If you are the proud owner of a Rolex watch, you may not know the exact history behind it, including the year it was made. In order to find its value, as well as get repairs as needed, you will need to know the year it was made. Many people consider these valuable, fine jewelry pieces to be an investment, and because of this, knowing the year it was made is additionally important. For most Rolex owners, finding the date of their watch is crucial information.
Understanding How Rolex Numbers Their Watches
Rolex, the company, will engrave a totally unique serial number on each watch they make. This serial number is 5 to 8 digits long and will be instrumental when attempting to determine the year of your men’s Rolex jewelry piece. These numbers are inscribed in the side of the watch case and will represent the year the watch was made in some capacity.
For instance, the number for 2006, which is Z000001 is located at 6 o’clock between the lugs, or for newer watches, the serial number will be inscribed on the inner rim of the watch. For watches made in 2010 to the present, the company actually stopped doing sequential numbers, something they had done for decades, and now engraves each watch with a random, unique number. That means that if your Rolex was made in the past few years, the typical methods of finding out the year of manufacturing will not be possible without access to a database.
Find the Year of Your Rolex With a Chart
One of the most popular ways for people to find the correct year for their Rolex watch is to use a chart. This will work for anyone who has a watch that was made from the year 1926 to 2009 with the exception of 1933, 1988, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2004, and 2007. These are grouped in with the years around them. If your watch was made after 2009, you will need to find a new method for finding its age.
Year the Rolex Was Manufactured |
Serial Number to Look For |
|---|---|
| 1926 | 28,000 |
| 1927 | 30,440 |
| 1928 | 32,960 |
| 1929 | 33,000 |
| 1930 | 37,820 |
| 1931 | 40,250 |
| 1932 | 42,700 |
| 1934 | 45,000 |
| 1935 | 63,000 |
| 1936 | 81,000 |
| 1937 | 99,000 |
| 1938 | 117,000 |
| 1939 | 135,000 |
| 1940 | 164,600 |
| 1941 | 194,200 |
| 1942 | 223,800 |
| 1943 | 253,400 |
| 1944 | 283,000 |
| 1945 | 348,200 |
| 1946 | 413,200 |
| 1947 | 478,300 |
| 1948 | 543,400 |
| 1949 | 608,500 |
| 1950 | 650,000 |
| 1951 | 738,700 |
| 1952 | 803,800 |
| 1953 | 868,900 |
| 1954 | 934,000 |
| 1955 | 1,012,000 |
| 1956 | 1,090,000 |
| 1957 | 1,168,000 |
| 1958 | 1,246,000 |
| 1959 | 1,324,000 |
| 1960 | 1,402,000 |
| 1961 | 1,480,000 |
| 1962 | 1,558,000 |
| 1963 | 1,636,000 |
| 1964 | 1,714,000 |
| 1965 | 1,792,000 |
| 1966 | 1,871,000 |
| 1967 | 2,163,900 |
| 1968 | 2,426,800 |
| 1969 | 2,689,700 |
| 1970 | 2,952,600 |
| 1971 | 3,215,500 |
| 1972 | 3,478,400 |
| 1973 | 3,741,300 |
| 1974 | 4,004,200 |
| 1975 | 4,267,100 |
| 1976 | 4,539,000 |
| 1977 | 5,006,000 |
| 1978 | 5,482,000 |
| 1979 | 5,958,000 |
| 1980 | 6,434,000 |
| 1981 | 6,910,000 |
| 1982 | 7,386,000 |
| 1983 | 7,862,000 |
| 1984 | 8,338,000 |
| 1985 | 8,814,000 |
| 1986 | 9,290,000 |
| 1987 | 9,766,000 or R 000,000 |
| 1989 | L 000,001 |
| 1990 | E 000,001 |
| 1991 | X 000,001 or N 000,001 |
| 1992 | C 000,001 |
| 1993 | S 000,001 |
| 1995 | W 000,001 or T 000,001 |
| 1997 | U 000,001 |
| 1999 | A 000,001 |
| 2000 | P 000,001 |
| 2001 | K 000,001 |
| 2002 | Y 000,001 |
| 2003 | F 000,001 |
| 2005 | D 000,001 |
| 2006 | Z 000,001 |
| 2008 | M 000,001 |
| 2009 | V 000,001 |
Other Ways to Find the Age of a Rolex
This chart isn’t the only way to find the year that a Rolex wristwatch was made. You can also access a Rolex database in order to look up your watch’s serial number. You can find these databases for free on the Internet, and you will know what year your watch was made in a matter of seconds.
If that isn’t an option, you can also simply take your Rolex to a fine jeweler that makes quality watches and jewelry pieces, and they will be able to tell you more information about the watch, including the year it was manufactured.
Other Information You Should Have About Your Rolex
In addition to knowing the year that your luxury wristwatch was manufactured, there is other information that you should know as well. For instance, you should know the model of your Rolex. There are a number of different models out there, from the Rolex Daytona to the Rolex Explorer ; knowing what model you have is important, just as knowing what model you may be looking for will be important if you are buying a watch.
Conclusion
Whether you are looking for a specific item, such as the Rolex Oyster, or you just want to shop options from luxury watch brands, no other brand is as well known or more sought after than Rolex. These watches are some of the most durable timepieces, with a design that is uniquely superb. Because of this, Rolex watches are not cheap, and purchasing one of these items should be considered an investment. This is why it is so important that you take some time to ensure that you learn the right information about your watch, including the exact year it was manufactured.
When you choose a Rolex, you can be sure that this is one investment that will continue to grow over time. If you are interested in learning more about Rolex watches, need to know the year that a particular Rolex watch was made or simply wish to buy a new Rolex, eBay can be a fantastic resource.
