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Datejust · 2004 to 2011
“Thunderbird”
Grade B · 74/100Today's call: Value buy
B: solid, selective. Ranked #72 of 129 references in The Crown Index vault.
| Original retail (2008) | $7,000 |
|---|---|
| Market today | $7,500 – $9,000 |
| Vs original retail | +18% |
| 1-year trend | +5% |
A Datejust with a rotating fluted bezel and a red date wheel, honoring the USAF Thunderbirds. Killed in 2011 with no successor.
Dead model lines with a signature quirk are exactly what the collector market rediscovers.
The six-digit Thunderbird: white gold rotating bezel on a modern Datejust case, with the red-accent dials (red seconds, red date) that make it instantly identifiable across a room.
The Turn-O-Graph name goes back to 1953, Rolex's first serially produced rotating-bezel watch, adopted by the USAF Thunderbirds demonstration squadron. The line died quietly in 2011, and rotating-bezel Datejusts will never be made again, probably.
Our verdict: Sleeper pick. Scarce, strange, and still priced like an ordinary Datejust.
| Sizes | 36mm |
|---|---|
| Case & bracelet material | Oystersteel, 18k white gold bezel |
| Factory bracelet | Jubilee or Oyster (Jubilee most common) |
| Factory bezels | Rotating fluted white gold Turn-O-Graph |
| Notable dials | White with red date; Silver; Black |
| Caliber | 3135 |
| Production | 2004 to 2011 (discontinued) |
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