Rolex Information Tips
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Rolex Production Dates - Serial Numbers
The serial number of a Rolex is located between the lugs at the 6' position. It is also listed on the certificates Rolex issues.
Starting in 1987, the serial numbers were prefixed with a letter (eg. S612345 was produced in 1993).
R:1987
L:1988
E:1990
X:1991
N:1991 (Nov)
C:1992
S:1993
W:1994
T:1996
U:1997 (Aug)
A:1998 (Nov)
P:2000 (Jan)
K:2001 (Sep)
Y:2002 (Sep)
F:2003 (Sep)
Rolex Model and Feature Timeline
Year of Introduction
1926 Oyster Case (Water Resistant)
1927 Serial Number On Oyster Case
1931 Oyster Perpetual (Automatic movement)
1938 Bubble Back
1938 Oyster Bracelet (Steel)
1945 Datejust
1945 Jubilee Bracelet0
1947 Oyster Bracelet
1950 Mercedes Hands
1953 Submariner
1953 Explorer
1954 GMT-Master
1954 Cyclops on Crystal
1954 Ladies Oyster Perpetual
1956 Day-Date (President)
1956 President Bracelet
1959 Crown Guards
1961 Oyster Cosmograph
1962 Cosmograph Daytona
1970 Submariner Date
1971 Sea-Dweller
1971 Explorer II
1972 Hacking Movement
1977 Quick-Set Date Feature
1977 Oyster Quartz Day-Date
1977 Oysterquartz
1977 Sapphire Crystal
1980 Sea-Dweller 4000
1983 GMT-Master II
1988 New Daytona (Utilizing Zenith movement)
1992 Yachtmaster
1994 Yachtmaster Ladies & Medium
2001 Laser Etched Hologram in Crystal
2003 "Green" Submariner Date
Rolex Production Dates - Serial Numbers (Pre-1988)
The serial number of a Rolex is located between the lugs at the 6' position.
28,000 1926 30,430 1927 32,960 1928 35,390 1929 37,820 1930 40,250 1931 42,680 1932 45,000 1934 63,000 1935 81,000 1936 99,000 1937 117,000 1938 135,000 1939 164,600 1940 194,200 1941 223,800 1942 253,400 1943 283,000 1944 348,100 1945 413,200 1946 478,300 1947 543,400 1948 608,500 1949 673,600 1950 738,700 1951 803,800 1952 950,000 1953 999,000 1954 * Rolex started their 200,000 1955 serial numbers over 400,000 1956 600,000 1957 800,000 1958 | 1,100,000 1959 1,402,000 1960 1,480,000 1961 1,558,000 1962 1,636,000 1963 1,714,000 1964 1,792,000 1965 1,871,000 1966 2,163,900 1967 2,426,800 1968 2,689,700 1969 2,952,600 1970 3,215,500 1971 3,478,400 1972 3,741,300 1973 4,004,200 1974 4,267,100 1975 4,539,000 1976 5,006,000 1977 5,482,000 1978 5,958,000 1979 6,434,000 1980 6,910,000 1981 7,386,000 1982 7,862,000 1983 8,338,000 1984 8,814,000 1985 9,290,000 1986 9,999,999 1987 1/2 9,766,000 1987 |
After 1987, Rolex began using letters for the first number.
Rolex Reference Numbers
The reference or model number of a Rolex is located between the lugs at the 12' position. It is also listed on the certificates Rolex issues.
Air-King
4365, 4925, 5500, 5501, 5506, 5520, 6500, 6552, 7784,
14000, 14000M, 14010, 14010M
Air-King-Date
5700, 5701
Datejust
1600, 1601, 1603, 1607, 1625, 1630, 6305, 6518, 6604,
6605, 6827, 16013, 16014, 16018, 16030, 16078, 16200,
16203, 16220, 16233, 16234, 16238, 16248, 16250, 16263,
16364, 116138, 116139, 116203, 116208, 116233, 116238
Datejust Mid-Size
6824, 6827, 68240, 68243, 68248, 68273, 68274, 68278,
77080, 77014, 77438,77518, 78240, 78243, 78246, 78248,
78266, 78273, 78274, 78278, 78279, 78286, 78288, 81158,
81208, 81209, 81308, 81338, 81339, 178158, 178159, 178238,
178239, 178245, 178246, 178248, 178269, 178275, 178278,
178279, 178286, 178288
Day Date (aka President)
1803, 1804, 1807, 6511, 6611, 18026, 18038, 18039, 18078,
18238, 18239, 18248, 18346, 18946, 18948, 18956, 18958,
118205, 118206, 118208, 118209, 118235, 118238, 118239,
118296, 118338, 118339, 118346, 118348, 118366, 118398,
118399
Daytona
6239, 6240, 6241, 6239, 62,40, 6241, 6262, 6263, 6264, 6265,
6240, 6241, 16518, 16519, 16520, 16523, 16528, 116509,
116518, 116519, 116520, 116523, 116528, 116589, 116598,
116599
Explorer
1016, 1038, 5500, 5501, 5504, 6098, 6150, 6298, 6305,
6350, 6610, 14270, 114270
Explorer II
1655, 16550, 16570
GMT-Master
1675, 6542, 16700, 16713, 16750, 16753, 16758
GMT-Master II
16710, 16713, 16718, 16760
Oyster Perpetual (Time-Only)
1002, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1010, 1014, 1018,
1023, 1024,1025, 1030, 1038, 1500, 1501, 1565, 5500,
6085, 6103, 6177, 6202, 6284, 6518, 6532, 6546, 6548,
6549, 6551, 6552, 6556, 6564, 6565, 6567, 6569, 6580,
6582, 6584, 6590, 6605, 6623, 6634, 14203, 14203M,
14208, 14208M, 14238
Oyster Perpetual Date
1500, 1501, 1503, 1505, 1550, 1560, 1603, 1625, 5075,
6075, 6335, 6518, 6534, 6605, 6627, 15000, 15010, 15037,
15038, 15053, 15200, 15203, 15210, 15223, 15238, 15505
Oyster Perpetual Lady
6718, 6719, 6723, 6724, 76180, 67193, 67194, 67197,
67198, 67230, 67243, 76030, 76080, 76094, 76183, 76188,
76193, 76198, 76243, 77518
Oyster Perpetual Lady Date
6516, 6517, 6519, 6916, 6917, 6919, 69160, 69163, 69173,
69190, 69240, 79160, 79190, 79240
Oyster Perpetual Lady Datejust
6916, 6917, 6927, 69136, 69163, 69173, 69174, 69178,
69179, 69278, 79068, 79078, 79079, 79088, 79089, 79126,
79136, 79138, 79158, 79159, 79163, 79166, 79168, 79173,
79174, 79178, 79179, 79238, 79288, 80318, 80319, 80298,
80299, 80309, 80318, 80319, 80328, 80329, 80359, 179136,
179138, 179158, 179159, 179165, 179166, 179168, 179173,
179175, 179178, 179179, 179239, 179298, 179368, 179459
Oysterquarz Datejust
17000, 17013, 17014
Oysterquarz Day-Date
19018, 19019
Sea-Dweller
1665, 16600, 16660
Submariner
5508, 5512, 5513, 5514, 5517, 6200, 6204, 6205, 6536,
6538, 6538A, 14060, 14060M
Submariner Date
1680, 16800, 16610, 16610LV, 16613, 16618, 16803, 16808
Turn-O-Graph (aka Thunderbird)
1625, 16253, 16268, 16263, 16264, 116261, 116263, 116264
Yacht-Master
16622, 16628, 68623, 68628, 168622, 168623, 168628,
169623, 169628
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