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One of the many things we love about Rolex is that even in the more affordable price ranges there are plenty of rare gems to be discovered.The Air-King has become a cult classic since it was introduced after World War II to honor the United Kingdom’s wartime fighter pilots. The 34 mm Air-King is best known as a time-only watch. However, in 1958 Rolex introduced an Air-King with a date function: the ref. 5700. The 5700 was produced in much smaller numbers than its no-date sibling, making for a collectible yet affordable watch.This 5700 is one of the earliest ever made, dating back to 1960. As a result it features loads of lovely mid-century details. The matte silver dial has taken on a warm creamy sheen that meshes well with the custard color lume plots. On the top half of the dial, we find the “Air-King-Date” signature in the characteristic cursive Air-King font. The dial features charming lozenge-shaped applied hour markers, with alternating applied arrowhead markers at the 6 and 9 o’clock positions. The elegant design cues of the markers are continued on the wonderful alpha-shaped hands.The 34 mm stainless steel case and steel domed bezel are in good shape and come on a period-correct stainless steel riveted Oyster bracelet.