In other shots, it's definitely marked "Air King" but did Rolex actually ever make a teal Air King or is this a refinished dial on the cover of a major fashion magazine?

 

Sounds like an aftermarket dial.

 

Aftermarket = refinished = not factory

And possibly fake depending on how strict your definition is

 

+1

 

that should be unsurprising and uninteresting

fashion magazines, like the rest of the rational universe, could care less about modified watches

Every ‘bust down’ watch on a magazine cover is an example

 

Yes, most likely it would be considered counterfeit, since it says "ROLEX" on the dial, but it's not actually made by Rolex.

 

Under His Cyclops Eye

 

I think amongst some people it’s actually fashionable to redo a Rolex dial in a funky color. Some years ago the Atelier du Bracelet Parisien, a Paris shop that makes very high end watch straps, was offering redialing services and had on display some Rolex DJs or similar watches with purple, bright green, pink and orange dials.

 

Who cares as long as it's Tiffany Blue, I guess...

 

Wannabuyawatch always has a boat-load of them.

 

Korean ebayers have sold Omega Geneves in all the colors imaginable, and they actually charge absurd prices for them, but what’s more intriguing is that people actually buy them.

 

I was told by a very large volume local jeweler (not a Rolex AD but does large volume of used rolex) that they can put plain Jane factory correct 34mm mens rolexes in their case and they won’t move. But the same watch with a fun color dial or bejeweled aftermarket bezel will sell in the ladies case within a day for more money. People who generally buy fashion pieces aren’t as concerned about the issues of originality as collectors are. In fact, a totally iced out (aftermarket) AP or Patek is seen as an “upgrade” or customized for some buyers,

 

“Upgrade”!!

Bloody collectors. What do we know!?

 

Wonder how long until Rolex takes them to court.

 

Hopefully the buyers love those watches, because they're basically stuck with them. I can only imagine what the jeweler would offer to buy them. Reminds me of yesterday's thread with those ridiculous Omega re-dials.

 

It’s how I got my black Airking dial (originally the watch had a silver dial)- the jeweler had swapped the dial for an aftermarket look on a watch and I bought the factory black dial for my watch.

 

OG pic from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/...oss-became-the-dark-lady-of-the-small-screen/

Hey, somebody's gotta buy these over polished Rolexes, right?

Careful with that two o'clock lug, Liz!


1971 Air King, Turquoise 35mm, from Vintage Eye Collectors' Club:
https://m.vintageye.kr/product/detail.html?product_no=8792&cate_no=0&display_group=

 

who?

if you have a Ford Mustang and repaint it Tiffany blue, Ford has no claim against you.

nothing actionable about any of this

 

https://www.watchpro.com/rolex-calls-custom-watchmaker-a-counterfeiter-in-landmark-court-case/

 

It seems to be a cover article about an actress, and most likely it's just her personal watch that she chose to wear for a photo shoot. She's not a collector, and the New Yorker is decidedly not a fashion magazine. Except for the fact that she appears to be a Scientologist, I'm not blaming her for anything. She's welcome to mod her Rolex if she wants to, it's commonly done. And I can't imagine the New Yorker cares one way or the other. I just hope she knew it wasn't original.