Reference:Serial-numbers - Revision history

Admin: Add Air-King 5500 serial-band note to Per-family serial chart links — 1957-1989 32-year run, case numbers ~365,000 to late 7M, Roman-quarter caseback stamps, "1002" stamp period-correct

2026-04-30T03:24:39Z

Add Air-King 5500 serial-band note to Per-family serial chart links — 1957-1989 32-year run, case numbers ~365,000 to late 7M, Roman-quarter caseback stamps, "1002" stamp period-correct

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:24, 30 April 2026
Line 366:		Line 366:

	The decoder above gets the year band. The individual reference pages carry the detailed tables. The 16520 remains the clearest letter-by-letter example, and the manual-wind Daytonas sit on Pergola-based numeric ranges. For everything else, the relevant reference page is the right place to look.		The decoder above gets the year band. The individual reference pages carry the detailed tables. The 16520 remains the clearest letter-by-letter example, and the manual-wind Daytonas sit on Pergola-based numeric ranges. For everything else, the relevant reference page is the right place to look.

			The [[Reference:5500\|Air-King 5500]] is the longest-running single Rolex reference at 32 years (1957 to 1989). Its case-number band spans roughly 365,000 (early 1958) through to the late seven-million range (1985 to 1989) — covering the full numeric-serial era and crossing into the early letter serials toward the end. Inside-caseback Roman-quarter date stamps (II.65, III.71, IV.83, etc.) are the cleaner per-watch dating tell on a 5500 since the case-number band overlaps with much of the broader Oyster Perpetual / Datejust production. Caseback inside stamps frequently read "1002" rather than "5500" on 1970s-onward production — period-correct, since the 5500 shares its case middle with the 1002 Oyster Perpetual.

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

Admin: Trim dealer/source name-drops in prose per CLAUDE.md hard rule #5 + user feedback. Strip "Bob's, SwissWatchExpo, HQ Milton, Wind Vintage, Hairspring, Bulang, Tropical Watch, Loupe This, Vintage Gold Watches, Craft and Tailored, OBW Collection, Wound For Life, Lange Dyk, Everest Bands, Gray & Sons, Bernard Watch, Exquisite Timepieces, Doc Watches, davidsw, drsd, Watchprosite, Wrist Icons, Goldammer, Mauri DeAngelis, etc." from prose body. Keep facts. Source list at bottom unchanged.

2026-04-29T13:38:21Z

Trim dealer/source name-drops in prose per CLAUDE.md hard rule #5 + user feedback. Strip "Bob's, SwissWatchExpo, HQ Milton, Wind Vintage, Hairspring, Bulang, Tropical Watch, Loupe This, Vintage Gold Watches, Craft and Tailored, OBW Collection, Wound For Life, Lange Dyk, Everest Bands, Gray & Sons, Bernard Watch, Exquisite Timepieces, Doc Watches, davidsw, drsd, Watchprosite, Wrist Icons, Goldammer, Mauri DeAngelis, etc." from prose body. Keep facts. Source list at bottom unchanged.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:38, 29 April 2026
Line 127:		Line 127:
	=== Why the serial-system year-letter chart fails for the Prince era ===		=== Why the serial-system year-letter chart fails for the Prince era ===

	The Rolex letter-prefix serial system documented above (1987–2010) postdates Prince production by 50+ years. The pre-1987 numeric system was sequential rather than calendar-locked: serial ranges advanced as production volume cleared blocks of numbers, and a watch with serial 70,000 in one year of pre-WWII production might overlap with a watch numbered 80,000 in the same year of a different reference. Rolex's own archival material for the era is incomplete, and the published numeric-serial-to-year correspondences ~~(Bob's Watches, Crown & Caliber, etc.)~~ cover the post-WWII era reasonably well but become unreliable before 1948. For a 1928–1945 Prince or pre-WWII Bubbleback, the case import hallmark is the more reliable anchor.		The Rolex letter-prefix serial system documented above (1987–2010) postdates Prince production by 50+ years. The pre-1987 numeric system was sequential rather than calendar-locked: serial ranges advanced as production volume cleared blocks of numbers, and a watch with serial 70,000 in one year of pre-WWII production might overlap with a watch numbered 80,000 in the same year of a different reference. Rolex's own archival material for the era is incomplete, and the published numeric-serial-to-year correspondences cover the post-WWII era reasonably well but become unreliable before 1948. For a 1928–1945 Prince or pre-WWII Bubbleback, the case import hallmark is the more reliable anchor.

	=== Prince case-number anchors ===		=== Prince case-number anchors ===
Line 215:		Line 215:
	\| [[Reference:3937\|3937]] \|\| 64,190 \|\| 14K yellow gold Rams Horn \|\| 1938 — earliest documented 3937 \|\| Bonhams 2023 lot 50 (production-launch anchor)		\| [[Reference:3937\|3937]] \|\| 64,190 \|\| 14K yellow gold Rams Horn \|\| 1938 — earliest documented 3937 \|\| Bonhams 2023 lot 50 (production-launch anchor)
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[Reference:3937\|3937]] \|\| (Garbett presentation) \|\| 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club \|\| dial: post-service Rolex-signed; caseback: "Presented to Sidnet Garbett ... 1926–1951" \|\| Sotheby's NY 2020 lot 73		\| [[Reference:3937\|3937]] \|\| (Garbett presentation) \|\| 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club \|\| dial: post-service Rolex-signed; caseback: "Presented to Sidnet Garbett... 1926–1951" \|\| Sotheby's NY 2020 lot 73
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[Reference:3937\|3937]] \|\| (Bird presentation) \|\| 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club, 21×45mm \|\| caseback: "Presented to Donald M. Bird ... 1926–1951" \|\| 1stdibs (dealer-level)		\| [[Reference:3937\|3937]] \|\| (Bird presentation) \|\| 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club, 21×45mm \|\| caseback: "Presented to Donald M. Bird... 1926–1951" \|\| 1stdibs (dealer-level)
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[Reference:3937\|3937]] \|\| (McMackon presentation) \|\| 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club \|\| caseback: "Presented to Fred W. McMackon ... 1928–1953" — latest documented 3937 Eaton presentation \|\| Collectors Weekly family-heirloom story		\| [[Reference:3937\|3937]] \|\| (McMackon presentation) \|\| 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club \|\| caseback: "Presented to Fred W. McMackon... 1928–1953" — latest documented 3937 Eaton presentation \|\| Collectors Weekly family-heirloom story
	\|-		\|-
	\| 6222 (Eaton successor) \|\| (King presentation) \|\| automatic Oyster — post-Prince Eaton continuity \|\| caseback: "Presented to Reginald A. King ... 1929–1954" \|\| Antiquorum HK 2005 lot 86/19. Documents Eaton program continuing past the rectangular Prince era through 1966		\| 6222 (Eaton successor) \|\| (King presentation) \|\| automatic Oyster — post-Prince Eaton continuity \|\| caseback: "Presented to Reginald A. King... 1929–1954" \|\| Antiquorum HK 2005 lot 86/19. Documents Eaton program continuing past the rectangular Prince era through 1966
	\|}		\|}

Admin: Reference:Serial-numbers: add vintage Sub/Explorer/GMT case-number anchors section. Captures case-band data from 13-rebuild research wave: 6204 (988,xxx + 949,xxx + 42,xxx Sub-Aqua tail), 6205 (21,3xx Series-1 + 85,9xx Series-2), 6200 (320-322k), 6536/1 (112-399k spanning 1955-59), 6538 (Blackbird 4-series breakdown 140k-449k), 5510 (362,xxx 1958), 5508 (361k-764k 1958-62), 6098 (912,378 Vailati Sesto Continente 1952), 6150 (931-945k 1953), 6350 (955,190-948 tight 760-unit batch 1953-55), 661...

2026-04-29T13:21:22Z

Reference:Serial-numbers: add vintage Sub/Explorer/GMT case-number anchors section. Captures case-band data from 13-rebuild research wave: 6204 (988,xxx + 949,xxx + 42,xxx Sub-Aqua tail), 6205 (21,3xx Series-1 + 85,9xx Series-2), 6200 (320-322k), 6536/1 (112-399k spanning 1955-59), 6538 (Blackbird 4-series breakdown 140k-449k), 5510 (362,xxx 1958), 5508 (361k-764k 1958-62), 6098 (912,378 Vailati Sesto Continente 1952), 6150 (931-945k 1953), 6350 (955,190-948 tight 760-unit batch 1953-55), 661...

Show changes

Admin: Add 3937 case-number anchors (Bonhams 2023 case 64,190 1938 production-launch, Sotheby's 2020 Garbett 1926-1951, 1stdibs Bird 1926-1951, Collectors Weekly McMackon 1928-1953) plus companion 6222 Eaton successor (King 1929-1954)

2026-04-29T03:45:03Z

Add 3937 case-number anchors (Bonhams 2023 case 64,190 1938 production-launch, Sotheby's 2020 Garbett 1926-1951, 1stdibs Bird 1926-1951, Collectors Weekly McMackon 1928-1953) plus companion 6222 Eaton successor (King 1929-1954)

@@ Line 212: / Line 212: @@
 |-
 | [[Reference:3362|3362]] || 62,482 || 14K pink gold Aerodynamic case || c.**1935** — earlier than canonical 3361 production; Friedberg dates 3362 to 1940 (contradiction unresolved) || Antiquorum May 2015 sale 291 lot 109 (hammer CHF 11,250)
 |}

Admin: Add 3361/3362 Aerodynamic case-number anchors: Mondani 1952 pair (cases 899,568 + 899,677), Antiquorum NY 2015 mvt T94122 c.1940, Phillips Milestones SN T61239, PatekMonger Cuervo y Sobrinos case 59,330, Antiquorum 2015 3362 14K pink case 62,482 c.1935 (contradicts Friedberg)

2026-04-29T02:46:12Z

Add 3361/3362 Aerodynamic case-number anchors: Mondani 1952 pair (cases 899,568 + 899,677), Antiquorum NY 2015 mvt T94122 c.1940, Phillips Milestones SN T61239, PatekMonger Cuervo y Sobrinos case 59,330, Antiquorum 2015 3362 14K pink case 62,482 c.1935 (contradicts Friedberg)

@@ Line 200: / Line 200: @@
 |-
 | [[Reference:1527|1527]] || (1940s) || steel + gold-filled stepped Railway || 1940s — late-production end of 1527 line || Bonhams NY 2006 sale 15217 lot 9
 |}

Admin: Add 5 1527 case-number anchors to Prince case-number table: Vicenza 1992 (earliest Railway naming), Mondani 1931 bamboo CHF 27,140 corpus high, Drouot 6920 1527 M variant, EveryWatch 6936 Glasgow 1931, Bonhams 2006 1940s steel+gold-filled late-production anchor

2026-04-29T02:24:27Z

Add 5 1527 case-number anchors to Prince case-number table: Vicenza 1992 (earliest Railway naming), Mondani 1931 bamboo CHF 27,140 corpus high, Drouot 6920 1527 M variant, EveryWatch 6936 Glasgow 1931, Bonhams 2006 1940s steel+gold-filled late-production anchor

@@ Line 190: / Line 190: @@
 |-
 | [[Reference:1491|1491]] || F220 || two-color 18K gold 1491HS jump-hour || c.1930 || Bonhams sale 29152 lot 6 (also 2024 lot, F220 stamp)
 |}

Admin: Add 1491 case-number anchors: Glasgow 1930 (Bonhams 29152/23), F2149HS Bucherer 1945 (Antiquorum 2008), F220 two-color (Bonhams 29152/6). HS-prefix is factory case-stamp pattern.

2026-04-28T14:49:13Z

Add 1491 case-number anchors: Glasgow 1930 (Bonhams 29152/23), F2149HS Bucherer 1945 (Antiquorum 2008), F220 two-color (Bonhams 29152/6). HS-prefix is factory case-stamp pattern.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:49, 28 April 2026
Line 184:		Line 184:
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[Reference:1862\|1862]] \|\| 280,124 \|\| 18K yellow (1862A variant) \|\| c.1930 \|\| Sotheby's NY 2018 n09911 lot 53		\| [[Reference:1862\|1862]] \|\| 280,124 \|\| 18K yellow (1862A variant) \|\| c.1930 \|\| Sotheby's NY 2018 n09911 lot 53
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1491\|1491]] \|\| (Glasgow 1930) \|\| 18K yellow gold jump-hour Brancard \|\| Glasgow Import mark 1930 — earliest documented 1491 \|\| Bonhams sale 29152 lot 23
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1491\|1491]] \|\| F2149HS \|\| white-gold 1491HS Bucherer-retailed \|\| c.1945 (original Bucherer invoice) \|\| Antiquorum 2008 lot 692
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1491\|1491]] \|\| F220 \|\| two-color 18K gold 1491HS jump-hour \|\| c.1930 \|\| Bonhams sale 29152 lot 6 (also 2024 lot, F220 stamp)
	\|}		\|}

Admin: Add Prince case-number anchor table — 23 documented case numbers across 971 / 1490 / 1862 with hallmark dates and auction provenance

2026-04-28T14:17:21Z

Add Prince case-number anchor table — 23 documented case numbers across 971 / 1490 / 1862 with hallmark dates and auction provenance

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:17, 28 April 2026
Line 128:		Line 128:

	The Rolex letter-prefix serial system documented above (1987–2010) postdates Prince production by 50+ years. The pre-1987 numeric system was sequential rather than calendar-locked: serial ranges advanced as production volume cleared blocks of numbers, and a watch with serial 70,000 in one year of pre-WWII production might overlap with a watch numbered 80,000 in the same year of a different reference. Rolex's own archival material for the era is incomplete, and the published numeric-serial-to-year correspondences (Bob's Watches, Crown & Caliber, etc.) cover the post-WWII era reasonably well but become unreliable before 1948. For a 1928–1945 Prince or pre-WWII Bubbleback, the case import hallmark is the more reliable anchor.		The Rolex letter-prefix serial system documented above (1987–2010) postdates Prince production by 50+ years. The pre-1987 numeric system was sequential rather than calendar-locked: serial ranges advanced as production volume cleared blocks of numbers, and a watch with serial 70,000 in one year of pre-WWII production might overlap with a watch numbered 80,000 in the same year of a different reference. Rolex's own archival material for the era is incomplete, and the published numeric-serial-to-year correspondences (Bob's Watches, Crown & Caliber, etc.) cover the post-WWII era reasonably well but become unreliable before 1948. For a 1928–1945 Prince or pre-WWII Bubbleback, the case import hallmark is the more reliable anchor.

			=== Prince case-number anchors ===

			The Prince family is the densest documented case-number-to-year correspondence in the surfaced auction record. The cases are sequential within a configuration (e.g. 9K Glasgow imports), but not strictly sequential across all 1928–1945 production. The following anchors are useful starting points; cross-check against the case import hallmark before relying on a case number alone.

			{\| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
			\|-
			! Reference !! Case number !! Material / configuration !! Hallmark / dating !! Source
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 70,064 \|\| sterling silver \|\| English hallmark 1928 — earliest documented 971 \|\| Antiquorum NY 2010 lot 401 (Arman Collection)
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 70,668 \|\| sterling silver \|\| Glasgow 1929 \|\| Bonhams London 2018 lot 37
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 71,883 \|\| sterling silver \|\| c.1929–1930 \|\| Sotheby's 2019
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 011,651 \|\| steel + Beyer-double-signed dial \|\| c.1928 (NOS, found 1998) \|\| Phillips Geneva X CH080319/17
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 6,013 \|\| platinum, Cal. 300 7½′′′ 18-jewel \|\| c.1935 \|\| Phillips Geneva V/X/XIV (sold 3×)
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 6,047 \|\| platinum \|\| 1935 \|\| Phillips 2015 Watch Auction One lot 210
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 6,077 \|\| platinum \|\| c.1930 \|\| Antiquorum 2013
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 1,472 \|\| stainless + 14K, Eaton 1/4 Century \|\| dedication "1907–1932" \|\| Monaco Legend July 2019 lot 156
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 60,206 \|\| 9K bicolor "Zebra" \|\| c.1934 \|\| Antiquorum 2020 lot 235
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 65,196 \|\| 18K Tiger Stripe (971A) \|\| c.1930 \|\| Antiquorum 2015 lot 275
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 65,377 \|\| 18K Tiger Stripe (971A) \|\| c.1932 \|\| Antiquorum 2006 lot 316
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 68,305 \|\| 9K bicolor "Zebra" (971A) \|\| c.1932 \|\| Bonhams NY 2017 lot 133
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 68,591 \|\| 18K Tiger Stripe (971A) \|\| c.1938 — latest documented 971A \|\| Bonhams HK 2023 lot 644
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:971\|971]] \|\| 74,768 \|\| stainless steel (971U) \|\| box + papers \|\| Antiquorum 2024 lot 462
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1490\|1490]] \|\| 13,009 \|\| 18K yellow gold \|\| Glasgow 1933 \|\| Phillips NY 2023 NY080223/92 + Sotheby's 2019 L19070 (likely same watch)
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1490\|1490]] \|\| 17,365 \|\| steel + pink gold \|\| Cal. T.S. 300 Ultra Prima, 1935 \|\| Antiquorum May 2006 Mondani lot 46
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1490\|1490]] \|\| 38,525 \|\| steel + Bucherer-double-signed dial \|\| c.1937 \|\| Sotheby's Watches Online July 2019 lot 13
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1490\|1490]] \|\| 58,115 \|\| 18K (group lot with 1862) \|\| c.1930 \|\| Christie's Geneva 1395 lot 307
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1490\|1490]] \|\| 73,910 \|\| steel \|\| c.1936 \|\| Bonhams Nov 2023 lot 50
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1490\|1490]] \|\| 309,367 \|\| 14K Observatory grade \|\| caseback dedication 1947 — latest documented Prince case \|\| veryimportantlot
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1862\|1862]] \|\| 1,608 \|\| 9K \|\| Glasgow 1934 — earliest documented 1862 \|\| Antiquorum 249-98
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1862\|1862]] \|\| 16,237 \|\| 9K Glasgow + Cal. 527 \|\| Glasgow 1934 \|\| Christie's online lot 31 (sale 13523)
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1862\|1862]] \|\| 16,663 \|\| 18K (group lot with 1490) \|\| c.1938 \|\| Christie's Geneva 1395 lot 307
			\|-
			\| [[Reference:1862\|1862]] \|\| 280,124 \|\| 18K yellow (1862A variant) \|\| c.1930 \|\| Sotheby's NY 2018 n09911 lot 53
			\|}

			The pattern: Prince case numbers run in the low-to-mid five digits for sterling and 9K Glasgow imports across 1928–1937; the platinum 971 examples cluster at four-digit case numbers (6,013 / 6,047 / 6,077) consistent with low single-digit annual platinum production; the 1862 reaches into six-digit case numbers (280,124) on the 1862A 18K configuration; and the latest documented Prince case (309,367 on a 1947-dedicated 14K 1490) sits at the top of the surfaced range, bracketing Prince family production at approximately 1928–1947 for absolute outliers. Mid-1940s production is rare; the bulk of the surfaced corpus dates 1929–1937.

	=== Caseback engraving conventions ===		=== Caseback engraving conventions ===

Admin: Add Pre-1948 vintage references hallmark-dating section: Glasgow/Edinburgh assay marks, year-letter code workflow, presentation engraving conventions

2026-04-28T05:09:53Z

Add Pre-1948 vintage references hallmark-dating section: Glasgow/Edinburgh assay marks, year-letter code workflow, presentation engraving conventions

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:09, 28 April 2026
Line 107:		Line 107:

	For modern references the serial does much less. The reference itself usually gives the useful year band, while the random case serial adds almost nothing beyond confirming the watch is post-2010. After 2011 the clasp codes also randomize. For a precise year, paperwork or Rolex service history matters more than the serial.		For modern references the serial does much less. The reference itself usually gives the useful year band, while the random case serial adds almost nothing beyond confirming the watch is post-2010. After 2011 the clasp codes also randomize. For a precise year, paperwork or Rolex service history matters more than the serial.

			== Pre-1948 vintage references and hallmark dating ==

			For vintage references produced before approximately 1948 — including the Prince family ([[Reference:971\|971]], [[Reference:1490\|1490]], [[Reference:1491\|1491]], [[Reference:1527\|1527]], [[Reference:1862\|1862]], [[Reference:3361\|3361]], [[Reference:3937\|3937]]), the early Bubbleback era ([[Reference:2574\|2574]], [[Reference:2764\|2764]], [[Reference:2940\|2940]], [[Reference:3065\|3065]], [[Reference:3132\|3132]], [[Reference:3458\|3458]], [[Reference:3595\|3595]]), and the early Oysters — the numeric serial system on its own is rarely sufficient for precise dating. Movement and case numbers were not always issued in strict chronological order, and Rolex's own archival material for the pre-WWII period is incomplete. The standard collector practice is to anchor the date through case import hallmarks rather than serial numbers alone.

			=== Glasgow and Edinburgh assay marks ===

			British retailers required imported watches to be assayed and hallmarked by a British assay office before sale. Rolex used Glasgow most heavily, with Edinburgh and London also represented. Each assay office stamped the case with a year-letter code that pins the import date to a single year. The four marks present on a Glasgow-imported Rolex case are: the case-metal purity mark (`9` and `375` for 9K, `18` and `750` for 18K, `STG` or sterling lion for silver), the Glasgow town mark (a treelike emblem), the year-letter code, and the sponsor's mark (typically Rolex's own RWC Ltd punch). The year-letter alphabet rotates on a 25-letter cycle, with the letter shape changing across cycles to avoid ambiguity.

			For pre-1948 Rolex specifically, the practical dating workflow:

			1. Pull the case from the strap and examine the inside of the caseback under loupe.
			2. Identify the four hallmark stamps. The year-letter is typically the smallest of the four.
			3. Cross-reference the year-letter against the published Glasgow / Edinburgh / London assay tables (most collector hallmark guides, including the Vintage Rolex Field Manual by Colin A. White and standard British silver hallmark references, carry the full year-letter chart).
			4. Cross-check the result against the movement number range for the same period — a clear discrepancy between hallmark year and movement-number-implied year is a service-replacement signal.

			A specific example documents the workflow on the 971 reference: Antiquorum NY March 2010 lot 401 sold a sterling silver 971 with English hallmark dated 1928, case 70,064, movement 7,216, from the Arman Collection. The hallmark establishes the year of British import; the case and movement numbers fall within the documented 1928–1930 silver-import range, corroborating the hallmark date. This is the earliest documented 971 in the surfaced auction record.

			=== Why the serial-system year-letter chart fails for the Prince era ===

			The Rolex letter-prefix serial system documented above (1987–2010) postdates Prince production by 50+ years. The pre-1987 numeric system was sequential rather than calendar-locked: serial ranges advanced as production volume cleared blocks of numbers, and a watch with serial 70,000 in one year of pre-WWII production might overlap with a watch numbered 80,000 in the same year of a different reference. Rolex's own archival material for the era is incomplete, and the published numeric-serial-to-year correspondences (Bob's Watches, Crown & Caliber, etc.) cover the post-WWII era reasonably well but become unreliable before 1948. For a 1928–1945 Prince or pre-WWII Bubbleback, the case import hallmark is the more reliable anchor.

			=== Caseback engraving conventions ===

			A second dating signal on pre-1948 references is the caseback engraving style. Period-correct factory casebacks are stamped, not engraved — the marks are physically pressed into the metal at production. Hand-engraved caseback markings indicate post-factory work: either a re-engraving on a worn caseback or a replacement caseback engraved by a service shop. The exception is owner-presentation engraving (recipient names, dates, club affiliations) and retailer-program engraving — the [[Reference:971\|Eaton 1/4 Century Club]] presentations on Princes are the canonical example, with caseback inscriptions like "Presented to T.D. Switzer to mark a quarter-century of continuous service with T. Eaton C., Ltd., 1907–1932." Presentation engraving sits alongside the factory stamping rather than replacing it.

	== Cross-referencing for full dating ==		== Cross-referencing for full dating ==

Admin: Slop sweep: paragraph challenge + AI-tone scrub

2026-04-27T13:39:30Z

Slop sweep: paragraph challenge + AI-tone scrub

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:39, 27 April 2026
Line 2:		Line 2:
	<small>[[Main Page]] -> '''Serial Numbers'''</small>		<small>[[Main Page]] -> '''Serial Numbers'''</small>

	Rolex case serials ~~use~~ three systems by era: numeric through 1987, single-letter prefix from 1987 to mid-2010, and random alphanumeric after that. ~~The~~ serial dates the case~~, not the full watch~~, and the year is always approximate. ~~For vintage~~ authentication ~~it has~~ to agree with the bracelet, dial, and movement.		Rolex case serials run on three systems by era: a long numeric counter through 1987, a single-letter prefix from 1987 to mid-2010, and a random alphanumeric string after that. A serial dates the case alone, and the year it gives is always approximate. Vintage authentication needs the serial to agree with the bracelet, dial, and movement.

	== The three systems ==		== The three systems ==

	~~Rolex used three serial systems. First came the long~~ numeric counter~~, with~~ the famous 1954 reset. ~~Then came the~~ single-letter prefix ~~from~~ 1987 to mid-2010. ~~Then came~~ the ~~random alphanumeric string from mid-2010 onward. The~~ bracelet clasp date ~~code~~ is ~~a separate system and should not be confused with~~ the case serial.		The numeric counter ran through 1987 and carries the famous 1954 reset at the 999,999 ceiling. The single-letter prefix took over in 1987 and ran until mid-2010. Random alphanumerics took over after that. A separate system on the bracelet clasp uses its own date codes and is sometimes mistaken for the case serial.

	== Numeric serials (≤1987) ==		== Numeric serials (≤1987) ==

	Rolex never published a year-by-year numeric serial chart. Collector dating rests ~~mainly~~ on two books: Pergola ~~for~~ the ~~dense~~ mid-century ranges and Hess/Dowling ~~for~~ the longer early span. ~~They~~ agree on most bands. Where they differ, the gap is usually ~~only~~ a year at the edge of a transition.		Rolex never published a year-by-year numeric serial chart. Collector dating rests on two books. Carlo Pergola's ''Rolex Daytona, A Legend Is Born'' carries the densest mid-century ranges, and Jeffrey Hess and James Dowling's ''The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches'' covers the longer early span. The two agree on most bands. Where they differ, the gap is usually a year at the edge of a transition.

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
Line 116:		Line 116:
	== Per-family serial chart links ==		== Per-family serial chart links ==

	~~Use the~~ decoder above ~~for~~ the year band. ~~Use the~~ individual reference pages ~~for~~ the detailed tables. The 16520 ~~is still~~ the clearest letter-by-letter example~~. Manual~~-wind Daytonas ~~use~~ Pergola-based numeric ranges. ~~Other families should be checked on~~ the relevant reference page.		The decoder above gets the year band. The individual reference pages carry the detailed tables. The 16520 remains the clearest letter-by-letter example, and the manual-wind Daytonas sit on Pergola-based numeric ranges. For everything else, the relevant reference page is the right place to look.

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==