If you want to find out the actual year of production of a Rolex watch, the sales date entered on the guarantee card or guarantee certificate does not help, because this only shows when the watch was sold, but not when it was produced. Until a few years ago, however, the age of a Rolex watch could be determined very easily using the serial number, which is unique for each watch.
Until 2007, the serial number was engraved on the outside of the case between the lugs.
Engraved serial number of an older Rolex watch between the lugs.
On many watches up to the 60s and sometimes 70s, the year and quarter were also engraved on the inside of the case cover. However, this information refers to the production date of the case cover itself and this can of course differ from the production date of the watch or case.
Inside of a case lid with engraved year and quarter. In this case, the case cover dates from the 2nd quarter of 1962.
The position of the serial numbers was changed by Rolex in 2007 with the introduction of the GMT Master II 116710LN. Since then, the serial number has been engraved in the case edge ring (Rehaut) that surrounds the dial. So you can read the serial number with a glance at the watch without having to remove the strap.
Since 2007 the serial numbers have been engraved in the Rehaut (housing edge ring).
Rolex itself does not provide any official information on age determination using serial numbers.
The following serial numbers are the result of meticulous research by Rolex collectors around the world and are generally recognized as being accurate. However, there is no guarantee of correctness and there are sometimes significant differences in the assignment of serial numbers to years depending on who the data came from.
Until 2010, the serial numbers of the watches were assigned in ascending chronological order. Therefore one could very well deduce the production year from the serial number. Since 2010, however, Rolex has been issuing so-called random serial numbers, which are no longer consecutive but consist of an encrypted 8-digit number-letter code. Therefore, since 2010, the production year for watches can no longer be determined from the serial number (except by Rolex itself). Obviously, Rolex wanted to prevent a simple age determination very deliberately. Since then, collectors have often tried to determine the age of a watch using the dial variants, as there may be small differences in the dials depending on the production batch. However, this method is naturally very inaccurate.
Right: On the current Sea-Dweller 126600, the second generation of the dial (MK II dial) has a very small crown at 6 o'clock.
Left: At the time the model was launched in 2017 (MK I dial), the small crown was not yet on the dial of the watches. The watches with MK I dials are more valuable for collectors, as they were only used in the first series.
This small difference allows a rough determination of the age of 2017/2018, at least for the MK I dials.
As already mentioned, the serial numbers were assigned in ascending chronological order. However, the following deviations are to be noted:
| Year Serial numbers | |
|---|---|
| 1925 | |
| 1926 | |
| 1927 | 20190 |
| 1928 | 23969 |
| 1929 | 28290 |
| 1930 | 29312 |
| 1931 | |
| 1932 | 29312 |
| 1933 | 29933 |
| 1934 | 30823 |
| 1935 | 34336 |
| 1936 | 36856 |
| 1937 | 40920 |
| 1938 | 43793 |
| 1939 | 71224 |
| 1940 | 99775 |
| 1941 | 106047 |
| 1942 | 143509 |
| 1943 | 230878 |
| 1944 | 269561 |
| 1945 | 302459 |
| 1946 | 367946 |
| 1947 | 529163 |
| 1948 | 628840 |
| 1949 | |
| 1950 | |
| 1951 | 709249 |
| 1952 | 726639 |
| 1953 | 793930 |
| 1954 | 976195 |
| 1955 | 30634 |
| 1956 | 139400 |
| 1957 | 216821 |
| 1958 | 353343 |
| 1959 | 399xxx |
| 1960 | 511687 |
| 1961 | 6469xx |
| 1962 | 763663 |
| 1963 | 95xxxx |
| 1964 | 997436 |
| 1965 | 1193xxx |
| 1966 | 1289727 |
| 1967 | 1554xxx |
| 1968 | 1720977 |
| 1969 | 2060xxx |
| 1970 | 242XXXX |
| 1971 | 2728xxx |
| 1972 | 305xxxx |
| 1973 | 3523678 |
| 1974 | 3761535 |
| 1975 | 3886050 |
| 1976 | 4155863 |
| 1977 | 5008000 |
| 1978 | 5238376 |
| 1979 | 5952834 |
| 1980 | 6434000 |
| 1981 | 6594xxx |
| 1982 | 7129351 |
| 1983 | 7862000 |
| 1984 | 8338000 |
| 1985 | 8624000 |
| 1986 | 9290000 |
| 1987 | 9863279 |
| 1987 / 1988 | R |
| 1988 / 1989 | L |
| 1989 / 1990 | L |
| 1990 / 1991 | E |
| 1991 / 1992 | X/N (ab Nov.) |
| 1992 / 1993 | C |
| 1993 / 1994 | S |
| 1994 / 1995 | W |
| 1995 / 1996 | W |
| 1996 / 1997 | T |
| 1997 / 1998 | U (since Aug.) |
| 1998 / 1999 | A (since Nov.) |
| 1999 / 2000 | A |
| 2000 / 2001 | P (since Jan.) |
| 2001 / 2002 | K (since Sept.) |
| 2002 / 2003 | Y (since Sept.) |
| 2003 / 2004 | F (since Sept.) |
| 2004 / 2005 | F |
| 2005 / 2006 | D (since April) |
| 2006 / 2007 | Z (since May) |
| 2007 / 2008 | M (since Aug.) |
| 2008 / 2009 | V (since Aug.) |
| 2009 / 2010 | V |
| 2010 | G (since June) |
| Since 2010 arbitrary letter-number combination, 8 digits. Sporadically from 2007. | |
Source: www.oysterinfo.de (Please scroll to the right in the table for all values.)
The age of the bracelet can also be determined by means of engraved codes in the clasp. This is especially important for older collector's watches, if you want to check whether the bracelet actually fits the watch in terms of age or whether it is a younger bracelet that has been retrofitted.
Rolex clasp code: In this example the clasp code is "MA", which indicates the year 2005.
Here, too, there is no official information from Rolex itself and the figures shown are therefore non-binding and unconfirmed findings from various Rolex collectors.
The clasp codes were used by Rolex from the mid-1970s. As with the serial numbers of the watches, a code combination that is no longer traceable has been used since 2010/11, which makes it impossible to determine the age of the bracelet.
Clasps that are exchanged as part of a service also have an "S" at the end of the clasp code.
* These letters have been excluded from the sequence and not yet been confirmed.
Source: www.oysterinfo.de (Please scroll to the right in the table for all values.)
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