Rolex serial number lookup and production year guide

A Rolex serial number identifies the individual case, and on watches made before roughly 2010 it points to an approximate production year. On modern references it is laser-engraved on the rehaut, the inner ring between the dial and the crystal, at 6 o'clock. On older watches it sits between the lugs at 6 o'clock, hidden under the bracelet. Serials issued from around 2010 are randomised and carry no date information at all. Pinnacle Chrono maintains this reference for collectors dating, identifying or verifying a watch before they buy or sell it.

Two things worth knowing before you use the chart below. Rolex has never published serial-to-year data, so every chart on the internet is a reconstruction assembled from observed watches and warranty cards. And those reconstructions disagree with each other, sometimes by several hundred thousand serials. This page publishes the disagreement rather than hiding it. Nothing entered into the tools on this page leaves your browser.

What this page covers

Rolex serial number lookup

Enter a serial number to get an approximate production year, enter a year to see the serial range it covers, or enter a bracelet clasp code. The tool reads a local dataset, makes no network requests, and stores nothing.

Where the serial number is on a Rolex

On a Rolex made before about 2005 the serial number is engraved on the side of the case between the lugs at 6 o'clock, which means the bracelet has to come off to read it. From around 2005 Rolex began laser-engraving it on the rehaut instead, where it is visible through the crystal with no disassembly. Between roughly 2005 and 2008 many watches carry it in both places. Have the bracelet removed by a watchmaker rather than doing it yourself, because the lugs and the end links mark easily.

Serial number location by era. Rollout was staggered by model line, so treat the transition years as approximate.
Era Location Note
Pre-2005 Oyster models Between the lugs at 6 o'clock, bracelet removed The reference number sits between the lugs at 12 o'clock.
Vintage non-Oyster dress models On the case back, outside or inside The exception to the between-the-lugs rule.
From about 2004 to 2005 Laser-engraved on the rehaut at 6 o'clock First examples appeared around 2004 and became common from 2005.
About 2005 to 2008 Both the rehaut and between the lugs Overlap period. Some watches carry it twice.
About 2008 onward Rehaut only Exterior lug engraving discontinued on most lines.

On standard production Oyster models the serial is not on the case back. That misconception is common enough to be worth stating plainly. The exception is older non-Oyster dress watches, where it can appear on the outside or the inside of the back. One further dating clue sits in the same place: Rolex stopped drilling lug holes on the Professional models at the end of 2000, so visible holes through the lugs put a sports model before that point.

The five Rolex serial number systems

Rolex has used five numbering systems since 1926. Knowing which one a serial belongs to tells you whether it can be dated at all, which matters more than the year itself.

Serial number systems and whether each one can be dated.
System Approximate years Format Datable
Early sequential About 1926 to 1954 Ascending numbers rising to roughly 999,999 Approximately, within a year or two
Post-reset sequential About 1955 to the mid 1960s Restarted from a low number Approximately, with a duplicate-serial trap
Seven-digit sequential Mid 1960s to 1987 1,000,000 rising to roughly 9.9 million Approximately
Letter prefix Late 1987 to 2010 One letter followed by six digits Usually to within a year or two
Randomised About mid to late 2010 onward Eight mixed letters and numbers No

The first four letter prefixes were R, L, E and X, which spell ROLEX without the O. The O was left out because it reads as a zero. B, I, J, O and Q were not used for Rolex production serials. They were generally reserved for Tudor cases, though a small number of randomised serials are reported beginning with J, O or Q.

Rolex serial number year chart

The chart below is the reason this page exists in the form it does. Two widely published datasets are shown side by side. Where they agree, the year is reliable. Where they diverge, the honest answer is a range, and the divergence is sometimes large: the two sources are about 180,000 serials apart on 1955 and about 580,000 apart on 1966. Any page giving you a single figure for those years is giving you false precision.

Approximate starting serial number by year, 1926 to 1987, from two independent collector datasets. Rolex publishes no official figures.
Year Dataset A Dataset B Working range Note
1926 2,000 2,000
1927 3,000 20,190 3,000 to 20,190
1928 4,000 23,969 4,000 to 23,969
1929 5,000 28,290 5,000 to 28,290
1930 6,000 29,312 6,000 to 29,312
1931 7,000 29,312 7,000 to 29,312
1932 8,000 29,312 8,000 to 29,312
1933 29,933 29,933 Dataset A has no 1933 row. Production was low and the ranges are broad.
1934 10,000 30,823 10,000 to 30,823
1935 15,000 34,336 15,000 to 34,336
1936 20,000 36,856 20,000 to 36,856
1937 25,000 40,920 25,000 to 40,920
1938 28,000 43,793 28,000 to 43,793
1939 45,000 71,224 45,000 to 71,224
1940 57,000 99,775 57,000 to 99,775
1941 185,000 106,047 106,047 to 185,000
1942 206,000 143,509 143,509 to 206,000
1943 260,000 230,878 230,878 to 260,000
1944 288,000 269,561 269,561 to 288,000
1945 402,000 302,459 302,459 to 402,000
1946 425,000 367,946 367,946 to 425,000
1947 480,000 529,163 480,000 to 529,163
1948 572,000 628,840 572,000 to 628,840
1949 654,000 668,503 654,000 to 668,503
1950 700,000 695,134 695,134 to 700,000
1951 740,000 709,249 709,249 to 740,000
1952 900,000 726,639 726,639 to 900,000
1953 920,000 793,930 793,930 to 920,000
1954 950,000 976,195 950,000 to 976,195 Sequence reaches roughly 999,999 and resets.
1955 210,000 30,634 30,634 to 210,000 Reset year. The two datasets diverge by about 180,000. Serials from here duplicate numbers used in the 1930s and 1940s.
1956 212,000 139,400 139,400 to 212,000
1957 265,000 216,821 216,821 to 265,000
1958 426,000 353,343 353,343 to 426,000
1959 490,000 399,000 399,000 to 490,000
1960 520,000 511,687 511,687 to 520,000
1961 650,000 646,900 646,900 to 650,000
1962 764,000 763,663 763,663 to 764,000
1963 900,000 950,000 900,000 to 950,000 Both datasets agree at 950,000.
1964 1,100,000 997,436 997,436 to 1,100,000 Sequence approaches 999,999 a second time and continues into seven digits rather than resetting.
1965 1,200,000 1,193,000 1,193,000 to 1,200,000
1966 1,871,000 1,289,727 1,289,727 to 1,871,000 Largest divergence in the chart, roughly 580,000.
1967 2,163,900 1,554,000 1,554,000 to 2,163,900
1968 2,426,800 1,720,977 1,720,977 to 2,426,800
1969 2,689,700 2,060,000 2,060,000 to 2,689,700
1970 2,952,600 2,504,211 2,504,211 to 2,952,600
1971 3,215,500 2,728,000 2,728,000 to 3,215,500
1972 3,478,400 3,050,000 3,050,000 to 3,478,400
1973 3,741,300 3,523,678 3,523,678 to 3,741,300
1974 4,004,200 3,761,535 3,761,535 to 4,004,200
1975 4,267,100 3,886,050 3,886,050 to 4,267,100
1976 4,538,000 4,155,863 4,155,863 to 4,538,000 Service-case gap. Production skipped from about 4.26 million to about 5.0 million; the 4.3 to 4.8 million range was reserved for service replacement cases.
1977 5,008,000 5,008,000 5,008,000 Both datasets agree at 5,008,000, immediately after the gap.
1978 5,482,000 5,238,376 5,238,376 to 5,482,000
1979 5,958,000 5,952,834 5,952,834 to 5,958,000
1980 6,434,000 6,434,000 6,434,000
1981 6,910,000 6,594,000 6,594,000 to 6,910,000
1982 7,386,000 7,129,351 7,129,351 to 7,386,000
1983 7,862,000 7,862,000 7,862,000
1984 8,338,000 8,338,000 8,338,000
1985 8,614,000 8,624,000 8,614,000 to 8,624,000
1986 9,290,000 9,290,000 9,290,000
1987 9,766,000 9,863,279 9,766,000 to 9,863,279 Seven-digit sequence ends near 9.9 million. Letter prefixes begin.

From late 1987 the numeric sequence ends and letter prefixes begin. Those are set out separately below, because they behave differently.

Why Rolex serial number charts disagree

Published Rolex serial charts disagree because Rolex has never released serial-to-year records. Every chart, including this one, is reconstructed from watches that collectors have examined and from dated warranty cards. Different people examined different watches, so they arrived at different boundaries. There are four specific reasons the numbers drift.

No official source exists

Rolex does not publish production data and does not confirm dates from serial numbers on request. Treat any site claiming access to official Rolex records with suspicion.

Prefixes ran concurrently, by design

Letter prefixes were not issued one per year in a clean line. Late production under one letter often overlapped early production under the next, and by the mid 2000s several prefix sequences were running at the same time. Frustrating counterfeiters appears to have been part of the intent.

Cases were not always used in the year they were made

Rolex produced cases in batches and assembled watches from stock. Every Milgauss 6541 carries a serial in the 412,000 range because those cases were made in a single batch, then built into watches across several years. The gold Daytona 6264 with a lemon dial shows the same pattern around 2,357,000. So a serial dates the case, and the case is only a proxy for the watch.

Production year is not the year of sale

A watch cased in 2006 could easily have sold in 2008. The warranty card records the sale, not the manufacture, and the two figures answer different questions.

The practical consequence: a serial number gets you to within a year or two, and you confirm it against the reference number, the movement, the case details and the paperwork. If a serial suggests 1972 on a reference that did not exist until 1977, the serial is not the thing to trust.

Rolex letter prefixes in detail

Rolex used a single letter followed by six digits from late 1987 until 2010. The letter indicates a production period rather than a calendar year, and several letters overlap. The confidence column below reflects how closely the available datasets agree.

Rolex serial number letter prefixes, late 1987 to 2010.
Prefix Approximate period Note Confidence
R series Late 1987 to 1988 First letter prefix. R, L, E, X spell ROLEX without the O, which was omitted because it reads as a zero. Good
L series 1988 to 1990 Overlaps the end of R and the start of E. Good
E series 1990 to 1991 Good
X series 1991 to 1993 Ran concurrently with N and C. Moderate
N series From November 1991 into 1992 Overlaps X. Moderate
C series 1992 to 1993 Overlaps X. Moderate
S series 1993 to 1995 Overlaps W. Moderate
W series 1994 to 1996 Overlaps S and T. Datasets disagree on the start year. Low
T series 1996 to 1998 Overlaps W and U. Moderate
U series From August 1997 into 1998 Overlaps T. Good
A series From November 1998 into 1999 Good
P series From April 2000 into 2001 Good
K series From August 2001 into 2002 Good
Y series From September 2002 into 2003 The laser-etched crown was in general use by this series. Good
F series From January 2004 into 2005 Transition period for the laser-etched crown on some models. Good
D series January 2005 to July 2006 Rehaut engraving begins appearing. Some watches carry the serial in both places. Good
Z series July 2006 to December 2007 Sports models received rehaut engraving part-way through this series. Good
M series January 2008 to November 2008 Exterior lug engraving discontinued on most lines. Good
V series December 2008 into 2010 Last long-running sequential prefix. Good
G series 2010 into 2011 Sits on the boundary of the random era. A G serial does not reliably indicate a year. Low

Service replacement cases and duplicate serials

Two traps catch people using a serial chart for the first time. Both produce a year that looks wrong, and in neither case does that mean the watch is fake.

Serials in the 4.3 to 4.8 million range

In 1976 Rolex jumped its production serials from roughly 4.26 million straight to about 5.0 million, holding the 4.3 to 4.8 million range back for service replacement cases. A serial in that band on a watch that plainly is not from the mid 1970s usually indicates a case Rolex supplied during a service. That matters commercially, because a service case affects value and should be disclosed in any honest description.

The same serial on two different watches

Rolex reached 999,999 in the early 1950s and restarted from a low number rather than adding a digit. Serials from the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s therefore duplicate numbers already issued in the 1930s and 1940s. A 1940s watch and a late 1950s watch can carry near-identical six-digit serials, and the chart alone cannot separate them.

The tiebreaker is the case back date code. Through the 1950s and 1960s Rolex stamped a Roman numeral for the quarter followed by two digits for the year on the inside of many case backs, so IV58 reads as the fourth quarter of 1958. Reading it means opening the watch, which is a watchmaker's job. Failing that, the reference number and the dial and hand styles will place the watch in the right decade.

How to date a Rolex made after 2010

A Rolex made after about 2010 cannot be dated from its serial number, because Rolex switched to randomised eight-character serials that encode nothing. You date a modern Rolex from six other inputs instead, and you want at least three of them to agree. This is the part most serial lookup pages skip.

  1. The warranty card. It carries the serial and the date of sale, and it is the most reliable single input available. Remember it records the sale rather than the manufacture, so a card dated 2015 can sit with a watch cased in 2014.

  2. The movement caliber. Every caliber has a known introduction year, which sets a floor the watch cannot predate. A caliber 3235 puts a Submariner Date no earlier than 2020; a caliber 3135 puts it no later. The caliber table further down this page gives the introduction years.

  3. The rehaut engraving. Engraved rehauts first appeared around 2004 and became common from 2005, rolling out model by model. The GMT-Master II received it in 2005, starting with the gold reference. The sports models were updated part-way through the Z serial in 2007, and by 2008 the whole Oyster range had it. The style then changed again around 2014 to 2015, from hollow block lettering to a sandblasted finish, which splits the modern era into two identifiable halves.

  4. The laser-etched crown on the crystal. Rolex began micro-etching a small coronet at 6 o'clock on the crystal from about 2001 to 2002, first on the Submariner no-date, Air-King, Explorer and Daytona, and across the rest of the range including Cellini by 2003 or early 2004. The green-crystal Milgauss is the standing exception and has none. Until 2012 a sideways S inside the small oval marked a service replacement crystal. If you can see the crown clearly with the naked eye and no light source, be suspicious rather than reassured.

  5. Anti-reflective coating. Rolex added coating under the Cyclops from around 2005. Full underside coating arrived on the Daytona around 2009 and spread to most of the range by 2020. A second oval inside the laser-etched crown indicates it.

  6. The clasp code. Stamped inside the clasp hinge, a letter for the year and a number for the month. Codes were randomised from mid 2011, in step with the serials. A trailing S marks a service replacement, and bracelets get replaced routinely, so this dates the bracelet and not the watch.

Cross-check all of it against the reference number's production window, which is what the reference table on this page is for. A reference introduced in 2020 cannot sit on a watch built in 2016, whatever the other evidence appears to say.

For anything with money attached, this is a physical inspection rather than a lookup. Pinnacle Chrono authenticates and services every piece before listing it, and the same process applies to watches being valued for sale.

Rolex reference number decoder

Enter a reference number to break it into its model, bezel, case material and suffix, with the production window and the collector nickname where one exists. The decoder applies the correct material table for the era, which matters more than it sounds. See the note below on why.

How to read a Rolex reference number

A Rolex reference number identifies the model, the bezel type and the case material, and unlike the serial it is shared by every example of that model. It is engraved between the lugs at 12 o'clock, opposite the serial. Five-digit references split into three digits for the model, one for the bezel and one for the material. Six-digit references use four for the model and keep the same last two positions, plus an optional letter suffix for the bezel or dial colour.

Digit count alone dates the watch to an era, which is genuinely useful when the serial is randomised. Four digits means vintage, generally up to the late 1970s. Five digits covers roughly 1977 to 2000. Six digits means 2000 or later. There are transitional oddities: the Submariner 168000 of 1987 and 1988 carried six digits well before the six-digit era, marking the switch to 904L steel, and collectors call it the triple zero for that reason.

A worked example that behaves: 228238

  • 2282, Day-Date 40
  • 3, fluted bezel
  • 8, 18k yellow gold
  • Collector name: President, after the bracelet the model launched on

It cross-checks cleanly against its siblings. The 228206 is platinum with a smooth bezel, and the 228239 is white gold. Change the last digit, change the metal.

A worked example that does not: 126610LN

  • 1266, Submariner Date, current generation
  • 1, bezel digit, and this is where the published tables break down
  • 0, Oystersteel
  • LN, lunette noire, a black bezel

The standard bezel table reads 1 as finely engine-turned, which is not what a dive watch has. Other sources read the same digit on the same reference as a rotating diver's bezel. The tables were built around dress references and do not map cleanly onto the professional models. Rather than publish a table that fails on the most recognisable Rolex in production, the honest position is that the bezel digit is reliable on Datejust and Day-Date references and inconclusive on the sports models. Read the bezel off the watch.

Bezel and case material codes

Bezel type

Bezel digit. Reliable on dress references, inconclusive on professional models.
Digit Bezel
0 Polished or smooth
1 Finely engine-turned
2 Engine-turned
3 Fluted
4 Hand-crafted
5 Pyramid
6 Rotating
9 Bark finish

Case material, and why one table is not enough

Almost every guide publishes a single case material table. That table is the vintage one, and it fails on current references. Digit 1 means yellow gold filled on a 1970s Datejust, but the GMT-Master II 126711CHNR is Oystersteel and Everose gold. Digit 5 means gold shell on a vintage reference, and solid Everose gold on the 126715CHNR and the Land-Dweller 127335. The codes were reassigned as the materials changed. Two tables, applied by era.

Case material digit, vintage and five-digit references.
Digit Material
0 Stainless steel
1 Yellow gold filled
2 White gold filled
3 Stainless steel and yellow gold, Rolesor
4 Stainless steel and 18k white gold
5 Gold shell
6 Platinum
7 14k yellow gold
8 18k yellow gold
9 18k white gold
22 Stainless steel and platinum
BIC Bi-colour, 18k yellow and white gold
TRIDOR 18k yellow, white and rose gold
Case material digit, modern six-digit references, with a confirming reference for each.
Digit Material Confirms against
0 Oystersteel 126300 Datejust 41
1 Oystersteel and Everose gold 126711CHNR Root Beer
3 Oystersteel and yellow gold 126713GRNR GMT-Master II
4 Oystersteel and white gold 126334 Datejust 41, 127334 Land-Dweller
5 18k Everose gold 126715CHNR, 127335 Land-Dweller
6 950 platinum 228206 Day-Date 40, 127336 Land-Dweller
8 18k yellow gold 228238 Day-Date 40, 126718GRNR
9 18k white gold 126719BLRO Pepsi

Digits 2 and 7 have no confirmed modern usage and are left out rather than guessed at.

Rolex dial and bezel suffix codes

The letters on the end of a modern reference describe the bezel or the crystal, and they are French because Rolex is based in Geneva. Lunette is bezel, glace is crystal, and the colours are noire, verte, bleue, rouge, chocolat and gris. Once that lands, most suffixes decode themselves: BLRO is bleu and rouge, so blue and red, so the Pepsi.

Rolex reference suffix codes with examples and collector names.
Code French Meaning Example Nickname
LN Lunette noire Black bezel 126610LN, 116500LN Panda when paired with a white dial
LV Lunette verte Green bezel 116610LV, 126610LV Hulk, Kermit, Starbucks
LB Lunette bleue Blue bezel 116619LB, 126613LB Smurf, Bluesy
BLNR Bleu, noir Blue and black bezel 116710BLNR, 126710BLNR Batman, Batgirl
BLRO Bleu, rouge Blue and red bezel 126710BLRO, 126719BLRO Pepsi
CHNR Chocolat, noir Brown and black bezel 126711CHNR, 126715CHNR Root Beer
VTNR Vert, noir Green and black bezel 126720VTNR Sprite
GRNR Gris, noir Grey and black bezel 126710GRNR Bruce Wayne
GV Glace verte Green sapphire crystal 116400GV Milgauss only
RBR Rond, brillant Brilliant-cut diamond bezel 126284RBR, 278383RBR
TBR Trapeze, brillant Trapeze-cut diamond bezel 127285TBR, 128395TBR

Gem-set references use longer combinations, and the letters describe the cut and the stone rather than a colour. RBR is a brilliant-cut diamond bezel, TBR a trapeze-cut one. Codes in this group appear and disappear with the exclusive models they belong to.

Rolex reference numbers by model

Every reference below carries its production window, case size, material, bezel, caliber and collector name where one exists. Filter by reference, model, nickname or caliber. Production years are the years the reference was catalogued, which is not always the year an individual watch was built.

Rolex reference numbers by model line, vintage to current production.
Reference Model Years Size Material Bezel Caliber Collector name
6204 Submariner 1953 to 1955 37mm Steel Rotating A260
6200 Submariner Big Crown 1954 to 1955 38mm Steel Rotating A296
6205 Submariner 1954 to 1955 37mm Steel Rotating A260
6536 Submariner 1955 to 1959 38mm Steel Rotating 1030
6538 Submariner Big Crown 1955 to 1959 38mm Steel Rotating 1030 James Bond
5510 Submariner 1958 38mm Steel Rotating 1530
5508 Submariner 1958 to 1965 37mm Steel Rotating 1530
5512 Submariner 1959 to 1978 40mm Steel Rotating 1560, 1570
5513 Submariner 1962 to 1989 40mm Steel Rotating 1520, 1530 MilSub in military issue
1680 Submariner Date 1966 to 1979 40mm Steel Rotating 1575 Red Sub on early dials
5514 Submariner COMEX 1972 to 1978 40mm Steel Rotating 1520
5517 Submariner military 1977 to 1983 40mm Steel Rotating 1520 MilSub
16800 Submariner Date 1979 to 1988 40mm Steel Rotating 3035
16803 Submariner Date 1984 to 1989 40mm Steel and yellow gold Rotating 3035 Bluesy
168000 Submariner Date 1987 to 1988 40mm Steel Rotating 3035 Triple zero
16610 Submariner Date 1987 to 2010 40mm Steel Rotating 3135
16613 Submariner Date 1988 to 2009 40mm Steel and yellow gold Rotating 3135 Bluesy
16618 Submariner Date 1988 to 2009 40mm 18k yellow gold Rotating 3135
14060 Submariner 1990 to 2002 40mm Steel Rotating 3000
14060M Submariner 2002 to 2012 40mm Steel Rotating 3130
16610LV Submariner Date 2003 to 2010 40mm Steel Green rotating 3135 Kermit
116618LB Submariner Date 2008 to 2020 40mm 18k yellow gold Blue Cerachrom 3135
116619LB Submariner Date 2008 to 2020 40mm 18k white gold Blue Cerachrom 3135 Smurf
116613LB Submariner Date 2009 to 2020 40mm Steel and yellow gold Blue Cerachrom 3135 Bluesy
116610LN Submariner Date 2010 to 2020 40mm Steel Black Cerachrom 3135
116610LV Submariner Date 2010 to 2020 40mm Steel Green Cerachrom 3135 Hulk
114060 Submariner 2012 to 2020 40mm Steel Black Cerachrom 3130
124060 Submariner 2020 onward 41mm Steel Black Cerachrom 3230
126610LN Submariner Date 2020 onward 41mm Oystersteel Black Cerachrom 3235
126610LV Submariner Date 2020 onward 41mm Oystersteel Green Cerachrom 3235 Starbucks, Cermit
126613LN Submariner Date 2020 onward 41mm Steel and yellow gold Black Cerachrom 3235
126613LB Submariner Date 2020 onward 41mm Steel and yellow gold Blue Cerachrom 3235 Bluesy
126618LN Submariner Date 2020 onward 41mm 18k yellow gold Black Cerachrom 3235
126618LB Submariner Date 2020 onward 41mm 18k yellow gold Blue Cerachrom 3235
126619LB Submariner Date 2020 onward 41mm 18k white gold Blue Cerachrom 3235 Cookie Monster
1665 Sea-Dweller 1967 to 1983 40mm Steel Rotating 1575 Double Red
16660 Sea-Dweller 1978 to 1989 40mm Steel Rotating 3035 Triple Six
16600 Sea-Dweller 1989 to 2009 40mm Steel Rotating 3135
116660 Deepsea 2008 to 2018 44mm Steel Black Cerachrom 3135 James Cameron on D-blue dial
116600 Sea-Dweller 4000 2014 to 2017 40mm Steel Black Cerachrom 3135
126600 Sea-Dweller 2017 onward 43mm Oystersteel Black Cerachrom 3235
126660 Deepsea 2018 to 2022 44mm Oystersteel Black Cerachrom 3235 James Cameron on D-blue dial
126603 Sea-Dweller 2019 onward 43mm Steel and yellow gold Black Cerachrom 3235
136660 Deepsea 2022 onward 44mm Oystersteel Black Cerachrom 3235 James Cameron on D-blue dial
136668LB Deepsea 2024 onward 44mm 18k yellow gold Blue Cerachrom 3235
126067 Deepsea Challenge 2022 onward 50mm RLX titanium Black Cerachrom 3230
6238 Pre-Daytona chronograph 1962 to 1968 36mm Steel Smooth Valjoux 72 Pre-Daytona
6239 Cosmograph Daytona 1963 to 1969 37mm Steel Engraved tachymeter Valjoux 72 Paul Newman on exotic dials
6240 Cosmograph Daytona 1965 to 1969 37mm Steel Acrylic Valjoux 72
6241 Cosmograph Daytona 1966 to 1969 37mm Steel Acrylic Valjoux 72 Paul Newman, John Player Special
6262 Cosmograph Daytona 1970 to 1971 37mm Steel Metal 727
6264 Cosmograph Daytona 1970 to 1971 37mm Steel Acrylic 727
6263 Cosmograph Daytona 1971 to 1988 37mm Steel Acrylic 727
6265 Cosmograph Daytona 1971 to 1988 37mm Steel Engraved metal 727
16520 Cosmograph Daytona 1988 to 2000 40mm Steel Engraved metal 4030 Zenith Daytona, Patrizzi on some dials
16523 Cosmograph Daytona 1988 to 2000 40mm Steel and yellow gold Engraved metal 4030
16528 Cosmograph Daytona 1988 to 2000 40mm 18k yellow gold Engraved metal 4030
116520 Cosmograph Daytona 2000 to 2016 40mm Steel Engraved metal 4130
116523 Cosmograph Daytona 2000 to 2016 40mm Steel and yellow gold Engraved metal 4130
116528 Cosmograph Daytona 2000 to 2016 40mm 18k yellow gold Engraved metal 4130
116509 Cosmograph Daytona 2004 to 2023 40mm 18k white gold Engraved metal 4130
116505 Cosmograph Daytona 2008 to 2023 40mm 18k Everose gold Metal or Cerachrom 4130
116506 Cosmograph Daytona 2013 to 2023 40mm 950 platinum Brown Cerachrom 4130 Platona
116500LN Cosmograph Daytona 2016 to 2023 40mm Steel Black Cerachrom 4130 Panda on white dial
126500LN Cosmograph Daytona 2023 onward 40mm Oystersteel Black Cerachrom 4131 Panda on white dial
126503 Cosmograph Daytona 2023 onward 40mm Steel and yellow gold Metal 4131
126505 Cosmograph Daytona 2023 onward 40mm 18k Everose gold Metal 4131
126506 Cosmograph Daytona 2023 onward 40mm 950 platinum Ice blue Cerachrom 4131 Platona
126509 Cosmograph Daytona 2023 onward 40mm 18k white gold Metal 4131
126518LN Cosmograph Daytona 2023 onward 40mm 18k yellow gold Black Cerachrom 4131
126535TBR Cosmograph Daytona 2023 onward 40mm 18k Everose gold Trapeze diamond 4131
6542 GMT-Master 1955 to 1959 38mm Steel Bakelite rotating 1036 Pussy Galore
1675 GMT-Master 1959 to 1980 40mm Steel Aluminium rotating 1565, 1575 Blueberry, Root Beer on brown
16750 GMT-Master 1981 to 1988 40mm Steel Aluminium rotating 3075
16753 GMT-Master 1981 to 1988 40mm Steel and yellow gold Aluminium rotating 3075 Root Beer
16758 GMT-Master 1981 to 1988 40mm 18k yellow gold Aluminium rotating 3075 Root Beer
16760 GMT-Master II 1983 to 1988 40mm Steel Red and black 3085 Fat Lady, Sophia Loren, Coke
16700 GMT-Master 1988 to 1999 40mm Steel Aluminium rotating 3175
16710 GMT-Master II 1989 to 2007 40mm Steel Pepsi, Coke or black 3185, 3186 Pepsi, Coke
16713 GMT-Master II 1989 to 2006 40mm Steel and yellow gold Aluminium rotating 3185 Root Beer
16718 GMT-Master II 1989 to 2005 40mm 18k yellow gold Aluminium rotating 3185
116718LN GMT-Master II 2005 to 2018 40mm 18k yellow gold Black Cerachrom 3186
116713LN GMT-Master II 2006 to 2018 40mm Steel and yellow gold Black Cerachrom 3186
116710LN GMT-Master II 2007 to 2019 40mm Steel Black Cerachrom 3186
116710BLNR GMT-Master II 2013 to 2019 40mm Steel Blue and black Cerachrom 3186 Batman
116719BLRO GMT-Master II 2014 to 2018 40mm 18k white gold Blue and red Cerachrom 3186 Pepsi
126710BLRO GMT-Master II 2018 onward 40mm Oystersteel Blue and red Cerachrom 3285 Pepsi
126711CHNR GMT-Master II 2018 onward 40mm Oystersteel and Everose Brown and black Cerachrom 3285 Root Beer
126715CHNR GMT-Master II 2018 onward 40mm 18k Everose gold Brown and black Cerachrom 3285 Root Beer
126710BLNR GMT-Master II 2019 onward 40mm Oystersteel Blue and black Cerachrom 3285 Batman, Batgirl on Jubilee
126719BLRO GMT-Master II 2019 onward 40mm 18k white gold Blue and red Cerachrom 3285 Pepsi
126720VTNR GMT-Master II 2022 onward 40mm Oystersteel Green and black Cerachrom 3285 Sprite, left-handed
126713GRNR GMT-Master II 2023 onward 40mm Steel and yellow gold Grey and black Cerachrom 3285
126718GRNR GMT-Master II 2023 onward 40mm 18k yellow gold Grey and black Cerachrom 3285
126710GRNR GMT-Master II 2024 onward 40mm Oystersteel Grey and black Cerachrom 3285 Bruce Wayne
6350 Explorer 1953 to 1955 36mm Steel Smooth A296
6610 Explorer 1955 to 1959 36mm Steel Smooth 1030
1016 Explorer 1963 to 1989 36mm Steel Smooth 1560, 1570
14270 Explorer 1989 to 2001 36mm Steel Smooth 3000
114270 Explorer 2001 to 2010 36mm Steel Smooth 3130
214270 Explorer 2010 to 2021 39mm Steel Smooth 3132
124270 Explorer 2021 onward 36mm Oystersteel Smooth 3230
124273 Explorer 2021 onward 36mm Steel and yellow gold Smooth 3230
224270 Explorer 2023 onward 40mm Oystersteel Smooth 3230
1655 Explorer II 1971 to 1985 39mm Steel Fixed 24-hour 1575 Steve McQueen, Freccione
16550 Explorer II 1985 to 1989 40mm Steel Fixed 24-hour 3085 Polar on white dial
16570 Explorer II 1989 to 2011 40mm Steel Fixed 24-hour 3185, 3186 Polar on white dial
216570 Explorer II 2011 to 2021 42mm Steel Fixed 24-hour 3187 Polar on white dial
226570 Explorer II 2021 onward 42mm Oystersteel Fixed 24-hour 3285 Polar on white dial
4467 Datejust 1945 to 1949 36mm 18k yellow gold Coin edge 740
6105 Datejust 1953 to 1955 36mm Steel or gold Fluted 1030 Ovettone
1600 Datejust 1960 to 1977 36mm Steel Smooth 1560, 1570
1601 Datejust 1960 to 1977 36mm Steel and white gold Fluted 1560, 1570
1603 Datejust 1960 to 1977 36mm Steel Engine-turned 1570
16013 Datejust 1977 to 1988 36mm Steel and yellow gold Fluted 3035
16014 Datejust 1977 to 1988 36mm Steel and white gold Fluted 3035
16030 Datejust 1977 to 1988 36mm Steel Engine-turned 3035
16200 Datejust 1988 to 2005 36mm Steel Smooth 3135
16220 Datejust 1989 to 2005 36mm Steel Smooth 3135
16233 Datejust 1988 to 2005 36mm Steel and yellow gold Fluted 3135
16238 Datejust 1988 to 2005 36mm 18k yellow gold Fluted 3135
16264 Datejust Turn-O-Graph 1988 to 2000 36mm Steel Rotating 3135 Thunderbird
16263 Datejust Turn-O-Graph 1988 to 2000 36mm Steel and yellow gold Rotating 3135 Thunderbird
78240 Datejust 1988 to 2005 36mm Steel and white gold Fluted 3135
116200 Datejust 2004 to 2018 36mm Steel Smooth 3135
116233 Datejust 2004 to 2018 36mm Steel and yellow gold Fluted 3135 Wimbledon on slate roman dial
116234 Datejust 2004 to 2018 36mm Steel and white gold Fluted 3135 Wimbledon on slate roman dial
116231 Datejust 2005 to 2018 36mm Steel and Everose gold Fluted 3135
116300 Datejust II 2009 to 2016 41mm Steel Smooth 3136
116333 Datejust II 2009 to 2016 41mm Steel and yellow gold Fluted 3136
116334 Datejust II 2009 to 2016 41mm Steel and white gold Fluted 3136
126300 Datejust 41 2016 onward 41mm Oystersteel Smooth 3235
126301 Datejust 41 2016 onward 41mm Steel and Everose gold Smooth 3235
126303 Datejust 41 2016 onward 41mm Steel and yellow gold Smooth 3235
126331 Datejust 41 2016 onward 41mm Steel and Everose gold Fluted 3235
126333 Datejust 41 2016 onward 41mm Steel and yellow gold Fluted 3235 Wimbledon on slate roman dial
126334 Datejust 41 2016 onward 41mm Oystersteel and white gold Fluted 3235 Wimbledon on slate roman dial
126200 Datejust 36 2018 onward 36mm Oystersteel Smooth 3235
126201 Datejust 36 2018 onward 36mm Steel and Everose gold Smooth 3235
126231 Datejust 36 2018 onward 36mm Steel and Everose gold Fluted 3235
126233 Datejust 36 2018 onward 36mm Steel and yellow gold Fluted 3235 Wimbledon on slate roman dial
126234 Datejust 36 2018 onward 36mm Oystersteel and white gold Fluted 3235 Wimbledon on slate roman dial
126284RBR Datejust 36 2019 onward 36mm Oystersteel and white gold Diamond 3235
178274 Datejust 31 2000 to 2015 31mm Steel and white gold Fluted 2235
278274 Datejust 31 2018 onward 31mm Steel and white gold Fluted 2236
278240 Datejust 31 2020 onward 31mm Oystersteel Smooth 2236
69173 Lady-Datejust 1983 to 1999 26mm Steel and yellow gold Fluted 2135
179173 Lady-Datejust 2000 to 2015 26mm Steel and yellow gold Fluted 2235
279160 Lady-Datejust 2015 onward 28mm Oystersteel Smooth 2236
279174 Lady-Datejust 2015 onward 28mm Steel and white gold Fluted 2236
6510 Day-Date 1956 36mm 18k gold Fluted 1055 President
6511 Day-Date 1956 36mm 18k gold Fluted 1055 President
6611 Day-Date 1957 to 1959 36mm 18k gold Fluted 1055 President
1802 Day-Date 1959 to 1977 36mm 18k gold Smooth 1555, 1556 President
1803 Day-Date 1959 to 1977 36mm 18k gold Fluted 1555, 1556 President
1806 Day-Date 1959 to 1977 36mm 18k gold Morellis linen 1556 President
1807 Day-Date 1959 to 1977 36mm 18k gold Bark 1556 President
18038 Day-Date 1977 to 1988 36mm 18k yellow gold Fluted 3055 President
18039 Day-Date 1977 to 1988 36mm 18k white gold Fluted 3055 President
18238 Day-Date 1988 to 2000 36mm 18k yellow gold Fluted 3155 President
18239 Day-Date 1988 to 2000 36mm 18k white gold Fluted 3155 President
18248 Day-Date 1988 to 2000 36mm 18k yellow gold Bark 3155 President
118206 Day-Date 2000 to 2019 36mm 950 platinum Smooth 3155 President
118238 Day-Date 2000 to 2019 36mm 18k yellow gold Fluted 3155 President
118239 Day-Date 2000 to 2019 36mm 18k white gold Fluted 3155 President
118235 Day-Date 2005 to 2019 36mm 18k Everose gold Fluted 3155 President
218206 Day-Date II 2008 to 2015 41mm 950 platinum Smooth 3156
218238 Day-Date II 2008 to 2015 41mm 18k yellow gold Fluted 3156
228206 Day-Date 40 2015 onward 40mm 950 platinum Smooth 3255
228235 Day-Date 40 2015 onward 40mm 18k Everose gold Fluted 3255
228238 Day-Date 40 2015 onward 40mm 18k yellow gold Fluted 3255 President
228239 Day-Date 40 2015 onward 40mm 18k white gold Fluted 3255
128235 Day-Date 36 2019 onward 36mm 18k Everose gold Fluted 3255 President
128238 Day-Date 36 2019 onward 36mm 18k yellow gold Fluted 3255 President
128239 Day-Date 36 2019 onward 36mm 18k white gold Fluted 3255 President
128236 Day-Date 36 2022 onward 36mm 950 platinum Fluted 3255
228236 Day-Date 40 2022 onward 40mm 950 platinum Fluted 3255
326938 Sky-Dweller 2012 to 2023 42mm 18k yellow gold Fluted 9001
326939 Sky-Dweller 2012 to 2023 42mm 18k white gold Fluted 9001
326935 Sky-Dweller 2012 to 2023 42mm 18k Everose gold Fluted 9001
326933 Sky-Dweller 2017 to 2023 42mm Steel and yellow gold Fluted 9001
326934 Sky-Dweller 2017 to 2023 42mm Steel and white gold Fluted 9001
336933 Sky-Dweller 2023 onward 42mm Steel and yellow gold Fluted 9002
336934 Sky-Dweller 2023 onward 42mm Oystersteel and white gold Fluted 9002
336935 Sky-Dweller 2023 onward 42mm 18k Everose gold Fluted 9002
336938 Sky-Dweller 2025 onward 42mm 18k yellow gold Fluted 9002
16628 Yacht-Master 1992 to 1999 40mm 18k yellow gold Rotating 3135
16622 Yacht-Master 1999 to 2012 40mm Steel and platinum Platinum rotating 3135 Rolesium
16623 Yacht-Master 2005 to 2012 40mm Steel and yellow gold Rotating 3135
116622 Yacht-Master 2012 to 2019 40mm Steel and platinum Platinum rotating 3135
116655 Yacht-Master 2015 to 2019 40mm 18k Everose gold Black Cerachrom 3135
116621 Yacht-Master 2016 to 2019 40mm Steel and Everose gold Rotating 3135
126622 Yacht-Master 40 2019 onward 40mm Oystersteel and platinum Platinum rotating 3235
126655 Yacht-Master 40 2019 onward 40mm 18k Everose gold Black Cerachrom 3235
226659 Yacht-Master 42 2019 onward 42mm 18k white gold Black Cerachrom 3235
226658 Yacht-Master 42 2022 onward 42mm 18k yellow gold Black Cerachrom 3235
226627 Yacht-Master 42 2023 onward 42mm RLX titanium Black Cerachrom 3235
116680 Yacht-Master II 2013 to 2024 44mm Oystersteel Blue Cerachrom 4161
116688 Yacht-Master II 2007 to 2024 44mm 18k yellow gold Blue Cerachrom 4161
6541 Milgauss 1956 to 1960 38mm Steel Rotating 1080
1019 Milgauss 1960 to 1988 38mm Steel Smooth 1580
116400 Milgauss 2007 to 2023 40mm Steel Smooth 3131
116400GV Milgauss 2007 to 2023 40mm Steel Smooth 3131 Green glass, Z-Blue on blue dial
5500 Air-King 1957 to 1989 34mm Steel Smooth 1520, 1530
14000 Air-King 1989 to 2007 34mm Steel Smooth 3000, 3130
114200 Air-King 2007 to 2014 34mm Steel Smooth 3130
116900 Air-King 2016 to 2022 40mm Oystersteel Smooth 3131
126900 Air-King 2022 onward 40mm Oystersteel Smooth 3230
1002 Oyster Perpetual 1950s to 1960s 34mm Steel Smooth 1560
116000 Oyster Perpetual 2008 to 2018 36mm Steel Smooth 3130
114300 Oyster Perpetual 2015 to 2020 39mm Steel Smooth 3132
124300 Oyster Perpetual 41 2020 onward 41mm Oystersteel Smooth 3230
126000 Oyster Perpetual 36 2020 onward 36mm Oystersteel Smooth 3230
124200 Oyster Perpetual 34 2020 onward 34mm Oystersteel Smooth 3230
277200 Oyster Perpetual 31 2020 onward 31mm Oystersteel Smooth 2232
276200 Oyster Perpetual 28 2020 onward 28mm Oystersteel Smooth 2232
52508 1908 2023 onward 39mm 18k yellow gold Fluted 7140
52509 1908 2023 onward 39mm 18k white gold Fluted 7140
127234 Land-Dweller 36 2025 onward 36mm Oystersteel and white gold Fluted 7135
127334 Land-Dweller 40 2025 onward 40mm Oystersteel and white gold Fluted 7135 Honeycomb
127335 Land-Dweller 40 2025 onward 40mm 18k Everose gold Fluted 7135
127336 Land-Dweller 40 2025 onward 40mm 950 platinum Fluted 7135
127285TBR Land-Dweller 36 2025 onward 36mm 18k Everose gold Trapeze diamond 7135
127286TBR Land-Dweller 36 2025 onward 36mm 950 platinum Trapeze diamond 7135

The Land-Dweller entries are the newest in the table. Rolex introduced the line at Watches and Wonders 2025 with the caliber 7135 and its Dynapulse escapement, running at 5 Hz with a 66-hour power reserve and rated at minus two to plus two seconds a day. The 127334 was also the first steel-cased Rolex sports model with a sapphire display back. Pinnacle Chrono covers the line in detail on the Land-Dweller 127334 page.

Reference data reflects catalogue information as published. Verify current models against Rolex directly before relying on a specification.

Rolex nicknames and their reference numbers

Collector nicknames are how most buyers actually search, and they resolve to specific references. Some attach to a dial variant rather than a reference, so a Wimbledon is any Datejust with the slate dial and green roman numerals rather than one reference number.

Rolex collector nicknames mapped to reference numbers.
Nickname Model References Origin
Batman GMT-Master II 116710BLNR, 126710BLNR Blue and black Cerachrom bezel.
Batgirl GMT-Master II 126710BLNR on Jubilee The Batman bezel on a Jubilee bracelet.
Bluesy Submariner Date 16803, 16613, 116613LB, 126613LB Steel and yellow gold with a blue dial and bezel.
Blueberry GMT-Master 1675 Rare all-blue bezel, never a standard production option.
Bruce Wayne GMT-Master II 126710GRNR Grey and black bezel, the understated Batman.
Cermit Submariner Date 126610LV Ceramic Kermit. Used interchangeably with Starbucks.
Coke GMT-Master II 16760, 16710 Red and black bezel.
Cookie Monster Submariner Date 126619LB White gold with a blue bezel and black dial.
Double Red Sea-Dweller 1665 Two lines of red text on early dials.
Fat Lady GMT-Master II 16760 Thicker case to house the new movement. Also called Sophia Loren.
Freccione Explorer II 1655 Italian for arrow, after the orange 24-hour hand.
Hulk Submariner Date 116610LV Green dial and green bezel.
James Bond Submariner 6538 Worn by Sean Connery in the early films.
James Cameron Deepsea 116660, 126660, 136660 The D-blue gradient dial marking the Mariana Trench dive.
John Player Special Cosmograph Daytona 6241 Black and gold dial recalling the racing livery.
Kermit Submariner Date 16610LV Green aluminium bezel with a black dial, Submariner 50th anniversary.
MilSub Submariner 5513, 5517 Military issue for the British Ministry of Defence.
Panda Cosmograph Daytona 116500LN, 126500LN White dial with black subdials.
Patrizzi Cosmograph Daytona 16520 Subdial rings that oxidised to brown.
Paul Newman Cosmograph Daytona 6239, 6241, 6263, 6265 Exotic dial variant associated with the actor.
Pepsi GMT-Master II 126710BLRO, 116719BLRO, 126719BLRO Blue and red bezel.
Platona Cosmograph Daytona 116506, 126506 Platinum case with an ice blue dial.
Polar Explorer II 16550, 16570, 216570, 226570 White dial variant.
President Day-Date 6510, 1803, 18238, 118238, 228238, 128238 After the President bracelet the model launched on.
Pussy Galore GMT-Master 6542 Worn by the character in Goldfinger.
Red Sub Submariner Date 1680 Red Submariner text on early dials.
Root Beer GMT-Master and GMT-Master II 1675, 16753, 16758, 16713, 126711CHNR, 126715CHNR Brown and gold or brown and black bezel.
Smurf Submariner Date 116619LB White gold with a blue dial and bezel.
Sophia Loren GMT-Master II 16760 Alternative name for the Fat Lady case.
Sprite GMT-Master II 126720VTNR Green and black bezel on the left-handed case.
Starbucks Submariner Date 126610LV Green bezel with a black dial.
Steve McQueen Explorer II 1655 Attributed to the actor, though the association is disputed.
Thunderbird Datejust Turn-O-Graph 16264, 16263 After the US Air Force display team.
Triple Six Sea-Dweller 16660 Rated to 4,000 feet, marked on the dial.
Wimbledon Datejust 116234, 116233, 126234, 126233, 126334, 126333 Slate dial with green roman numerals.
Zenith Daytona Cosmograph Daytona 16520 Movement based on the Zenith El Primero.
Moonwatch Omega Speedmaster Professional Not a Rolex. Listed because it is searched alongside Rolex nicknames.
Jumbo Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin 15202, 16202 Not a Rolex.
Nautilus Patek Philippe 5711 and family Not a Rolex.

Three of the most confused pairs, since they come up constantly. The Kermit is the 16610LV with an aluminium green bezel and a black dial. The Hulk is the 116610LV with a green ceramic bezel and a green dial. The Starbucks is the 126610LV, green ceramic bezel and back to a black dial. Green bezel, three different watches, three different markets.

Clasp, dial, case back and country codes

Bracelet clasp codes

A letter and number stamped inside the clasp hinge give the month and year the clasp was made. The letter is the year, the number is the month, so G4 is April 1982. A trailing S marks a service replacement. Clasp codes were randomised from mid 2011. Because bracelets are replaced during service, this dates the bracelet and only suggests a date for the watch.

Rolex bracelet clasp codes, 1976 to 2010.
Code Year
A or VA 1976
B or VB 1977
C or VC 1978
D or VD 1979
E or VE 1980
F or VF 1981
G 1982
H 1983
I 1984
J 1985
K 1986
L 1987
M 1988
N 1989
O 1990
P 1991
Q 1992
R 1993
S 1994
T or W 1995
V 1996
Z 1997
U 1998
X 1999
AB 2000
DE 2001
DT 2002
AD 2003
CL 2004
MA 2005
OP 2006
EO 2007
PJ 2008
LT 2009
RS 2010
Randomised 2011 onward

Dial codes

Rolex stamps a code on the dial itself. On older dials the first digit gives the colour and the second the index style. From 2011 the format changed to three alphanumeric characters.

Dial code first digit, colour.
Digit Colour
1 Silver
2 Champagne
3 Black
4 Steel
5 White
6 Blue
7 Bronze
8 Pink
Dial code second digit, index style.
Digit Index style
0 Stick index
2 Sunbeam roman
3 Roman
5 Jubilee roman
6 Maxi arabic
7 Index with 3, 6, 9 arabic
8 Waves arabic
9 Sunbeam roman

Case back date codes

Through the 1950s and 1960s Rolex stamped a quarter and year inside many case backs, written as a Roman numeral and two digits. III62 is the third quarter of 1962. This is the fix for the duplicate-serial problem described earlier, and it needs the case opened to read.

Red letters on older United States papers

Some older Rolex guarantee certificates issued in the United States carry red letters recording the date the watch shipped from Rolex USA to a dealer. The cipher maps the letters of ROLEXWATCH onto the digits 1 to 0.

The ROLEXWATCH cipher used on older United States papers.
R O L E X W A T C H
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

A stamp reading L RCCT decodes as month 3 and 1998, giving March 1998. The letters only ever relate to the paperwork, never to the watch.

Country codes

A three-digit code in the upper left of the guarantee certificate records the market where the watch was first sold. There is no code for the United States on older papers, and most certificates from before 1980 carry none at all.

Rolex guarantee certificate country codes.
Code Market
010 to 045 Switzerland
100 Germany
110, 113 France
120 to 128 Austria
130 Belgium and Luxembourg
133 to 138 Netherlands
150 Spain
160 England
170 Italy
200, 208 Greece
201 Malta
202 Turkey
213, 217 Portugal
226 to 233 Denmark
237 Iceland
265 to 271 Sweden
283 Finland
321 Czech Republic
400 Hong Kong
413 Korea
430 Singapore and Brunei
431 Malaysia
440 Taiwan
500 India
505 Pakistan
527 Middle East
532 Saudi Arabia
536 Abu Dhabi
537 Dubai
538 Oman
542 Iran
548 Israel
680 South Africa
700 Canada
710 United States
720 Mexico
741 Bahamas
742 Bermuda
752 Jamaica
758 Virgin Islands
761 Netherlands Antilles
762 Aruba
765 Antigua
766 Saint Martin
767 Grand Cayman
768 Panama
770 Venezuela
780 Brazil
781 Chile
783 Peru
790 Argentina
810 Australia
818 Philippines
828 China
842 New Zealand
871 Hawaii
872 Alaska
873 Guam
888 Hong Kong
900 Japan
906 NATO airbase, Germany

Rolex caliber reference

The caliber is the movement, and its introduction year sets the earliest possible date for the watch around it. That makes this table the most useful single input for dating a modern Rolex with a randomised serial.

Rolex calibers with introduction years and the models they power.
Caliber Used in Introduced Note
1030 Submariner, early Oyster Perpetual 1950s Butterfly rotor automatic.
1530 Submariner 5510, Oyster Perpetual 1957 Introduced with the 1500 series.
1570 Datejust, Submariner, GMT-Master 1957 to 1970s Long-running workhorse.
1575 Datejust, GMT-Master 1675 1960s to 1970s Date version of the 1570.
1556 Day-Date 1803 1960s
722, 727 Daytona, manual wind 1960s to 1988 Valjoux based, pre-automatic Daytona.
2030, 2035 Lady-Datejust 1970s to 1980s
3035 Date, Datejust, Submariner 1977 First men's high-beat Rolex caliber with quickset date.
3055 Day-Date 18038 1977 Single quickset.
3075 GMT-Master 16750, Explorer II 1979 to 1981 Quickset date.
3085 GMT-Master 1985 Independent hour hand.
2135 Lady-Datejust 69173, mid-size Datejust 1980s
4030 Daytona 16520 1988 to 2000 Based on the Zenith El Primero.
3135 Datejust, Submariner Date, Sea-Dweller 1988 Backbone of the modern Rolex range for three decades.
3155 Day-Date 18238, 118238 1988 Double quickset.
3175 GMT-Master 16700 1988
3185 GMT-Master II 16710, Explorer II 16570 1988
3000 Submariner 14060, Air-King 14000 1990 No date.
2235 Lady-Datejust, Lady Yacht-Master 1999
4130 Daytona 116520 2000 First fully in-house Rolex chronograph caliber.
3130 Submariner 14060M, Air-King 2001 No date, successor to the 3000.
3131 Milgauss, Air-King 2007 Anti-magnetic shield.
3186 GMT-Master II 116710, Explorer II 2007 Parachrom hairspring.
3156 Day-Date II 218238 2008
3132 Explorer 214270, Submariner 114060 2010 Paraflex shock absorbers.
3187 Explorer II 216570 2011
9001 Sky-Dweller 326938 2012 Annual calendar and dual time zone.
3255 Day-Date 40 228238, Day-Date 36 128238 2015 Chronergy escapement, 70-hour reserve, instantaneous day and date.
3235 Datejust 41, Submariner Date 126610, Sea-Dweller 2015 onward Chronergy escapement, 70-hour reserve.
2236 Lady-Datejust 28, Datejust 31 2015 Syloxi silicon hairspring.
3285 GMT-Master II 126710, Explorer II 226570 2018 Dual time zone, 70-hour reserve.
3230 Submariner 124060, Explorer 124270, Oyster Perpetual 2020 No date.
2232 Oyster Perpetual 28 and 31 2020 Syloxi hairspring.
4131 Daytona 126500 2023 Successor to the 4130.
9002 Sky-Dweller 336934 2023 Updated annual calendar.
7135 Land-Dweller 127334 2025 Dynapulse escapement, 5 Hz, 66-hour reserve.

What a Rolex serial number can and cannot prove

A serial number on its own does not prove a Rolex is genuine. Counterfeits carry serial numbers, and the better ones carry serials copied from real watches, which means the number will check out against any chart. A serial is one data point that has to agree with the reference number, the movement, the case finishing, the rehaut, the crystal etching and the paperwork. Agreement across all of those is what authentication means. A matching serial by itself means very little.

What a serial is genuinely good for:

  • Confirming a reference falls inside its known serial range, which catches a mismatched case or a redialled watch
  • Establishing provenance, if the watch has appeared at auction or been documented before
  • Checking against stolen watch databases
  • Insurance identification, which is the one context where the full number is genuinely needed

A missing or shallow-looking serial is a serious warning sign. Rolex engraving is crisp and even. Polished-out, re-cut or absent serials point to a counterfeit, a heavily over-polished case, or a watch someone did not want traced.

Do not publish your full serial number

Keep the full number private. A published serial can be engraved onto a counterfeit, used to forge warranty papers, or re-engraved onto a stolen watch, and every one of those outcomes creates a problem for the owner of the original rather than for the forger. Dealers and collectors use partial forms instead: F series, 1.2M serial, 512XXX, or the last digits blurred in photographs. Every example on this page follows that convention. Share the full number with a buyer, an insurer or a watchmaker, and not with a forum.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out what year my Rolex was made?

Find the serial number, then match it against the year chart on this page. On a Rolex made before about 2005 the serial is between the lugs at 6 o'clock, under the bracelet. On later watches it is on the rehaut, visible through the crystal. If the serial is eight mixed letters and numbers, the watch was made after about 2010 and the serial carries no date, so use the warranty card, the caliber and the case details instead.

Where is the serial number on a Rolex?

Between the lugs at 6 o'clock on watches made before roughly 2005, which means removing the bracelet, and laser-engraved on the rehaut at 6 o'clock on later watches. Between about 2005 and 2008 many Rolex watches carry it in both places.

Is the serial number on the back of a Rolex?

Not on standard production Oyster models. It sits between the lugs or on the rehaut. Some older non-Oyster dress watches do carry it on the case back, inside or out, but a modern Rolex with a serial engraved on the case back should be treated with suspicion.

Can you tell what year a Rolex was made from the serial number?

For watches made before about 2010, yes, to within a year or two. From 2010 onward, no. Rolex moved to randomised serials that contain no date information, so a modern Rolex cannot be dated from its serial at all.

Why can't a Rolex made after 2010 be dated from its serial number?

Because Rolex deliberately randomised them. The eight-character serials issued from around 2010 are non-sequential and encode nothing about production date. The stated purpose was to make counterfeiting and grey-market tracking harder.

Why do Rolex serial number charts show different years for the same serial?

Because Rolex has never published serial-to-year records, so every chart is reconstructed from watches collectors have examined. Different sample sets produce different boundaries. On 1966 the two datasets on this page are about 580,000 serials apart. Any chart presenting a single figure for that year is overstating what is known.

Does Rolex publish official serial number records?

No. Rolex does not publish production data and does not confirm production dates from serial numbers on request. Any service claiming access to official Rolex records is not describing something that exists publicly.

What is the rehaut on a Rolex?

The rehaut is the inner ring between the dial and the crystal, sometimes called the flange. On modern Rolex watches it carries ROLEX repeated around its circumference, with the serial number laser-engraved at 6 o'clock and a coronet at 12.

When did Rolex start engraving the serial on the rehaut?

Around 2004, becoming common from 2005 and rolling out model by model. The sports models were updated part-way through the Z serial in 2007, and by 2008 the whole Oyster range carried it. The lettering style changed around 2014 to 2015 from hollow block letters to a sandblasted finish.

When did Rolex start using the laser-etched crown on the crystal?

It was phased in from about 2001 to 2002, starting with the Submariner no-date, Air-King, Explorer and Daytona, and reaching the rest of the range including Cellini by 2003 or early 2004. The green-crystal Milgauss is the exception and has none.

How many digits is a Rolex serial number?

Between four and eight depending on era. Early watches have four or five digits, the mid-century sequences run to six and then seven, letter-prefix serials are one letter plus six digits, and randomised serials are eight mixed characters.

What do the letters at the start of a Rolex serial number mean?

On watches made between late 1987 and 2010, the letter indicates a production period. The sequence ran R, L, E, X, N, C, S, W, T, U, A, P, K, Y, F, D, Z, M, V, G. The first four spell ROLEX without the O. On watches made after 2010 the letters are randomised and mean nothing.

Are there Rolex serial number letters that were never used?

Yes. B, I, J, O and Q were not used for Rolex production serials and were generally reserved for Tudor cases, although a small number of randomised serials are reported starting with J, O or Q.

My Rolex has a serial in the 4 million range but it isn't from the 1970s. Is it fake?

Probably not. Rolex held the 4.3 to 4.8 million range back for service replacement cases when it jumped production serials from about 4.26 million to 5.0 million in 1976. A serial in that band usually indicates a case Rolex supplied during a service, which affects value and should be disclosed, but does not make the watch counterfeit.

Can two Rolex watches have the same serial number?

Effectively yes, across eras. Rolex reached 999,999 in the early 1950s and restarted from a low number, so serials from the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s duplicate numbers already issued in the 1930s and 1940s. Case back date codes and the reference number separate them.

Does a serial number prove a Rolex is real?

No. Counterfeits carry serial numbers, often copied from genuine watches, so a serial that checks out against a chart proves nothing on its own. Authentication means the serial, the reference, the movement, the case finishing and the paperwork all agreeing, verified in person.

Should I share my Rolex serial number when selling it?

Share it with a buyer, a dealer, an insurer or a watchmaker. Do not publish it in a public listing, a forum post or a social media photograph. A published serial can be engraved onto a counterfeit or used to forge papers, which creates problems for the owner of the original. Dealers use partial forms such as F series or 512XXX instead.

What should I do if my Rolex has no serial number?

Treat it as a serious warning sign and have the watch inspected before buying or selling. A missing serial points to a counterfeit, a case polished so heavily the engraving is gone, or a watch that has had its identity removed.

What is the difference between a Rolex serial number and a reference number?

The serial number identifies the individual case and is unique to that watch, sits at 6 o'clock, and indicates an approximate production year on pre-2010 watches. The reference number identifies the model, is shared by every example of that model, sits at 12 o'clock, and tells you the case size, bezel type and material.

How do I read a Rolex reference number?

Split it into model, bezel and material. A five-digit reference uses three digits for the model, one for the bezel and one for the material. A six-digit reference uses four for the model and keeps the last two positions, plus an optional letter suffix for the bezel colour. In 228238, 2282 is the Day-Date 40, 3 is a fluted bezel and 8 is 18k yellow gold.

What does the last digit of a Rolex reference number mean?

The case material, but the code was reassigned between eras. On a vintage reference 1 means yellow gold filled and 5 means gold shell. On a modern reference 1 means Oystersteel with Everose gold and 5 means solid Everose gold. Using the vintage table on a current reference gives the wrong answer, which is why this page publishes both.

What does LN mean on a Rolex reference?

LN is short for lunette noire, French for black bezel. It appears on references such as the Submariner Date 126610LN and the Cosmograph Daytona 126500LN. Rolex uses French abbreviations because the company is based in Geneva.

What does BLNR mean on a Rolex?

BLNR stands for bleu and noir, blue and black, describing the two-tone Cerachrom bezel on the GMT-Master II 116710BLNR and 126710BLNR. Collectors call it the Batman, or the Batgirl when it comes on a Jubilee bracelet.

Which reference is the Batman GMT-Master II?

The 116710BLNR, produced from 2013 to 2019, and the current 126710BLNR from 2019 onward. Both have a blue and black Cerachrom bezel. The 126710BLNR on a Jubilee bracelet is often called the Batgirl.

What is the difference between the Hulk, the Kermit and the Starbucks?

All three are green-bezel Submariner Dates. The Kermit is the 16610LV, an aluminium green bezel with a black dial, made for the Submariner's 50th anniversary. The Hulk is the 116610LV, green ceramic bezel with a green dial. The Starbucks is the current 126610LV, green ceramic bezel with a black dial.

How do I date a Rolex without box and papers?

Use the serial number if the watch predates 2010. If it does not, combine the caliber's introduction year, the rehaut engraving style, the presence and style of the laser-etched crown, the anti-reflective coating, the clasp code and the reference number's production window. Three of those agreeing gives a reliable window.

What is a Rolex clasp code and does it date the watch?

It is a letter and number stamped inside the clasp hinge giving the month and year the clasp was made, so G4 is April 1982. It dates the bracelet, not the watch. Bracelets are replaced during service, and a trailing S marks a replacement. Clasp codes were randomised from mid 2011.

Does an older serial number make a Rolex worth more?

Not by itself. Age affects value through rarity, condition and desirability of the specific reference and dial, not through the serial number as such. Certain serial ranges do matter where they correspond to a rare transitional variant, which is exactly why the serial has to be read alongside the reference.

Identified your reference

Pinnacle Chrono is an independent luxury watch dealer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, working with collectors nationwide. Two things happen most often after someone uses this page.

You own the watch and want a number on it

Pinnacle Chrono buys outright, trades against inventory, and takes consignment where that route returns more. Send the reference, the condition and whether the set is complete. Every piece is authenticated and serviced before it is listed, and the same eye goes over anything being valued. Start with selling a Rolex, trading a watch or consignment.

You want the watch and cannot find it

Most listings are price on enquiry and pieces are sourced to order through the dealer network. That suits the buyer who is waitlisted at an authorised dealer, chasing a discontinued reference, or blocked by allocation. Send the reference and expect a figure with condition and completeness stated. See watch sourcing, how sourcing works, the waitlist alternative, or browse Rolex inventory.

Pinnacle Chrono
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334
954-667-8319
sales@pinnaclechrono.com
Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00 ET. Insured nationwide shipping. International enquiries by phone.

About the data on this page

Serial-to-year figures are approximate and compiled from watches documented by collectors over several decades. Rolex publishes no official serial or production data, and the datasets shown disagree in places, which is why ranges appear rather than single years. Reference and caliber information reflects catalogue data as published; verify current models against Rolex directly. Pinnacle Chrono is an independent dealer and is not an authorised dealer for Rolex. Rolex and its model names are trademarks of Rolex SA. This page is provided for reference.