1625 Owners, please show 'em off !

[glocati]

Would love to see some Thunderbird - TOG Pics, Especially 1625's. Let's see em ! Thx Greg

[adam78]

Mine is from 1962 (cal. 1560).

[glocati]

So cool ! Thanks Adam.

[Subexplorer]

Hi Adam!! That´s a cool watch indeed. Love those vintage TOG´s.
I remember you had a ss one with black dial, gold indexes and leather straps. That was a gorgeous watch indeed. Did you sell it??

Enjoy your great colleciton my friend!!
Best cordial regards, Abel.

[adam78]

Ha ha, Abel, I just bought it! But it's a ref. 6609 (with cal. 1065), so I didn't think it qualified for this thread.

Here it is though:



The indices are actually steel, but occasionally look golden when reflecting a brown surface.

[Subexplorer]

Hello Adam!!
Thank you for your picture and explanation.
I´m happy to know you own both watches!

I´m not familiar with the reference secquence of TOG, but surely would love to find a close copy of your 6609.
Can you consider both the 1625 and the 6609 as TOG I guess?
Will appreciate your explanation.

I have seen here a similar watch to yours at some other TRF post, but with the white dial with very thin vertical bars or flutes which I find fantastic too.
I like very much the present made TOG, but the vintage ones are really gorgeous, and would like to find one here.

I enjoy very much viewing your collection!! Thank you for sharing Adam!!
Best cordial regards, Abel.

[Brushpup]

Some gorgeous watches fellas. I love the old hands so much better than the later square ones. I've no idea why they don't go back to these.

[Subexplorer]

Originally Posted by Brushpup

Some gorgeous watches fellas. I love the old hands so much better than the later square ones. I've no idea why they don't go back to these.

Hello Patrick!
I share with you completely the love for the "dauphine" hands used in vintage Rolex models, and better than the squared ones, used in present models.
Can´t think in a good reason for the change, except that may be new ones are cheaper to make.

Hope some day Rolex will offer them as an option.
Cordial regards, Abel

[adam78]

Abel, the original Turn-O-Graph and "Thunderbird" bezel Datejust are closely related, but not really the same thing. The TOG was ref. 6602 and Thunderbird 6309. Both came out around the same time, 1953-55 with the bubbleback movement. The 6602 was more closely related to the Submariner in styling (a tad smaller), but both had an elapsed-time bezel. The 6309 had of course an 18K gold bezel to the 6602's metal one, as well as a date complication. The 6609, introduced around 1956, was basically the same as 6309 but with updated 1065 movement (based on the cal. 1030 but with date). The 1625 replaced the 6609 around 1959-60 and had the new and improved (and higher beat) 1560 movement. AFAIK these all had the same case and bezel configurations.

The "Thunderbird" was originally developed for the US Air Force Thunderbirds, and the original ones had their emblem on the dial. In non-American markets, the "Thunderbird" was often known as the "Turn-O-Graph", even though it is not specifically designated that, especially after the demise of the original 6602.

I don't think there was a direct successor to the 6602 TOG, until the modern age, when the TOG and Thunderbird became sort of conflated into a single (official) TOG model. I think that with the popularity and proliferation of Submariner models in the late '50s-'60s, Rolex thought the original TOG (6602) had become superfluous.

[Subexplorer]

Hello Adam!!
Thank you so much for your kind clarification of TOG reference numbers.

I agree with you, in that ref 6602, was very similar to the first Submariners configuration, and as a matter of fact, the Sub is a derivation of the TOG concept.

Then, it is very possible that Rolex had thought superfluous to mantain two so similar watches in production.

By the contrary, the 6609 and later 1625 are completely different watches, compared with the Sub, worth mantaining in production.

Again, I like very much your 6609, due to its indexes and dial, though the 1625 is very, very nice watch too. (Any of them would make me VERY happy!!).

If I find an example of any of them here, I wouldn´t hesitate buying it if I can afford its price! Anyway, you don´t see many from that vintage down here!
Will be alert looking around for one of them!

I thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and such nice & fine time pieces Adam!.

Best cordial regards, Abel.
PS: Have you seen my post about vintage chronos at the Watches (non-Rolex) Forum?
Will love to see something you may own in that type!

[glocati]

Adam--Great info. Thanks much for taking the time to put it down.

That is a BEAUTIFUL 6609---Certainly didn't mean to limit this thread to just the 1625. That was due more to my lack of knowledge on TOG references.

Hope to see some more beauties come out of the woodwork.

I am still kicking myself for not grabbing a SS 1625 that was for sale a year or so ago.

Originally Posted by Subexplorer

Hello Adam!!
Thank you so much for your kind clarification of TOG reference numbers.

I agree with you, in that ref 6602, was very similar to the first Submariners configuration, and as a matter of fact, the Sub is a derivation of the TOG concept.

Then, it is very possible that Rolex had thought superfluous to mantain two so similar watches in production.

By the contrary, the 6609 and later 1625 are completely different watches, compared with the Sub, worth mantaining in production.

Again, I like very much your 6609, due to its indexes and dial, though the 1625 is very, very nice watch too. (Any of them would make me VERY happy!!).

If I find an example of any of them here, I wouldn´t hesitate buying it if I can afford its price! Anyway, you don´t see many from that vintage down here!
Will be alert looking around for one of them!

I thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and such nice & fine time pieces Adam!.

Best cordial regards, Abel.
PS: Have you seen my post about vintage chronos at the Watches (non-Rolex) Forum?
Will love to see something you may own in that type!

[Michael M.]

Great pics!

[glocati]

One other item, Adam..Did the 6609 have the roulette date wheel, while the 1625 did not? Thanks in advance, Greg

[adam78]

Originally Posted by glocati

One other item, Adam..Did the 6609 have the roulette date wheel, while the 1625 did not? Thanks in advance, Greg

I'm sure not all 6609's had a roulette date wheel, but likely those were not offered by the time of the 1625. Was a '50s styling thing (also in Datejust and Oysterdate).

[adam78]

By the way, here's a real Thunderbird...

N.B. the different (waffley) texture to the bezel.

[glocati]

Thanks Adam, appreciate all the info. Greg

[Subexplorer]

Hi Adam:
Great ad related to T Birds!! Isurely would love to own one watch with the TB logo on dial!!
That would be a real Thundebird Rolex indeed.

Re: roulet date disk: this is a feature I really love, as well as the use of gold fancy indexes, and dauphine hands. Something I regret so much Rolex designers had abandoned in modern watches.

Thank you and Greg (Glocati) for this most interesting and nice post/thread.
Kind regards, Abel

[Dan Pierce]

As a self confessed bezel fiddler, I love to just sit back and enjoy these threads.
Let's see more!!
dP

[jrexgis]

i always end up drooling seeing those fabulous watches..

[glocati]

Originally Posted by Subexplorer

Hi Adam:
Great ad related to T Birds!! Isurely would love to own one watch with the TB logo on dial!!
That would be a real Thundebird Rolex indeed.

Re: roulet date disk: this is a feature I really love, as well as the use of gold fancy indexes, and dauphine hands. Something I regret so much Rolex designers had abandoned in modern watches.

Thank you and Greg (Glocati) for this most interesting and nice post/thread.
Kind regards, Abel

Abel, I agree. The dauphine hands + roulette date wheels are so cool on the vintage pieces. Subtle charms that draw us to the vintage models.

Anyhow, have a great weekend. Best, Greg

[glocati]

Nikos/Greekbum tunred me on to this site... Here's the page on TOG's...It's in Italian, but you catch the drift..

http://www.vetroplastica.it/Rolex-Da...-Graph-12.html

[Subexplorer]

I love this post!! Very informative, and pictures inspiring!
I´ve been looking after a watch like these pictured here for some time now...
Without luck!

But yesterday afternoon, I received a fortunate call from my friendly friend at the local Vintage watches little shop...

I have to get a little time to drive to downtown, and see what he is offering me now.

Will keep you posted friends!!
Best cordial regards, Abel.

[Subexplorer]

Hi Adam!!
Couldn´t wait more, and though with lots of things to do at work I went to visit my friendly vintage seller last Friday.

And it was well worth the effort!! He was right when he told me he had gotten something special for me! It was a very special 6609, which I´m presenting in a following thread.

Hope you and other fellow vintage lovers here will like it so much as I do.
Yes, I couldn´t resist bringing it home!

Best cordial regards, Abel.

[Andy B]

I'm an unexpected 1625 owner now....




Saw it on Ebay and then noticed the seller lived in my village! I popped round, he agreed to my offer and now here it is

[Subexplorer]

Beutiful watch Andy! Love these old TOG´s!
Enjoy yours!
Cordial regards, Abel.

[skyedog]

very nice!! keep them coming please