The value of your Rolex very much depends not just on the model or condition but on the serial number and the production date. These are crucial to the current market value of your particular model.
So where are the serial numbers on your Rolex?
Starting in 2005 Rolex began to engrave the serial number on the rehaut or inner bezel - the inside of the rim between the dial and the glass - in the 6 o’clock area. Before that date it was behind the bracelet in the 6 o'clock area. After 2008 its only ever on the rehaut.
In 2010 Rolex began scrambling their serial numbers creating random ones. This meant buyers could not work out the date of the watch, and use the fact a watch had been in stock a while as a bargaining tool when buying in Rolex dealers. Rolex say it was to make it harder for counterfeiters but most people believe it was to give less power to secondhand dealers as they would not know the date of the watch by the watch alone without papers and authencity cards.
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We’ve got an easy chart for you to find the year of production of your Rolex.
Thought first, we must point out information regarding Rolex serial numbers is not provided officially by Rolex. Instead, the Rolex serial numbers are crowdsourced by the gathered proven authorities in the watch community, creating a complete list. As such, there might be slight variations of the Rolex serial numbers. In other words, the list of Rolex serial numbers may not provide 100% accurate info for dating your Rolex.
| Year of Production | Rolex serial number |
| 2021 | Random |
| 2020 | Random |
| 2019 | Random |
| 2018 | Random |
| 2017 | Random |
| 2016 | Random |
| 2015 | Random |
| 2014 | Random |
| 2013 | Random |
| 2012 | Random |
| 2011 | Random |
| 2010 | G |
| 2009 | V |
| 2008 | M or V |
| 2007 | M or Z |
| 2006 | D or Z |
| 2005 | D or F |
| 2004 | F |
| 2003 | F |
| 2002 | Y |
| 2001 | K or Y |
| 2000 | K,000,001 or P,000,001 |
| 1999 | A,000,001 |
| 1998 | U,932,144 |
| 1997 | U,000,001 |
| 1996 | T,000,001 |
| 1995 | W,000,001 |
| 1994 | S,860,880 |
| 1993 | S,000,001 |
| 1992 | C,000,001 |
| 1991 | N,000,001 |
| 1990 | E,000,001 |
| 1989 | L,980,000 |
| 1988 | R,598,200 |
| 1987 | R,000,001 or 9,400,000 |
| 1986 | 8,900,000 |
| 1985 | 8,614,000 |
| 1984 | 8,070,022 |
| 1983 | 7,400,000 |
| 1982 | 7,100,000 |
| 1981 | 6,520,870 |
| 1980 | 6,434,000 |
| 1979 | 5,737,030 |
| 1978 | 5,000,000 |
| 1977 | 5,008,000 |
| 1976 | 4,115,299 |
| 1975 | 3,862,196 |
| 1974 | 3,567,927 |
| 1973 | 3,200,268 |
It does get more complex - Rolex also assigns each watch a four to six digit model number and engraves it on each watch. Look between the lugs right above 12 o’clock on the side of the case. As with the older serial numbers, the bracelet must be detached from the 12 o'clock side of the case to be able to check the serial number
These numbers identify model, type of bezel, and what material your Rolex is made of.
Just to get even further details some Rolex watches have a clasp code. This is found on the inside of the clasp hinge. The code shows the month and year the clasp was made. The year is a letter and the month is a number. If the clasp is a service replaced one it will show this with the letter ’S’ included.
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