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.