99th Auction
2019/5/11
Lot 234
Rolex "Oyster Perpetual Datejust Superlative Chronometer officially certified", Movement No. D905168, Case No. 1450984, Ref. 1625, Cal. 1570, 36 mm, circa 1966
An automatic vintage wristwatch with turnable white gold bezel and date, so called "Turn-O-Graph" or "Thunderbird"
Case: steel/18k white gold, screw back ref. 1625 III/66, screwed "Twinlock" winding crown, rotating 18k white gold "Thunderbird" bezel, folded steel "Jubilee" bracelet with endlinks stamped 55, Gay Frères clasp with marking "66", bracelet length 140 mm, total length 195 mm. Dial: black lacquer.
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".
An automatic vintage wristwatch with turnable white gold bezel and date, so called "Turn-O-Graph" or "Thunderbird"
Case: steel/18k white gold, screw back ref. 1625 III/66, screwed "Twinlock" winding crown, rotating 18k white gold "Thunderbird" bezel, folded steel "Jubilee" bracelet with endlinks stamped 55, Gay Frères clasp with marking "66", bracelet length 140 mm, total length 195 mm. Dial: black lacquer.
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".
Sold
estimated
3.800—5.500 €
Price realized
4.500 €