The auction has been closed.
Below is a rough estimation assumed to be correct as Rolex never officially release this information.
Rolex Serial Number | Year |
20,000 – 40,000 | 1927-1937 |
40,000 – 200,000 | 1938-1942 |
200,000 – 300,000 | 1941-1944 |
300,000 – 500,000 | 1945-1946 |
500,000 – 620,000 | 1947-1948 |
620,000 – 700,000 | 1948-1950 |
700,000 – 725,000 | 1951 |
725,000 – 880,000 | 1952 |
880,000 – 950,000 | 1953 |
950,000 – 999,000 | 1954 |
When Rolex reached serial numbers of 1 million they started again like follows:
Rolex Serial Number | Year |
10,000 – 70,000 | 1954 |
60,000 – 130,000 | 1955 |
130,000 – 220,000 | 1956 |
220,000 – 350,000 | 1957 |
350,000 – 420,000 | 1958 |
420,000 – 500,000 | 1959 |
500,000 – 640,000 | 1960 |
640,000 – 750,000 | 1961 |
750,000 – 880,000 | 1962 |
880,000 – 1,010,000 | 1963 |
1,010,000 – 1,200,000 | 1964 |
1,200,000 – 1,300,000 | 1965 |
1,300,000 – 1,500,000 | 1966 |
1,500,000 – 1,850,000 | 1967 |
1,850,000 – 2,300,000 | 1968 |
2,000,000 – 2,400,000 | 1969 |
2,400,000 – 2,950,000 | 1970 |
2,700,000 – 3,000,000 | 1971 |
2,800,000 – 3,800,000 | 1972 |
3,750,000 – 4,000,000 | 1973 |
4,000,000 – 4,250,000 | 1974 |
4,250,000 – 5,000,000 | 1975 |
4,250,000 – 5,000,000 | 1976 |
5,000,000 – 5,400,000 | 1977 |
5,400,000 – 5,850,000 | 1978 |
5,850,000 – 6,400,000 | 1979 |
6,400,000 – 6,900,000 | 1980 |
6,900,000 – 7,350,000 | 1981 |
7,350,000 – 7,850,000 | 1982 |
7,850,000 – 8,000,000 | 1983 |
8,000,000 – 8,600,000 | 1984 |
8,600,000 – 9,200,000 | 1985 |
9,200,000 – 9,500,000 | 1986 |
9,500,000 – 9,999,000 | 1987 |
When serial number reached 10,000,000, Rolex switched to Letter Prefix followed by 6 digits so giving 1 million serials per letter based serials starting with ‘R’. The letter prefix was in below order:
Letter Prefix | Year Started |
R | 1987 |
L | 1988 |
E | 1990 |
X | 1991 |
N | 1991 |
C | 1992 |
S | 1993 |
W | 1995 |
T | 1996 |
U | 1997 |
A | 1998 |
P | 2000 |
K | 2001 |
Y | 2002 |
F | 2003 |
D | 2005 |
Z | 2006 |
M | 2007 |
V | 2008 |
G | 2010 |
From 2010 onwards Rolex serial numbers changed to 8 digits consisting of randomly generated numbers and letters. This mean from this onward, no one can tell the year of production except Rolex will be able to tell.