Vintage Rolex Datejust Thunderbird Turn-O-Graph Two Tone Gold Steel Watch

Details

Description

Vintage Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph "Thunderbird" two-tone 18K yellow gold and stainless steel, reference 1625, featuring a champagne sunburst dial with … Read more Vintage Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph "Thunderbird" two-tone 18K yellow gold and stainless steel, reference 1625, featuring a champagne sunburst dial with applied gold baton indices, date at 3 o'clock, bidirectional rotating engine-turned yellow gold bezel with minute markings, and two-tone Jubilee bracelet. 36mm case, circa 1970–1980.

Product Specifications:
Item Type: Vintage Luxury Sports-Dress Watch
Brand: Rolex
Model: Datejust Turn-O-Graph "Thunderbird"
Reference: 1625
Metal: 18K Yellow Gold and Stainless Steel (two-tone)
Case Size: 36mm
Movement: Automatic (Rolex Calibre, Oyster Perpetual)
Dial: Champagne / bronze sunburst
Indices: Applied polished gold-tone baton markers
Bezel Type: Bidirectional rotating, engine-turned
Band Material: Two-tone Jubilee bracelet
Band Color: Yellow gold center links / stainless steel outer links
Features: Date function with Cyclops magnification lens, rotating timing bezel, Superlative Chronometer
Weight: 92 Grams
Length: Fits up to 7.75 inch wrist
Period: 1970–1980

Design and Construction:
The reference 1625 Thunderbird is distinguished from the standard Datejust by its most defining feature — the bidirectional rotating engine-turned yellow gold bezel with graduated minute markings, a functional complication that allowed the wearer to track elapsed time independently of the main hands. The 36mm two-tone case pairs a polished stainless steel body with yellow gold crown, bezel, and Jubilee bracelet center links, creating the warm visual balance that defines the golden era of Rolex two-tone watchmaking in the 1970s. The champagne sunburst dial deepens to a warm bronze under different light conditions, its applied gold baton indices and date window at 3 o'clock completing a dial composition that has aged with exceptional grace over the past half century.

About the Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph Thunderbird:
The Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph, nicknamed "Thunderbird" by collectors — a reference to the U.S. Air Force's famous aerial demonstration team that wore the watch — is one of the most historically significant and collectible references in Rolex's entire catalog. Introduced in 1953, the Turn-O-Graph was Rolex's first watch to feature a rotating bezel, predating even the Submariner's rotating bezel by a year and establishing Rolex as the pioneer of this now-universal watch complication. Reference 1625 in two-tone configuration represents the peak of this model's production — combining the sporting functionality of the rotating bezel with the dressy elegance of the Datejust case, Jubilee bracelet, and precious metal two-tone finish. Vintage Thunderbirds in two-tone with original champagne dials and Jubilee bracelets are increasingly prized by serious Rolex collectors who recognize the model's historical priority and its status as the grandfather of every rotating bezel watch that followed. This is a piece of living horological history. See less