Serial Numbers Watches

ROLEX SERIAL NUMBERS ( ESTIMATED YEARS COLLECTORS )

Serial Numbers by Date of Manufacture.

"Round Number" Serial Number List

Please Note: The following list is a "Work in Progress" and will be updated periodically.

Serial # ........................Date

240000 .............................1956
250000 .............................1957
260000 .............................1958
270000 .............................1959
280000 .............................1960
340000 .............................1961
340000 .............................1962
390000 .............................1963
430000 .............................1964
430000 .............................1965
560000 .............................1966
590000 .............................1967
620000 .............................1968
680000 .............................1969
740000 .............................1970
750000 .............................1971
770000 .............................1972
790000 .............................1973
810000 .............................1974
830000 .............................1975
840000 .............................1976
860000 .............................1977
880000 .............................1978
900000 .............................1979
930000 .............................1980
950000 .............................1981
970000 ...........................1982
980000 ............................1983
990000 .............................1984
140000 ...........................1985
170000 .............................1986
190000 ...........................1987
210000 .............................1988
260000 ...........................1989
B330000 .............................1990
B360000 ...........................1991
B390000 .............................1992
B500000 ...........................1993
B560000 .............................1994
B590000 ...........................1995
B790000 .............................1996
B850000 ...........................1997
B990000 .............................1998
H130000 ...........................1999
H170000 .............................2000
H240000 ...........................2001
H300000 .............................2002

Rolex Letter   Started in...                                             

 -------------         ---------------------

    R            1987

    L             1988

    E            1990

    X            1991

    N          1991 (NOV)

    C            1992

    S            1993

    W          1995

    T            1996

    U           1997 (AUG)

    A            1998 (NOV)

    P            2000 (JAN)

    K            2001 (SEP)

    Y            2002 (SEP)

    F            2003 (SEP)

    D            2005 (APR)

    Z            2006 (MAY)

    M          2007 (AUG)

    V            2008 (AUG)

G                     2010

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.

* In 2010, Rolex abandoned their conventional numbering sequence in favor for a random serial. An example of these indecipherable numbers is "OT23Q257".

** In 1987, 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. Confused...contact Rolex with the exact serial number of your watch...don't expect a reply with an answer! 

*** 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.