When was your watch made?

All watches have an individual serial number. Both to notate when the watch was made, and to track the watch and help verify it’s authenticity, ownership, and service history.

For Rolex, these serial numbers numbers are etch either between the 6 o’clock lugs or under the crystal on the rehaut, also at 6 o’clock. See pics 1 and 2. The reference number is engraved in between the lugs at 12 o’clock, see pic 3

Pic 1: 7 digit Serial Number (3 digits censored), starting with 426. This denotes a 1976 production year.

Pic 2: 8 digit Serial Number (3 digits censored) on the rehaut. This is from a 2022 timepiece.

Rolex Serial Numbers

  • 8 digits, scrambled: 2010+

  • G: 2010

  • V: 2009

  • M, V: 2008

  • M, Z: 2007

  • D, Z: 2006

  • D: 2005

  • F: 2003-2005

  • Y: 2002

  • K, Y: 2001

  • K: 2000

  • P: 2000

  • A: 1999

  • U: 1997-1998

  • T: 1996

  • W: 1995

  • S: 1993-1994

  • C: 1992

  • N: 1991

  • X: 1991

  • E: 1990

  • L: 1989

  • R: 1987-1988

  • 9,400,000: 1987

  • 8,900,000: 1986

  • 8,614,000: 1985

  • 8,070,022: 1984

  • 7,400,000: 1983

  • 7,100,000: 1982

  • 6,520,870: 1981

  • 6,434,000: 1980

  • 5,737,030: 1979

  • 5,000,000: 1978

  • 5,008,000: 1977

  • 4,115,299: 1976

  • 3,862,196: 1975

  • 3,567,927: 1974

  • 3,200,268: 1973

  • 2,890,459: 1972

  • 2,589,295: 1971

  • 2,241,882: 1970

Please note that while some years are very well defined from physical evidence (watches sold in a particular year, dated papers, etc.), the numbers that appear on this list are approximate.

Especially with vintage pieces, accurate records of exactly when each serial was produced and sold are not available. Note that in 1953, Rolex produced their one millionth watch, and so the serial number count was reset!

Numbers were sequential from 1953 until 1987, when after the 10 millionth unit, serial numbering was changed to the letter and 6 number format.

After 2010, serial numbers no longer carried a common letter at the beginning. As of now, they are scrambled, with numbers and letters appearing randomly in an 8 digit sequence.

1,900,000: 1969

1,752,000: 1968

1,538,435: 1967

1,200,000: 1966

1,100,000: 1965

1,008,889: 1964

824,000: 1963

744,000: 1962

643,153: 1961

516,000: 1960

399,453: 1959

328,000: 1958

224,000: 1957

133,061: 1956

97,000: 1955

23,000: 1954

855,726: 1953

726,639: 1952

709,249: 1951

672,000: 1950

628,840: 1948

529,163: 1947

367,946: 1946

302,459: 1945

269,561: 1944

230,878: 1943

143,509: 1942

106,047: 1941

99,775: 1940

71,224: 1939

43,739: 1938

40,920: 1937

36,856: 1936

34,336: 1935

30,823: 1934

29,562: 1933

23,969-29,132: 1928-1392

20,190: 1927

001: 1926

Audemars Piguet Serial Numbers

A: 1972-1975
B: 1976-1979
C: 1980-1986
D: 1987-1994
E: 1994-2000
F: 2001-2007
G: 2008-2010
H: 2011-2012
I: 2013-2015
J: 2016-2018
Scambled: 2019+