Admin: Separate 16253 image sets and add coherent gallery heading

2026-10-24T23:23:46Z

Separate 16253 image sets and add coherent gallery heading

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:23, 24 October 2026
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	[[File:Ref 16253 bezel.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=Oblique view of the 16253 rotating bezel and case\|Antiquorum, Monaco, 2025, lot 44, case 8,696,966.]]		[[File:Ref 16253 bezel.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=Oblique view of the 16253 rotating bezel and case\|Antiquorum, Monaco, 2025, lot 44, case 8,696,966.]]

			==Caseback stamps==

			The photographed inner caseback on Antiquorum’s 2022 case 9,088,460 is stamped 16000. Hindman also records a 16000 stamp inside its ref. 16253 example, and Sotheby’s gives the same mark on its disputed steel listing. Since the stamp appears on other auction-identified 16253 watches, it does not settle the Sotheby’s identification.

			[[File:Ref 16253 caseback 2.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=Inside caseback stamped 16000 from an Antiquorum-catalogued ref. 16253\|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2022, lot 344, case 9,088,460.]]

	==Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging==		==Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging==
Line 131:		Line 137:
	Antiquorum lists a box, booklet, punched paper, and calendar with its 1985 example. The later-sale catalogue records the items together; their original delivery with the watch is unverified.		Antiquorum lists a box, booklet, punched paper, and calendar with its 1985 example. The later-sale catalogue records the items together; their original delivery with the watch is unverified.

	~~<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">~~		[[File:Ref 16253 caseback.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=Caseback and bracelet end links stamped 455 on Antiquorum case 8,696,966\|Antiquorum, Monaco, 2025, lot 44.]]
	File:Ref 16253 caseback.webp\|Antiquorum, ~~Monaco~~, ~~2025, lot 44: bracelet and end link 455.~~
	~~File:Ref 16253 caseback 2.webp~~\|Antiquorum, ~~Hong Kong~~, ~~2022~~, lot ~~344: caseback marked 16000 and case number 9,088,460~~.
	~~</gallery>~~

	==Special examples==		==Special examples==
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	\| Sotheby’s identifies ref. 16253 but describes a stainless-steel case and textured bezel. The stamp also appears on other auction-identified 16253 cases; material and bezel details remain unresolved.		\| Sotheby’s identifies ref. 16253 but describes a stainless-steel case and textured bezel. The stamp also appears on other auction-identified 16253 cases; material and bezel details remain unresolved.
	\|}		\|}

			== Gallery ==

	<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">		<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
	File:Ref 16253 hero.webp\|Antiquorum, lot 44: case 8,696,966, catalogued as ref. 16253.		File:Ref 16253 hero.webp\|Antiquorum, Monaco, 2025, lot 44: case 8,696,966, catalogued as ref. 16253.
	File:Ref 16253 ~~front~~.webp\|Antiquorum, ~~Hong Kong~~, ~~2022~~, lot ~~344: white dial with applied gold Arabic numerals.~~		File:Ref 16253 bezel.webp\|Antiquorum, Monaco, 2025, lot 44: rotating bezel and case profile.
	~~File~~:~~Ref 16253 bezel.webp\|Oblique view of the~~ bezel and case ~~on the same lot.~~		File:Ref 16253 caseback.webp\|Antiquorum, Monaco, 2025, lot 44: bracelet and end link 455.
	~~File:Ref 16253 movement.webp\|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2022, lot 344: movement engraved 3035~~.
	File:Ref 16253 caseback.webp\|Antiquorum, Monaco, 2025, lot 44: bracelet end link 455.
	~~File:Ref 16253 caseback 2.webp\|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2022, lot 344: caseback marked 16000~~.
	</gallery>		</gallery>

Admin: Publish researched Datejust Turn-O-Graph ref. 16253

2026-10-24T20:37:47Z

Publish researched Datejust Turn-O-Graph ref. 16253

New page

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph 16253}}

{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph 16253 Reference Guide | Rolexopedia
|description=Ref. 16253: Cal. 3035, rotating gold bezel, documented dial examples, bracelet fitments, and dated records.
|keywords=Rolex 16253, Datejust Turn-O-Graph, Thunderbird, Cal. 3035, Jubilee 62523H, end link 455
}}

<small>Datejust → '''16253'''</small>

<div class="rp-lead">[[File:Ref 16253 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Two-tone Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph reference 16253 with white dial and yellow-gold rotating bezel|Antiquorum, lot 44: case 8,696,966, catalogued as ref. 16253.]]</div>

Ref. 16253 is the steel-and-yellow-gold Datejust Turn-O-Graph with a rotating gold bezel and Cal. 3035. Auction catalogues date examples from 1978 to about 1987. Published sources disagree on the production span; catalogue dates place individual watches and leave the factory endpoints unresolved.

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 16253
|-
| line
| Datejust Turn-O-Graph; also catalogued as “Thunderbird”
|-
| case
| Usually listed as 36 mm; Dorotheum and Christie’s give approximately 37 mm, and Sotheby’s gives 36.5 mm for a disputed listing
|-
| material
| Stainless steel and yellow gold; Antiquorum specifies an 18k rotating bezel
|-
| movement
| Cal. 3035 in the reviewed exact-reference auction records
|-
| crystal
| Descriptions conflict: some examples are listed with acrylic, while Heritage lists sapphire on a circa-1987 watch. The reference-wide transition is unresolved.
|-
| bezel
| Rotating, graduated yellow-gold bezel
|-
| bracelets
| Jubilee documented on multiple examples. Rolex's 2011 parts list assigns Oyster 78363/458 as a replacement option; original fitment remains specific to each watch.
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

Ref. 16253 belongs to the five-digit Cal. 3035 Turn-O-Graph generation. Watch-Wiki dates that generation to 1977–1988, before refs. 16263 and 16264 with Cal. 3135; an R-L-X forum post estimates a start around 1981. These secondary chronologies disagree, and the case-level evidence is summarized below.

“Turn-O-Graph” describes the rotating-bezel model within the Datejust line. Some catalogues and collectors use “Thunderbird” as a nickname for it. Phillips calls its military-crest example a DateJust, while Antiquorum's title uses Datejust Thunderbird.

==Production outline==

The auction record below ties dates to individual watches. The 1981 date belongs to paperwork for case 6,346,934; the other entries give catalogue dates or estimates. The oldest and newest examples in this sample do not set the production endpoints. Sotheby’s circa-1989 listing is a material outlier: it identifies ref. 16253 but describes stainless steel and a textured bezel, unlike the two-tone examples in other catalogues.

==Movement notes==

Phillips, Dorotheum, Antiquorum, and Dr. Crott identify Cal. 3035 in separate 16253 watches. The Hong Kong 2022 Antiquorum lot also has a movement photograph engraved 3035. The Vintage Rolex Field Manual gives the caliber's quickset date, 28,800 vph frequency, and 48-hour reserve. See the [[Reference:Movements|movement guide]] for the wider family and exact-reference records.

[[File:Ref 16253 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Calibre 3035 visible inside a two-tone Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph 16253|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2022, lot 344; case 9,088,460.]]

==Dial map==

Auction and dealer records document the following examples. A complete factory dial catalogue remains unavailable in the sources reviewed.

{| class="wikitable"
! dial description
! dated example and source
! evidence limit
|-
| Blue, applied gold Arabic numerals and luminous dots
| 1979; case 6,046,368, Antiquorum lot 128
| Catalogue prints ref. 16253/16000; its image is below the publication-size minimum.
|-
| Blue, ribbed gold baton markers
| Circa 1987; case 9,677,855, Heritage lot 60270
| Heritage's date and dial details apply to this lot.
|-
| Black, raised baton markers
| [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/watches/rolex-datejust-turnograph-steel-yellow-gold-black-dial-vintage-mens-watch-16253-49332/ Stock 49332]; partial serial 617xxxx, listed as 1979–1980
| Dealer's date is approximate; the partial serial gives only a broad period.
|-
| Gold-colored dial with hour lines
| Circa 1980; case 6,297,120, Dorotheum lot 431
| Catalogue description for one example.
|-
| Gilt dial; Crott says it originally had luminous dots
| Circa 1979; case 6,046,467, Dr. Crott lot 47
| The catalogue describes lume on this watch; it gives no reference-wide change date.
|-
| White dial with applied gold Arabic numerals
| Circa 1987; case 9,088,460, Antiquorum lot 344
| Catalogue description for one example.
|-
| White dial catalogued as “porcelain,” with Breguet numerals
| 1985; case 8,696,966, Antiquorum lot 44
| “Porcelain” is the auction house's label; no material analysis accompanies it.
|-
| White and gilt baton dials
| Circa 1986; Christie’s lots 1588321 and 1588050
| The accessible listings give no case numbers.
|-
| Textured dial
| Circa 1985; case 9,020,857, Hindman lot 3
| Hindman describes the dial as textured and reports a 16000 inner-caseback stamp; the stamp is separate from its ref. 16253 attribution.
|-
| United Arab Emirates Armed Forces crest
| 1983; case 7,490,117, Phillips lot 32
| Phillips documents one watch; the number made and any military issue program remain unknown.
|}

The 2022 and 2025 Antiquorum photographs show “Oyster Perpetual Datejust” on the dial. The catalogues identify the watches as Turn-O-Graphs by reference and bezel. The reviewed records show individual dial and lume examples but provide no dated sequence for hand or lume changes.

[[File:Ref 16253 front.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Front view of a steel-and-gold Rolex 16253 with a white dial and applied gold Arabic numerals|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2022, lot 344.]]

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==

The catalogues describe steel cases with yellow-gold bezels. Antiquorum specifies 18k gold; Phillips records 18k yellow gold and stainless steel. Most list a 36 mm diameter. Dorotheum and Christie’s give approximately 37 mm, while Sotheby’s gives 36.5 mm for the disputed listing. These are catalogue measurements for individual examples.

Antiquorum describes the bezel as revolving and shows its numbered minute scale. Crystal descriptions split by specimen: Stockholms calls its circa-1984 example plastic, and Vintage-Oyster describes acrylic on a 1979 watch. A parts listing pairs acrylic 25-135 with case 16253. Heritage lists sapphire on a circa-1987 example. These conflicting descriptions leave original fitment and any changeover date unresolved. Crott describes a screw-down Twinlock crown on its 1978 and circa-1979 watches.

[[File:Ref 16253 bezel.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Oblique view of the 16253 rotating bezel and case|Antiquorum, Monaco, 2025, lot 44, case 8,696,966.]]

==Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging==

Phillips records a Jubilee bracelet with end link 455 on case 7,490,117. Crott lists Jubilee 62523H.14 bracelets with end link 455 on its 1978 and 1979 watches; the latter has clasp E6 dated June 1980. Antiquorum lists Jubilee 62523H-18 with end links 455 on case 8,696,966, and the image shows the stamp. Stockholms describes a Jubilee bracelet as original on its circa-1984 example. Each originality statement applies to that watch alone.

Rolex USA's 2011 replacement-parts list assigns Jubilee 62523/455 and Oyster 78363/458 to ref. 16253. This documents later replacement availability; the auction examples independently document Jubilee bracelets on individual watches.

Antiquorum lists a box, booklet, punched paper, and calendar with its 1985 example. The later-sale catalogue records the items together; their original delivery with the watch is unverified.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 16253 caseback.webp|Antiquorum, Monaco, 2025, lot 44: bracelet and end link 455.
File:Ref 16253 caseback 2.webp|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2022, lot 344: caseback marked 16000 and case number 9,088,460.
</gallery>

==Special examples==

Phillips describes case 7,490,117 as made for the UAE Armed Forces and shows its crest dial. The catalogue documents one watch; the number made and any formal issue program remain unknown. A 2019 Rolex Forums thread also reports a 16253-marked watch with a fixed fluted bezel and service papers. The owner’s watch and papers were not independently examined, leaving the reported configuration unverified as a factory branch.

==Auction record==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! date assigned to watch
! catalogue
! lot
! case or movement number
! recorded details
|-
| 1978
| Dr. Crott, 105th auction (2021)
| 27
| case 5,905,044; movement 0363325
| Cal. 3035; 36 mm; steel and gold; revolving 18k gold bezel; Jubilee 62523H.14/455; clasp E6.
|-
| 1979
| Antiquorum, Geneva (2017)
| 128
| case 6,046,368
| Catalogue identifies ref. 16253/16000; Cal. 3035, 27 jewels; blue dial with applied gold Arabic numerals; 36 mm.
|-
| circa 1979
| Dr. Crott, 112th auction (2025)
| 47
| case 6,046,467; movement 0257078
| Cal. 3035; 36 mm; gilt dial; steel/gold Jubilee 62523H.14/455; clasp E6 dated June 1980.
|-
| circa 1980
| Dorotheum, Vienna (2018)
| 431
| case 6,297,120; movement 0347736
| Cal. 3035; gold-colored dial; steel and gold; rotating bezel; approximately 36 mm.
|-
| 1981
| Dorotheum, Vienna (2016)
| 303-710644/0001
| case 6,346,934
| Paperwork dated June 1981; Cal. 3035; gold-colored dial; approximately 37 mm.
|-
| 1983
| Phillips, Hong Kong (2016)
| 32
| case 7,490,117
| Cal. 3035; 36 mm; UAE Armed Forces crest dial; Jubilee 455.
|-
| circa 1984
| Stockholms Auktionsverk archive
| archived listing
| serial 8,302,590
| Cal. 3035; plastic crystal; Jubilee bracelet described as original. Sale date not recorded.
|-
| 1985
| Antiquorum, Monaco (2025)
| 44
| case 8,696,966; movement 1,271,670
| Cal. 3035; 36 mm; white dial catalogued as porcelain; Jubilee 62523H-18/455.
|-
| circa 1985
| Hindman, Watches sale 2056 (2024)
| 3
| case 9,020,857; movement 1,426,418
| Textured dial; receipt dated 1985; two-tone Jubilee; inner caseback marked 16000.
|-
| circa 1986
| Christie’s archived listings
| 1588321; 1588050
| not stated
| Separate white and gilt baton-dial descriptions; 36 mm and approximately 37 mm measurements; no case numbers in the accessible text.
|-
| circa 1987
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong (2022)
| 344
| case 9,088,460; movement 1,583,636
| Cal. 3035; 36 mm; white dial; Jubilee 62523H/455; punched guarantee.
|-
| circa 1987
| Heritage Auctions, New York (2011)
| 60270
| case 9,677,855
| Cal. 3035; blue dial with gold baton markers; Jubilee 62523H; sapphire crystal listed in condition report; 37 mm.
|-
| circa 1989 (conflicting description)
| Sotheby’s, Hong Kong (2014)
| 682
| case R399399; inner caseback marked 16000
| Sotheby’s identifies ref. 16253 but describes a stainless-steel case and textured bezel. The stamp also appears on other auction-identified 16253 cases; material and bezel details remain unresolved.
|}

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 16253 hero.webp|Antiquorum, lot 44: case 8,696,966, catalogued as ref. 16253.
File:Ref 16253 front.webp|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2022, lot 344: white dial with applied gold Arabic numerals.
File:Ref 16253 bezel.webp|Oblique view of the bezel and case on the same lot.
File:Ref 16253 movement.webp|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2022, lot 344: movement engraved 3035.
File:Ref 16253 caseback.webp|Antiquorum, Monaco, 2025, lot 44: bracelet end link 455.
File:Ref 16253 caseback 2.webp|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2022, lot 344: caseback marked 16000.
</gallery>

== Sources ==

* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-16253-datejust-thunderbird-stainless-steel-and-gold-porcelain-dial-new-old-stock-lot-383-44 "Antiquorum Monaco, Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces, lot 44 — Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph ref. 16253", Antiquorum, 2025-12-12]
* [https://uhren-muser.de/epaper/catalogues/en/105/ "Dr. Crott, 105th auction, lot 27 — ref. 16253", Dr. Crott, 2021-11-13]
* [https://uhren-muser.de/en/archives/112/61483 "Dr. Crott, 112th auction, lot 47 — ref. 16253", Dr. Crott, 2025-05-10]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-16253-16000-lot-307-128 "Antiquorum Geneva, lot 128 — Rolex ref. 16253/16000", Antiquorum, 2017-05-14]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-16253-datejust-lot-356-344 "Antiquorum Hong Kong, lot 344 — Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph ref. 16253", Antiquorum, 2022-11-26]
* [https://www.christies.com/zh-cn/lot/lot-1588321 "Christie's archived lot 1588321 — Datejust Thunderbird ref. 16253", Christie's]
* [https://www.christies.com/zh-cn/lot/lot-rolex-a-stainless-steel-and-gold-self-winding-1588050/?from=siteindex&intobjectid=1588050&lid=1 "Christie's archived lot 1588050 — Datejust ref. 16253", Christie's]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/fine-timepieces-hk0538/lot.682.html "Sotheby's Hong Kong, Fine Timepieces, lot 682 — possible ref. 16253 outlier", Sotheby's, 2014-10-07]
* [https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/888791/ "Dorotheum, Christmas auction, lot 1 — Rolex Turn-O-Graph ref. 16253", Dorotheum, 2016-12-12]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080116/32 "Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction: TWO, lot 32 — Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph, 1983", Phillips, 2016-05-31]
* [https://stockholmsauktionsverk.com/arkiv/online/632011/ "Stockholms Auktionsverk, Datejust Turn-O-Graph ref. 16253, circa 1984", Stockholms Auktionsverk]
* [https://vintage-oyster.com/ Vintage-Oyster, "Vintage-Oyster listing — Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph ref. 16253, 1979", Vintage-Oyster]
* [https://startimesupply.com/ Star Time Supply, "Star Time Supply case and crystal listing for Rolex ref. 16253", Star Time Supply]
* [https://www.watch-wiki.net/doku.php?id=rolex_turn-o-graph&redirect=1 contributors, "Rolex Turn-O-Graph history and chronology", Watch-Wiki]
* [https://25dials.com/products/rolex-datejust-16253-turn-o-graph-tapestry-dial-full-set-1987 25 Dials, "Rolex Datejust 16253 Turn-O-Graph textured dial, listed as 1987", 25 Dials]
* [https://www.thewatch.co.il/image/users/190146/ftp/my_files/ROLEX/Rolex-Price-List%20--2011%20-usa.pdf?id=13123755 Rolex USA, "Rolex USA Price List, effective 10 May 2011 — bracelet replacement parts", Rolex USA, 2011-05-10]
* [https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/0b5fdf83/files/uploaded/1.0%20RolexBook-23Mar.pdf ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=652424 forum participants, "Rolex Forums, 21 January 2019 — “Model 16253 Question”", Rolex Forums, 2019-01-21]
* [https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/5188463/ "Dorotheum archived listing — Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph ref. 16253, case 6,297,120", Dorotheum]
* [https://jewelry.ha.com/itm/timepieces/wristwatch/rolex-ref-16253-two-tone-blue-dial-with-thunderbird-bezel-circa-1987/a/5081-60270.s "Heritage Auctions, lot 60270 — Rolex ref. 16253, circa 1987", Heritage Auctions, 2011-11-18]
* [https://hindmanauctions.com/auctions/2056-Watches/lot/3 "Hindman, Watches sale 2056, lot 3 — Rolex ref. 16253 tapestry dial", Hindman, 2024-11-15]
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/watches/rolex-datejust-turnograph-steel-yellow-gold-black-dial-vintage-mens-watch-16253-49332/ SwissWatchExpo, "SwissWatchExpo stock 49332 — Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph ref. 16253", SwissWatchExpo]
* [https://www.r-l-x.de/forum/archive/index.php/t-22011.html forum participants, "R-L-X forum, “Evolution des Turn-O-Graph seit 1970”", R-L-X Das Forum]

[[Category:Datejust]]

Reference:16253 - Revision history

Admin: Separate 16253 image sets and add coherent gallery heading

Admin: Publish researched Datejust Turn-O-Graph ref. 16253