instead "the Air-King was first introduced in 1953 in honor of the Royal Air Force pilots who flew in the battle of Britain," treating the automatic 6552 as the "real" launch — a major-house catalogue text that contradicts the 1945-launch consensus. ''Time-Wire'' narrows the 4925 specifically to "approximately 1945–1946" and reads the 4499 as its 1946 replacement. Sotheby's lot 190 (4 September 2020) catalogues a 4925 by case number 354,085 to c.1956, and a dealer-documented eBay artifact carries a 1958 dial — both push the upper bound past the 1953 consensus.
@@ Line 93: / Line 93: @@
 The cautious reading is that 4925 enters the catalogue around 1945 and is replaced in the catalogue by the automatic 6552 around 1953. The Sotheby's c.1956 example may represent late case-stock assembly, but the source does not establish how common that practice was.
-Rolex production totals are not published here. The cited record contains a Sotheby's 4925 lot and two Baer & Bosch examples, with other Air-King auction entries often referring to later references. That is a record of the sources reviewed, not a count of surviving watches.
+No Rolex production total is published for the 4925. The indexed record contains a Sotheby’s 4925 lot and two Baer & Bosch examples; other Air-King auction entries often refer to later references. That record does not establish how many 4925 watches survive or how many were made.
 <span id="movement-notes"></span>
@@ Line 102: / Line 102: @@
 The Hunter movement links the hand-wound Oyster references to the automatic 1030 generation that follows. Its smaller manual-wind package does not need the deep rotor clearance of a Perpetual Bubbleback, which helps explain the flatter case profile.
-Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' treats early Hunter calibers as a transitional Aegler movement family. The 4925 examples cited here use that family; the 6552 is associated with the later automatic 1030 generation.
+Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' treats early Hunter calibers as a transitional Aegler movement family. The 4925 examples in these records use that family; the 6552 is associated with the later automatic 1030 generation.
 [[File:Ref 4925 movement.webp|thumb|right|300px|Cal. Hunter movement, 17 jewels stamped ROW; inner caseback marked "4925" with an RWC LTD service tag|alt=Cal. Hunter movement, 17 jewels stamped ROW; inner caseback marked "4925" with an RWC LTD service tag]]
@@ Line 124: / Line 124: @@
 === Early-1945 dials with no SWISS MADE text ===
-Time-Wire records early examples without “SWISS MADE”. The reason for the omission is not established by the cited evidence.
+Time-Wire records early examples without “SWISS MADE”. The cited evidence does not establish the reason for the omission.
 <span id="silvered-applied-arabic-late"></span>
@@ Line 165: / Line 165: @@
 === The Battle of Britain commemoration ===
-Modern histories often say that Hans Wilsdorf named the Air-King for RAF pilots and the Battle of Britain. This review found no Wilsdorf statement, period Rolex advertisement or other primary source confirming that explanation. It remains an attributed origin story.
+Modern histories often say that Hans Wilsdorf named the Air-King for RAF pilots and the Battle of Britain. No Wilsdorf statement, period Rolex advertisement or other primary source cited on this page confirms that explanation. It remains an attributed origin story.
 <span id="air-lion-tiger-giant"></span>
@@ Line 180: / Line 180: @@
 === Early-1945 dials without SWISS MADE ===
-A small early-production sub-variant is reported without “SWISS MADE” at the bottom edge. Time-Wire records the variant, but the reason for the omission and its exact date range are not established here.
+A small early-production sub-variant is reported without “SWISS MADE” at the bottom edge. Time-Wire records the variant, but the available sources do not establish the reason for the omission or its exact date range.
 <span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
@@ Line 209: / Line 209: @@
 The movement and case should be assessed together. A 4925 example with caliber 1030, 1530 or 1520 would need a service or re-case explanation because the cited 4925 examples use the 10½-ligne Hunter family; the movement must be inspected before making that call. The “stamped ROW” marking documented on Sotheby's lot 190 is evidence for that lot, not a universal requirement.
-The bracelet usually doesn't help. Most surviving 4925s wear post-1960s bracelets — Baer & Bosch lot AN3907 is on a 1967-clasp 7205 — and a period-correct rivet Oyster from the 4925's own production window is rare in surviving inventory. Authenticate the head and movement first, then read the bracelet as supplementary evidence rather than as an originality anchor.
+Bracelets provide limited dating evidence. Baer & Bosch lot AN3907 is on a 7205 with a 1967 clasp date, and the cited record contains few bracelets from the 4925 production window. Authenticate the watch head and movement first, then treat the bracelet as supplementary evidence.
 == Related references ==
@@ Line 222: / Line 222: @@
 See also the [[Reference:air-king|Air-King family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
-== Gallery ==
 <gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
 File:Ref 4925 hero.webp|alt=Rolex 4925 Air-King|Rolex 4925 Air-King
@@ Line 236: / Line 235: @@
 * [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/rolex-airking-origin-history-and-design-evolution Marcus Siems, "Rolex Air-King Origin History and Design Evolution", Goldammer]
 * [https://beckertime.com/blog/rolex-decades-the-40s-air-king-versus-the-50s-air-king/ "Rolex Decades The 40s Air-King Versus The 50s Air-King", Beckertime]
+* [https://time-wire.com/watch_model/air-king/ "Air-King: History, Specs & References", Time-Wire]
+* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2013/07/the-complete-history-of-the-air-king.html "The Complete History Of The Air King", Rolex Magazine]
 * [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-3/rolex-reference-4925-oyster-air-king-a-stainless "Rolex Reference 4925 Oyster Air-King Stainless Steel Center Seconds Wristwatch c.1956", Sotheby's, 2020]
 * [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-30-382 "Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-King Super Precision 1950s Lot 382", Antiquorum, 2002]