Lot 279

Rolex

Datejust Thunderbird

A rare and super attractive vintage wristwatch with date, "linen dial" and bidirectional rotating "Thunderbird" gold bezel, so called "Turn-O-Graph" or "Thunderbird"

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This Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust Thunderbird reference 1625 is in excellent condition. The case remains unpolished with all numerals and stamps perfectly legible.The bezel with insert is very good and the "pie pan" dial with linen pattern and luminous hands is perfect. The movement starts up immediately. The very long 18 K Jubilee bracelet is hardly stretched and the box clasp is immaculate – a magnificent timepiece.

The United States Air Force Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force. In the 1950s and 1960s the pilots flew jets such as the F-84G Thunderjet, the F-84F Thunderstreak or the legendary F-100C Super Sabre. These planes have of course long since been replaced with the modern F-16 Fighting Falcon, which is the aircraft the team uses today. There is little documentation on how the Thunderbirds came to be connected with Rolex watches, however, we know that there must have been some kind of a formal agreement - Rolex created special dials for the fighter pilots and the Thunderbird name as well as photographs of the jets were used in Rolex advertising; consequently the Turn-O-Graph models equipped with a bezel that turns in both directions came to be nicknamed "Thunderbird".