One of the most famous watch brands in the world is probably the Swiss manufacturer Rolex. As many high-end watches carry different reference numbers, it's time for you to learn more details about that reference. We will guide you through the different numbers, the meaning of these reference numbers and how you can identify these differences. it's that easy!
The history of the Rolex brand
Founded by Hans Wilsdorf, the company focused on manufacturing high-end luxury watches in solid gold and stainless steel. Later, Rolex introduced the two-tone "Rolesor," which was a combination of stainless steel and 18-karat solid yellow gold. The Datejust was the true beginning of success in Rolex's history, making the watch extremely popular and highly coveted by aficionados.
What is a Rolex reference number?
A Rolex reference number is a model-specific identifier that provides detailed information about a watch, such as model type, material, bezel style and production period. Rolex reference numbers are between 4 and 6 digits long, with older models being shorter. Newer models often add an additional digit to the above reference numbers to indicate upgrades.
What is the difference between a reference number and a serial number?
The main difference between a reference number and a Rolex serial number is their purpose. A reference number identifies the model, characteristics and time of production of a watch, and can be shared by several watches. In contrast, a serial number is unique to each individual watch and generally indicates its production date.
Model numbers
When it comes to the first two, three or even four numbers of the reference, you can extract the model from the Rolex catalog, with the following numbers:
| Model numbers | Watch model |
|---|---|
| 55, 140, 116 | Rolex Air-King |
| 16, 162, 1162, 1263 | Rolex Datejust |
| 1163 | Rolex Datejust II |
| 679, 791, 1791, 2791 | Rolex Lady-Datejust |
| 65, 18, 180, 182, 183, 1182, 2282 | Rolex Day-Date |
| 2182 | Rolex Day-Date II |
| 62, 162, 165, 1165 | Rolex Daytona |
| 142, 10, 1142, 2142 | Rolex Explorer |
| 16, 165, 2165 | Rolex Explorer II |
| 10, 140, 142, 114 | Rolex Oyster Perpetual |
| 65, 10, 1164 | Rolex Millgauss |
| 16, 166, 1166, 1266 | Rolex Sea-Dweller |
| 55, 140, 1140 | Rolex Submariner |
| 16, 166, 168, 1166 | Rolex Submariner (No date) |
| 65, 16, 1675 | Rolex GMT-Master |
| 167, 1167, 1267 | Rolex GMT-Master II |
| 166, 686, 696, 1686, 1696, 1166 | Rolex Yacht-Master |
| 1166 | Rolex Yacht-Master II |
| 326 | Rolex Sky-Dweller |
Bezel characteristics
Thus, the first two or three Rolex reference numbers can extract the exact model, while the following reference numbers contain some characteristics, as explained below:
| Bezel number | Bezel description |
|---|---|
| 0 | Polished bezel |
| 1 | Turned bezel with fine motor |
| 2 | Motor-turned bezel |
| 3 | Fluted bezel (solid gold) |
| 4 | Handcrafted bezel |
| 5 | Pyramidal bezel |
| 6 | Rotating bezel |
| 7 | Various |
Case material
Rolex also makes it clear what material it has used in the particular watch, with reference numbers explaining the following:
| Material number | Description of material |
|---|---|
| 0 | Stainless steel |
| 1 | Stainless steel and rose gold (Everose) |
| 2 | Stainless steel and platinum |
| 3 | Stainless steel and yellow gold (Rolesor) |
| 4 | Stainless steel and white gold |
| 5 | Rose gold |
| 6 | Platinum |
| 7 | 14k yellow gold |
| 8 | 18 carat yellow gold |
| 9 | 18k white gold |
Other information
There are other reference numbers (actually letters), which indicate other information, often on the bezel or crystal of the watch:
Letters Characteristic
| Code | Bezel description |
|---|---|
| BLRO | Blue/Red: Blue and red bezel. Most seen in the Rolex Pepsi. |
| BLNR | Bleu/Noir: Blue and black bezel. Most seen on the Rolex Batman or Rolex Batwoman. |
| VTNR | Verte/Noir: Green and black bezel. Found on the relatively new GMT-Master II Sprite. |
| LN | Lunette Noir: Black bezel. |
| LV | Lunette Verte: Green bezel. Most seen on the Rolex Submariner Hulk. |
| LB | Lunette Bleu: Blue bezel. |
| GV | Glasse Verte: Green colored crystal. Most seen in the Rolex Milgauss (discontinued). |
| RNBW | Rainbow: Bezel set with multicolored sapphire. Most seen on the Rolex Daytona Rainbow. |
| CHNR | Chocolat/Noir: Black and brown (chocolate) bezel. Most seen in the Rootbeer. |
| SA | Sapphires: A bezel set with sapphires. |
| SANR | Sapphire-Noir: A bezel set with baguette-cut black sapphires and diamonds. |
| SARU | Sapphires-Rubies: Bezel set with sapphires and rubies. |
| SABR | Sapphires-Brilliant: A bezel set with sapphires and diamonds. |
