"Thunderbird" TOG 1625 dials

[handr008]

Hello everyone.

For those on the lookout for a dial, it's widely acknowledged that they are elusive, and sellers often price them accordingly due to their scarcity. After nearly a year of searching for a silver version with gold markers, but unwilling to pay over $700 for the sole one available on eBay, I decided to delve into understanding the key differences between the 1625 and 1601 dials.

I'll outline the insights I gained that proved instrumental:

Initially, I discovered that in the 1625 dial, the "TSWISST" at the bottom consistently resides between the Tridium "ball" and is in close proximity to the 6 o'clock marker. In contrast, the TSWISST on the 1601 dials is positioned below the ball.
In the 1625 dial, the minute markers are noticeably small and consistently situated very close to the minute markers. Additionally, the majority of 1625 dials feature "stick" markers.
I recommend acquiring various images of confirmed 1625 dials alongside known 1601 dials to meticulously study the differences. Over time, these distinctions become apparent, enabling you to swiftly identify a 1625 dial.

The significant revelation that led me to finally obtain the elusive dial I had been seeking is as follows: Many eBay sellers mislabel dials as 1601 when they are, in reality, 1625. Once you train yourself to recognize them, you'll spot them in the market—I personally identified at least five such instances.

It's a time-consuming process, requiring the scrutiny of hundreds of dials on eBay, but they are indeed out there. I also suggest conducting a worldwide search. Once you find the one you desire, I highly recommend politely asking the seller to measure the dial to confirm its diameter is 27.2 mm; anything larger indicates a 1601.

I hope this information proves helpful to someone.

Happy hunting.