Buy Rolex Turn-O-Graph watches from Watchmaster
Since
Rolex Turn-O-Graph watches are no longer manufactured, this might be the right time for you to buy a
second hand Rolex Turn-O-Graph. Especially limited models like this one are usually easy to trade. In our online shop, we offer vintage and certified Rolex Turn-O-Graph watches at low prices, which you can also finance thanks to our financing partners and instalment payment options. Learn more about the popular Rolex Turn-O-Graph series in the following section.
Optical and technical details of the Turn-O-Graph
The
Turn-O-Graph is considered the predecessor of the legendary Submariner. There are some parallels in design, but also significant differences. Some models of the ref. 6202 have the same dial design, which is still known today. However, the bezel has 5 and 10-minute markings all around and not, as on the Submariner, only minute markings of the first quarter-hour. Over the years, the
design of the Turn-O-Graph changed very little. In combination with the Datejust, it was already a perfectly shaped watch that required only marginal changes in appearance and only a few changes of movements. For a long time, the
iconic movement 3035 was used.
What does a pre-owned Rolex Turn-O-Graph cost?
Rolex Turn-O-Graph 116264
Used from: approx. €5,000
Material: white gold, steel
Features: Men's watch, automatic movement, date display, chronometer, black dial
Rolex Turn-O-Graph 116261
Used from: approx. €7,000
Material: rose gold, steel
Features: Men's watch, automatic movement, date display, chronometer, white dial
Rolex Turn-O-Graph 116263
Used from: approx. €5,300
Material: gold, steel
Features: Men's watch, Automatic movement, Date display, Chronometer, Champagne dial
Rolex Turn-O-Graph 16263
Used from: approx. €4,000
Material: gold, steel
Features: Men's watch, automatic movement, date display, chronometer, gold dial
Rolex Turn-O-Graph 1625
Used from: approx. €9,600
Material: yellow gold, steel
Features: Men's watch, automatic movement, date display, silver dial
History of the Rolex Turn-O-Graph
The Rolex Turn-O-Graph is an almost forgotten collection of the famous brand with the crown, which makes it particularly attractive for collectors and connoisseurs. In 1953, the
first Rolex Turn-O-Graph was launched with the
reference 6202. This made it the forerunner of the iconic Rolex Submariner series introduced in 1954. In fact, both collections share similar features, such as the distinctive rotating bezel and the Rolex Oyster bracelet.
The Turn-O-Graph is often regarded as the first Rolex watch with a rotating bezel. However, this title was wrongly given to it. One of the rarest Rolex watches ever made, the Rolex Ref. 3346, also known as the Zerographe, already had a rotating bezel in 1937, but the Turn-O-Graph was the first series to feature it, and thus deserves the title at least partially. Since it was common in the early 1950s to assign
different design variants to one reference number, the 6202 was no exception. Some variants were equipped with line indexes, others with dot indexes, which are actually known from Submariner models today. Also, the dials were produced in different editions. One dial variant had a honeycomb dial, for example in gold, white and black with plain dauphine hands, golden arrow markers and Explorer style numbers.
From 1954 the
reference 6309 was developed. With this model, the Turn-O-Graph collection was added to the
Datejust family. Therefore, from that time on a
date complication with cyclops lens was added at three o'clock. Another innovation was to be found on the bezel, which rotates with the movement. Instead of every minute, only every 5 and 10 minutes were marked. But also inside the watch, a change was found. The calibre 743 replaced the originally used calibre A260.
The question of why Rolex merged two collections and did not develop each one further for itself is simple. The brand wanted to prevent two of its own series from competing. With the Submariner and
Datejust Turn-O-Graph collections, Rolex was now able to serve sportsmen, professionals and businessmen alike, offering sports watches and dress watches in equal measure. In 2000, the Rolex Turn-O-Graph was reissued with the
reference 116264. In 2011, Rolex decided to
stop production of the collection. The Datejust-Collection became so strong over time that many did not register the name Turn-O-Graph as a separate series anymore.
Looking sharp: The Turn-O-Graph in the spotlight
The Thunderbirds were the first supersonic precision aerobatic team to cruise above the crowd at 730 miles per hour and were founded in 1953. When one of the pilots wore a
Turn-O-Graph on his wrist, the entire team asked Rolex if they could equip the Thunderbirds with the new timepiece. Rolex took advantage of this relationship and began to include the stunt pilots in its advertising campaigns. A model was even launched that features a Thunderbird badge at 6 o'clock. The
Rolex Turn-O-Graph (Ref. 6609) is considered very rare and is highly traded today.
Other interesting Rolex series
- The Submariner is the flagship of the brand. The diver's watch can be worn with evening wear or a diving suit. The unidirectional rotating bezel makes it the perfect companion for any adventure.
- The GMT-Master II collection, on the other hand, aims high. Originally developed for frequent travellers, the watch displays two time zones at a glance. Models with the striking "Pepsi" coloring on the bezel are particularly popular.
- In everyday life, people are exposed to many types of radiation, often without realizing it. These can also affect our watches. Rolex developed the Milgauss series especially for this purpose. It withstands magnetic fields of up to 1000 Gauss and is a real eye-catcher with its orange flash-shaped second hand.
- The Explorer was developed for everyone for whom no adventure is too risky. The watch is more resistant than all other Rolex collections and thanks to its large dial with luminous indices, it is perfectly readable in every situation.
- The Lady Oyster Perpetual, however, is a simple three-hand watch designed for a woman's delicate wrists. The case is smaller than that of the men's models, but is in no way inferior to them in technical terms. Like all Rolex watches with the Oyster Perpetual inscription, the watch features the patented Oyster case and a high-precision automatic movement.
