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

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.

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.

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.