Type of
Watch
| Oyster Perp Date - 15 &
150 |
Oyster Perpetual -
10 & 140 |
 |
| Oyster PD (Older) - 65 &
66 |
Oyster Perpetual
Chronometer -142 |
| Oyster Prep Date
Chronometer - 15 & 150 |
Oyster Prep Datejust -
16 & 160 |
| Oyster quartz Datejust -
170 |
Oyster PD - 18,180, 182
& 183 |
| Oyster Quartz Date - 190 |
Midsize Oyster Prep DJ -
682 |
| Sea Dweller - 16 & 166 |
Lady Oyster Perpetual -
67 & 671 |
| Submariner OP - 55 & 140
& 6538 |
Lady OP Datejust - 65,
69, 691 & 692 |
| Thunderbird Bezel DJ -
16 & 162 |
Lady OP Date - 65, 69,
691 & 692 |
| Submariner - 16, 166 &
168 |
Airking - 55 & 140 |
| Daytona Manual Wind - 62 |
Yacht Master - 166, 686
& 696 |
| Daytona Cosmography -
165 |
Explorer - 165 |
| GMT Master - 167 |
|
Type of Bezel on
case 4th
|
0 Polished/Smooth |
3 Fluted |
5 Pyramid |
|
1 Finely Engine Turned |
4 Hand-Crafted |
6 Rotating Bezel |
|
2 Engine Turned |
|
|
Type of Material of
case 5th
|
0 Stainless |
4 Stainless/White Gold |
7 14k Yellow Gold |
|
1 Yellow Gold Filled |
5 Gold Shell |
8 18k Yellow Gold |
|
2 White Gold Filled |
6 Platinum |
9 18k White Gold |
|
3 Stainless & Yellow
Gold |
|
|
| |
|
**For example on a
four digit model number** |
|
1601 Datejust is all
steel or steel and gold or all Gold. |
|
All three datejusts are
the same model number (1601) |
|
|
|
**for example on a
five digit model number** |
|
16200 all steel, smooth
bezel. |
|
16220 is an all steel
engine turned bezel |
|
16234 is an all steel
white gold fluted bezel. |
|
16203 is a to tone 18k
yellow gold smooth bezel. |
|
16233 is a to tone
18kyellow gold fluted bezel. |
|
|
Production Dates By Serial
Number...
| 28,000-
1926 |
413,200
-1946 |
1,792,000 -1965 |
8,338,000- 1984 |
| 30,430- 1927 |
478,300- 1947 |
1,871,000- 1966 |
8,814,000- 1985 |
| 32,960
-1928 |
543,400-
1948 |
2,163,900 -1967 |
9,290,000 -1986 |
| 35,390 -1929 |
608,500- 1949 |
2,426,800- 1968 |
9,766,000- 1987 |
| 37,820
-1930 |
673,600-
1950 |
2,689,700- 1969 |
9,999,999- 1987 ½ |
| 40,250 -1931 |
738,700- 1951 |
2,952,600- 1970 |
R000,000 -1987 ½
|
| 42,680
-1932 |
803,800-
1952 |
3,215,500- 1971 |
L000,001- 1989 |
| 45,000 -1934 |
950,000- 1953 |
3,478,400- 1972 |
E000,001- 1990 ½
|
| 63,000
-1935 |
999,999-
1954 |
3,741,300- 1973 |
X000,001- 1991 ¾ |
| 81,000 -1936 |
200,000- 1955 |
4,004,200- 1974 |
N000,001- 1991 ¾ |
| 99,000
-1937 |
400,000-
1956 |
4,267,100- 1975 |
C000,001
-1992 ¼ |
| 117,000- 1938 |
600,000- 1957 |
4,539,000- 1976 |
S000,001- 1993 ¾ |
| 135,000
-1939 |
800,000-
1958 |
5,006,000- 1977 |
W000,001
-1995 |
| 164,600 -1940 |
1,100,000- 1959 |
5,482,000- 1978 |
T000,001- 1995 ½ |
| 194,200
-1941 |
1,402,000- 1960 |
5,482,000- 1979 |
U000,001- 1997 ½ |
| 223,800 -1942 |
1,480,000- 1961 |
5,958,000- 1980 |
A000,001- 1999 |
| 253,400
-1943 |
1,558,000- 1962 |
6,910,000- 1981 |
P000,001 2000
½ |
| 283,000 -1944 |
1,636,000 -1963 |
7,386,000- 1982 |
K000.001 2001-2002 |
| 348,100-
1945 |
1,714,000 -1964 |
7,862,000- 1983 |
Y000,001 2002 3/4 |
| |
|
|
F000,001 2003 3/4 |
| In early 1999,
Rolex began using the A prefix...A000,001 |
|
* When Rolex reached the 999,999
production serial in the early 1950's...they restarted the
production serial at 100,000 rather than begin a 7 digit number at
1,000,000. During this period Rolex was also putting the date code
on the inside of the case backs...so confusing production serials
can sometimes have their production date determined. Look for the
Roman number I, II, III or IV for the quarter & two Arabic digits
for the year.
In the late 1950's, Rolex again reached the 999,999 production
serial & they started their 7 digit numeric numbering system at
1,000,000 for production serials, this continued until the 1990's
until production serials reached 9,999,999.
Rather than begin an 8 digit production serial, Rolex instead began
their serials with a letter prefix such as R, then L, E & X. (ROLEX
without the O) N, C, & S came out during the early to mid 1990's, W,
T & U a little later. The latest letter prefixes are all running
concurrently...as Rolex wishes! Only Rolex knows the exact date that
any watch was actually produced.
|
|
ROLEX OYSTER CASE PRODUCTION DATES
BY SERIAL NUMBER |
|
PLEASE NOTE:
In mid 1954 Rolex went back to 100,000. Not to 1,100,000 on case
numbers for the Oyster watch
Back to
Rolex Information Page |
|
