Rolex Vault › All references › Datejust
Datejust · 1989 to 2004 · Discontinued
“Thunderbird (5-digit)”
Rank #97 of 113 rated pieces in the Rolex Vault
Market range: the middle half of 22 recorded eBay sales in the last 12 months.
Median recorded eBay sale price for each quarter with 3 or more sales. Dashed line marks the 1992 retail price.
The sleeper of the Datejust family: a Datejust wearing a rotating white gold bezel, descended from the 1950s Turn-O-Graph that the US Air Force Thunderbirds squadron adopted.
This is the five-digit generation that revived the 1950s Thunderbird name; the six-digit 116264 carried it to 2011, then Rolex killed the line for good. Either generation is the only modern Datejust with a functional bezel, and the market has barely noticed, yet.
The Turn-O-Graph was actually Rolex's first serially produced rotating-bezel sports watch, 1953, before the Submariner shipped. The USAF Thunderbirds adopted it, the nickname stuck, and Rolex leaned in with red accents on later dials.
This five-digit generation revived the name inside the Datejust line: a dress watch that can time a steak or a parking meter. The line died in 2011, making every Thunderbird a closed chapter with a working bezel.
Our verdict: A genuine under-the-radar pick. Full-set examples with the red-accent dials are the ones to hold.
| Sizes | 36mm |
|---|---|
| Case & bracelet | Oystersteel, 18k white gold bezel |
| Factory bracelet | Jubilee or Oyster (Jubilee most common) |
| Factory bezels | Rotatable fluted 18k white gold Turn-O-Graph |
| Notable dials | Silver; Black; Blue, some with red seconds hand and red date |
| Caliber | 3135 |
| Production | 1989 to 2004 (discontinued) |
| Sold | Example | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $5,125 |
| Oct 9, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $5,201 |
| Sep 28, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $6,700 |
| Sep 22, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $6,400 |
| Aug 25, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale ↗︎ | $5,000 |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Pre-owned · eBay sale | $6,200 |
Recorded eBay completed sales, logged at our last data refresh.
Recorded eBay sales from the last 12 months put the typical Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph 16264 at $5,600, with the middle half selling between $5,200 and $6,600 (22 sales). Condition, box and papers move the price within that range.
The Crown Index grades it C- (59/100) from real resale data, and today's call is watch. Middle-of-the-pack resale; fine to own, not one to buy expecting it to rise. Past prices are not a forecast.