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Datejust · 1989 to 2004
“Thunderbird (5-digit)”
Grade B · 72/100Today's call: Value buy
B: solid, selective. Ranked #84 of 129 references in The Crown Index vault.
| Original retail (2004) | $7,000 |
|---|---|
| Market today | $7,000 – $8,600 |
| Vs original retail | +11% |
| 1-year trend | +5% |
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: B: a genuine under-the-radar pick. Full-set examples with the red-accent dials are the ones to hold.
| Sizes | 36mm |
|---|---|
| Case & bracelet material | 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) |
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