Airking with "P" logo, Pan Am Petroleum or Intairdrill logo?

[ehemaliges mitglied]

I have had this watch for a couple months now, and browsing the web and initiating discussions on it all over the web has brought more confusion than clarification on it. Who is the company with this kind of logo? Is it an oil company? If so, which one? Is it Pan American Petroleum from Chicago, or is it Intairdrill Oil Company? I have googled them, but I cannot find the logo anywhere. Anyone out there who could find this logo and connect it with the right company?



http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m251/redsub2006/1IMG_2918.jpg

[primero]

Hi Boris,

according to IMAI's Bibel (3.621 Rolex watches) it's the Company-Logo of a Petroleum-Company from Chicago, 1970ies, Ref 5500.

I'm sure, that I've seen this logo somewhere, maybe at an auction, but I don't remember where at the moment.

I try to find out more in the next days.


André

[ehemaliges mitglied]

I can tell you where you have seen this watch. Last year in April, Antiquorum held an auction and sold this same kind of watch for 7.2k. You can check it on their homepage in the catalogue. They called it the Pan Am Airking or something like that. Now, there is a Chicago oil company called Pan American Petroleum, they were bought out by Amoco I believe. I documented a lot of that in my blog.

Now, another guy said that it is from that other oil company. Go check my last blog post, I wrote it all together.

However, at this point, I am more confused and I have not been able to figure out who is behind this logo.

[Prof. Rolex]

Hi Boris,
that is a very special Rolex, which cannot be seen everyday. Congratulations!

Unfortunately I´m not sure, to which company the logo belongs. My own investigations did not come to a clear result. Sometimes it can be read, that the logo belongs to “Pan American Oil”, but “Pool Intairdrill” (probably an oildrilling company working with an airpressure technique) and “Pool Oil“ is also mentioned. I assume that the company to which the logo on your watch belongs does no longer exists, as the in the last 30 years many companies of the american oilindustry went bankrupt or were merged with other companies. That might be the reason why we don´t find any further information especially in the net.

On first sight the logo on your watch looks like a „P“. But looking a bit closer it can also be interpreted as an „i“ with an added „D“, which then could point to „Intairdrill“. But this is only an assumption.

BTW: In the early seventies the Rolex Mastercatalog for the US officially named the possibility of customized watches. On a special page dials with logos from companies and clubs weres shown:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/MatthiasRBO/watches/CustomizedRolex.jpg
(Source: JD)

On the right bottom of the page there is also shown an Air-King dial with „your“ logo.

In the US-Masterkatalog from that time for Tudor there were also shown customized dials:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/MatthiasRBO/watches/CustomizedTudor.jpg
(Source: JD)

The issue of the so called „customized Rolex“ ist very versatile and does not only comprises the well known „Comex“ und „Arabic Dial“ versions, but also the a.m. more or less unknown customized dials from Rolex USA.

Best Regards
Matthias

[ehemaliges mitglied]

Mathias, a wonderful contribution from you. I am meeting with a collector in Italy on Saturday, and he may be able to tell me more about it or he may refer me to some people that know more about this logo, I hope. I will be back next week. I linked your contribution in my blog. :gut:

[alicia]

very interesting - thanks for sharing this...as was only to be expected from you, Matthias :gut:

[volvic]

Hi Boris,

this one is for sale by Oren http://www.thebeautifulwatch.com/?P=1178

He says PETROLEUM

[ehemaliges mitglied]

I have seen the link. He wants a lot of money for this watch. At this point, I have collected a lot of information from collectors around the globe. We are stuck between Pan American Petroleum or Pool Intairdrill Company. Both companies do not exist any more. I am searching their logos but cannot find it. My post on Timezone was deleted after I questioned the provenance of this logo? I am meeting a collector tomorrow in Italy, he wants to help me find out more about this watch. I have also been contemplating to contact Mr. Mondani, who is very knowledgable with Rolex, but I cannot find a good contact that can get me in touch with him.

So at this point, I am stuck, but I will figure this out, with patience...




Originally posted by volvic
Hi Boris,

this one is for sale by Oren http://www.thebeautifulwatch.com/?P=1178

He says PETROLEUM

[primero]

Hi Boris,

have you seen this:

http://www.rumiz.it/Pagina-Air%20King.html

The last picture shows your watch and according to the author it should be from Pool Intairdrill.

Maybe you can find something about the company on the websites of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (http://www.uspto.gov/).

Good luck :gut:.

André

[ehemaliges mitglied]

I documented all these links in my blog last week. But I have not looked at the US Trademark office homepage. Will do that next week after my return. Thanks. Take a look at my blog, I have done extensive research on this logo and there are probably ten links and tons of information on this watch. All speculative, because nobody knows for sure. I will meet a collector of Rolex logo dials tomorrow and hope to get more information from him.




Originally posted by primero
Hi Boris,

have you seen this:

http://www.rumiz.it/Pagina-Air%20King.html

The last picture shows your watch and according to the author it should be from Pool Intairdrill.

Maybe you can find something about the company on the websites of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (http://www.uspto.gov/).

Good luck :gut:.

André

[ehemaliges mitglied]

As of yesterday, I found ultimate proof of who the company is that is responsible for this logo. I met with Philipp in Maastricht, and he has this watch with the original papers that state Intairdrill LTD Libya. So this is a Libyan Oil Drilling company that had these watches made with this logo. I assume that this company does not exist any more because I am not able to find the logo anywhere. Glad to have found the final answer. Thanks to Philipp.

[alicia]

here is always someone having the answer :gut: - thanks

[ehemaliges mitglied]

And here comes the final answer, Source thanks to Philipp.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m251/redsub2006/libia-rolex.jpg

[ehemaliges mitglied]

A couple days ago, a nice lady from Scottland contacted me because she saw my blog. It turns out, she is a former employee of Pool Intairdrill. She has been giving me old footage and plenty of information on the company which I put together in my blog. I will get more information from here in the coming days and additional photos. I think this is really amazing to meet someone from the company, she sent me photos and newspaper articles that show how an employee is awarded a Rolex. I hope this is interesting for the Rolex collectors out there. Click here to read on. (http://watchesandart.blogspot.com/)

[Rolex1970]

Thx for Sharing Boris, great! :gut: :gut:

[21prozent]

Again a fascinating story, thanks Boris :dr: