Air-King has crown guards for..

[Nav01L]

Originally Posted by Andad

I think the thread is a fail.

I’m not sure about the upward angle.

But do you think the lugs are similar?

No, the new case is unique. First generation of the “new” AK has proven a commercial success and justified a dedicated case. To my knowledge no shared parts there any longer (for now), as opposed to the indexes.

[Meyrin]

Originally Posted by winst

Honestly, what’s this - Amateur Hour? I think you’ll find it’s to stop the Air Stewardesses’ Bra Straps / Thong Straps catching on the crown of the Pilot’s Air King! (Allegedly)

Wonderful, the mind boggles! I was drinking from a can of Coke when I read this, and nearly sprayed my iMac with coke!

[Bizcut1]

Pure fantasy again. Plucked out of thin air...

[zengineer]

I don't think using a common case...if they ever do on this or any other model...is the big cost save that it may have been a few decades ago.

I have obviously not been inside Rolex production facilities to study this, but am pretty certain about a few things and can draw some parallels to manufacturing processes and operations that I do know in detail:

First, cases are made by milling machinery and not carved by elves.

Second, these machines are program controlled (CNC), not manually operated by some old guy in an oil covered apron turning cranks.

Third... machinery, technology and processes are constantly being updated to improve cost, quality or uptime.

My point is that having a unique case today is just a matter of a few days designing the case and creating the NC program for it. Once that's done making case D instead of case C is just a matter of pushing a different start button in the morning.

Yes, having fewer unique cases makes in-process inventory control slightly easier and there are other tiny incrimental savings throughout the company, but it just isn't that big of a deal any more. Unique movements are a big deal, unique cases are not.

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[askdanny]

So now we’ll know what the new Milgauss case will look like… I think it wouldn’t be efficient of Rolex (I don’t say “costly” because they have all the money in the world; they’re trying to simplify manufacturing processes for better efficiency and QC) to have one unique case for one specific entry level model (and in steel only) that comes in just one size.

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by zengineer

I don't think using a common case...if they ever do on this or any other model...is the big cost save that it may have been a few decades ago.

I have obviously not been inside Rolex production facilities to study this, but am pretty certain about a few things and can draw some parallels to manufacturing processes and operations that I do know in detail:

First, cases are made by milling machinery and not carved by elves.

Second, these machines are program controlled (CNC), not manually operated by some old guy in an oil covered apron turning cranks.

Third... machinery, technology and processes are constantly being updated to improve cost, quality or uptime.

My point is that having a unique case today is just a matter of a few days designing the case and creating the NC program for it. Once that's done making case D instead of case C is just a matter of pushing a different start button in the morning.

Yes, having fewer unique cases makes in-process inventory control slightly easier and there are other tiny incrimental savings throughout the company, but it just isn't that big of a deal any more. Unique movements are a big deal, unique cases are not.

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Good perspective. Makes a lot of sense. I'm also going to guess that planning processes have been refined to the point that there are no more last minute decisions to produce watch A instead of watch B, with only dial or bezel changing.

Perhaps there was a time when a 40mm case containing a 3185 movement could have been sent to the Explorer room or the GMT room, but these days production levels of each have been set long before fabrication.

[DD58]

Originally Posted by Maxy

..a very simple reason. I posted long back when Air-King used the 369 gold markers as Rolex always tries to use parts for multiple watches at same(but many didn't like the post). Once they ran through their stock, they moved to lumed 369 as they did with Explorer . Now, once they ran through the cases for discontinued Milguass, they didn't make new case for Air-King but instead are using the same case GMT Master II and that's how they ended up having crown guards for Air-King. It was not some high design meeting to include crown guards for AirKing but just using the same case from another watch's extra stock and using them here. Wow, this has to be most disappointing reason to see crown guards in Air-King.

I know folks will again think am attacking Rolex but this is stupid to stop using Milguass case and then start using GMT Master II case for a watch not related to them. Rolex again proved that Air-King is not their main focus, making it from leftover parts.

There cloud guards ha haha get it see what I did there ha ha


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[koronet-kid]

Everyone knows crown guards are to protect the crown when diving on the Air-King I assume this is for sky-diving, if your parachute doesn’t open at least you won’t break the crown off your watch, makes perfect sense to me