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<div style="display:none;">{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="display:none;">Rolexopedia</span>}}</div>
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=BezelBase — Watch Reference Encyclopedia
|title=Rolex Reference Encyclopedia {{!}} Rolexopedia
|description=A hobby-driven encyclopedic reference for Rolex watches. Starting with the Submariner — every reference, every variant, every era. Historical context, production details, and collector notes.
|description=Encyclopedic reference for Rolex watches. Vintage and discontinued Rolex references documented — specs, dial variants, serial ranges, production history.
|keywords=watch reference, Rolex, Rolex Submariner, vintage Rolex, collector guide, watch history, production history, dial variants
|keywords=watch reference, Rolex, Rolex Submariner, Rolex Daytona, Rolex Explorer, Rolex GMT-Master, Rolex Day-Date, President, Rolex Bubbleback, Rolex Prince, Brancard, Oyster, Ovettone, vintage Rolex, collector guide, watch history, production history, dial variants
|image=Bezelbase_main_poster.webp
|image_alt=Rolexopedia — vintage Rolex reference encyclopedia
|image_width=1280
|image_height=1280
|og_type=website
}}
}}


<div style="text-align:center; padding: 1.5em 0 0.5em 0;">
<div class="rp-hero">
<span style="font-size: 2em; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0.02em;">BezelBase</span>
<div class="rp-hero-title">The Rolex reference encyclopedia</div>
<div class="rp-hero-lede">
Rolexopedia is a reference guide to vintage and discontinued Rolex watches. Browse a family to compare generations, or open a reference number for its production history, movement, dial variants and case details.


<span style="font-size: 1.1em; color: #555;">A watch reference encyclopedia</span>
A reference number can cover decades of changes. The articles distinguish documented variants and later replacements, with sources for further reading. The serial-number, movement and bracelet guides help compare the parts of an individual watch. [[Rolexopedia:About|About the project →]]
</div>
<div class="rp-stats">
<div class="rp-stat"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b><span>wiki articles</span></div>
<div class="rp-stat"><b>12</b><span>families</span></div>
<div class="rp-stat"><b>{{NUMBEROFFILES}}</b><span>image files</span></div>
<div class="rp-stat"><b>1920s onward</b><span>historical coverage</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


<div style="max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0 1em;">
== Browse by family ==


== About this project ==
<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover">[[File:Submariner vintage poster.webp|400px|link=Reference:submariner|alt=Rolex Submariner]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Early divers through the ceramic generations</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Big Crown models, the 5512 and 5513 dial changes, the Red Sub and the five-digit sapphire references.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover">[[File:Daytona vintage poster.webp|400px|link=Reference:daytona|alt=Rolex Daytona]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Manual-wind, Zenith and in-house chronographs</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Manual-wind Valjoux chronographs, the Paul Newman exotic dials, the Zenith automatics and the in-house 4130 generation.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref gmt-master chuck-yeager-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:gmt-master|alt=Rolex GMT-Master II Chuck Yeager advertisement]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">GMT-Master and GMT-Master II</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">From the Bakelite-bezel 6542 through the long 1675 run to the ceramic GMT-Master II.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref explorer vintage-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:explorer|alt=Rolex Explorer advertisement with Hillary and Tenzing on Everest]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:explorer|Explorer]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Early Explorers and their sapphire successors</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The 6150 and 6350, the long-running 1016, and the later sapphire-crystal models.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref explorer-ii vintage-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:explorer-ii|alt=Rolex Explorer II advertisement with Alain Hubert]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer II]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Fixed-bezel watches with a 24-hour hand</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The orange-hand 1655 Freccione, the transitional 16550 and the long-run 16570.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref sea-dweller deepstar-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:sea-dweller|alt=Rolex Deepstar 4000 advertisement]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Saturation-diving references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Single Red, Double Red and Great White 1665s, the Triple Six, later references and documented COMEX examples.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref day-date 1960-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:day-date|alt=Rolex Day-Date 1960 advertisement]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Day and date displays, in gold or platinum</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The President from the 1956 originals through the 1803 era, five-digit sapphire, Day-Date II and Oysterquartz.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover">[[File:Milgauss vintage poster.webp|400px|link=Reference:milgauss|alt=Rolex Milgauss]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:milgauss|Milgauss]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Magnetic protection across two production eras</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The lightning-bolt seconds hand of the 6541, the 1019 and the green-crystal 116400GV.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref air-king vintage-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:air-king|alt=Rolex Air-King advertisement, steel is a precious metal]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:air-king|Air-King]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Early Air-Kings through the 34mm sapphire models</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Early hand-wound models, the long-running 5500 and the sapphire-crystal 14000 line.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img">[[File:Ref 1002 hero.webp|400px|link=Reference:oyster-perpetual|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Time-only automatic Oysters</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The plain-dial Oyster: classic four-digit 1002 to 1018, five-digit and the last pre-refresh 116000 generation.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref oyster 1929-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:bubbleback|alt=Rolex Oyster 1929 advertisement]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback and early Oyster]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Manual Oysters and early automatics</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The first waterproof Oysters, the domed-caseback automatics, the [[Reference:padellone|Padellone]], manual-wind Oyster Precision models such as the [[Reference:6082|6082]], and later Oysterdate Precision references such as the [[Reference:6094|6094]]. A separate round dress watch, [[Reference:3540|ref. 3540]], is catalogued as a manual-wind Rolex Precision.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref prince 1932-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:prince|alt=Rolex Prince 1932 advertisement]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:prince|Prince]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Rectangular and shaped cases</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Rectangular Art-Deco chronometers: Classic 1343, Brancard 971, Railway and Tigre variants.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


BezelBase is a hobby project with a simple ambition: capture the historical record of Rolex watches in one place, as thoroughly and honestly as possible. Not a blog, not a dealer site — just a reference, built by enthusiasts who keep falling deeper into the details and figured other people might want to read what they found.
{{Homepage featured}}


The long-term goal is to cover every Rolex family. We are starting with the Submariner, because it is the watch that refuses to let you stop researching it.
== Reference guides ==


== Why the Submariner ==
<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Serial systems and dating limits</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Numeric and letter-prefix year ranges, hallmark dating for early watches, and the limits of randomized serials.</div>
</div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Bracelets, end links, clasps</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Rivet, folded and solid Oyster, Jubilee and President bracelets, end-link numbers and the clasp date-code key.</div>
</div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:Movements|Movements]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Calibers across the watch families</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">From the early manual-wind Oyster calibers through the 1500 and 3000 series to the Zenith and in-house chronographs.</div>
</div></div>
</div>


Before 1953, Rolex made dress watches, Datejusts, and Bubblebacks. Fine watches, but nothing that would define what a sport watch looks like for the next seventy years. That changed when the reference 6204 appeared — a 100-meter dive watch with a rotating bezel, luminous hands, and the word "Submariner" printed at six o'clock. It was not the first dive watch ever made, but it became the one that everything else was measured against.
== Every reference, by era ==


What followed was seven decades of continuous production across more than three dozen distinct references. The design language shifted constantly in the early years — pencil hands gave way to Mercedes hands, small crowns grew into big crowns, gilt dials turned matte, radium was replaced by tritium — and then settled into the form most people picture when they hear the word "wristwatch." Crown guards arrived in 1959 and never left. The acrylic crystal held on until 1979 before sapphire took over. The aluminum bezel lasted until 2010, when Cerachrom ceramic finally replaced it. Each of these transitions created a new generation of references, and within each generation, dozens of variants that collectors have spent decades cataloguing.
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:submariner|Full Submariner index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Pre-five-digit<small>1953–90</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6204|6204]] [[Reference:6205|6205]] [[Reference:6200|6200]] [[Reference:6536|6536]] [[Reference:6536-1|6536/1]] [[Reference:6538|6538]] [[Reference:5508|5508]] [[Reference:5510|5510]] [[Reference:5512|5512]] [[Reference:5513|5513]] [[Reference:5514|5514]] [[Reference:5517|5517]] [[Reference:1680|1680]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Five-digit<small>1979–2010</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:14060|14060]] [[Reference:14060M|14060M]] [[Reference:16800|16800]] [[Reference:16610|16610]] [[Reference:16610LV|16610LV]] [[Reference:16803|16803]] [[Reference:16808|16808]] [[Reference:16613|16613]] [[Reference:16618|16618]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Current<small>2020–present</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:126610LN|126610LN]] [[Reference:126610LV|126610LV]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:daytona|Full Daytona index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Manual-wind chronograph<small>1962–1988</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6238|6238]] [[Reference:6239|6239]] [[Reference:6240|6240]] [[Reference:6241|6241]] [[Reference:6262|6262]] [[Reference:6263|6263]] [[Reference:6264|6264]] [[Reference:6265|6265]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Zenith automatic<small>1988–2000</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16520|16520]] [[Reference:16518|16518]] [[Reference:16519|16519]] [[Reference:16523|16523]] [[Reference:16528|16528]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">In-house cal 4130<small>2000–2016</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116520|116520]] [[Reference:116523|116523]] [[Reference:116528|116528]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs|Pre-Daytona chronographs]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs|Full family guide →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Early single-button<small>Catalogue dates c.1920–c.1940</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:2021|2021]] [[Reference:2226|2226]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Early Oyster monopusher<small>Catalogue dates c.1937–1942</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:3346|3346]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Early two-register<small>1930s–1940s</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:2508|2508]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Round Oyster chronographs<small>from c.1950</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6034|6034]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:gmt-master|Full GMT-Master guide →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Vintage<small>1955–99</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6542|6542]] [[Reference:1675|1675]] [[Reference:16750|16750]] [[Reference:16753|16753]] [[Reference:16758|16758]] [[Reference:16700|16700]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">GMT-Master II<small>1983–2007</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16760|16760]] [[Reference:16710|16710]] [[Reference:16713|16713]] [[Reference:16718|16718]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Gem-set six-digit<small>from c.2006</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116758SARU|116758 SARU]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Ceramic 116xxx<small>2005–19</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116718LN|116718LN]] [[Reference:116713LN|116713LN]] [[Reference:116710LN|116710LN]] [[Reference:116710BLNR|116710BLNR]] [[Reference:116719BLRO|116719BLRO]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Ceramic 126xxx<small>2018–present</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] [[Reference:126711CHNR|126711CHNR]] [[Reference:126715CHNR|126715CHNR]] [[Reference:126710BLNR|126710BLNR]] [[Reference:126720VTNR|126720VTNR]] [[Reference:126713GRNR|126713GRNR]] [[Reference:126718GRNR|126718GRNR]] [[Reference:126710GRNR|126710GRNR]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:explorer|Explorer]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:explorer|Full Explorer index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Vintage<small>1952–89</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6150|6150]] [[Reference:6350|6350]] [[Reference:6298|6298]] [[Reference:6610|6610]] [[Reference:1016|1016]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Modern<small>1989–2021</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:14270|14270]] [[Reference:114270|114270]] [[Reference:214270|214270]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Current<small>2021–present</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:124270|124270]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer II]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:explorer-ii|Full Explorer II index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Vintage Freccione<small>1971–1984</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1655|1655]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Transitional<small>1985–1989</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16550|16550]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Modern 40mm<small>1989–2010</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16570|16570]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:sea-dweller|Full Sea-Dweller index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Single Red to Great White<small>1967–1983</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1665|1665]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Triple Six and 16600<small>1978–2008</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16660|16660]] [[Reference:16600|16600]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Ceramic<small>2008–2017</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116600|116600]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">Yacht-Master</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Yacht-Master 42<small>Introduced 2019</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:226659|226659]]</div></div>
</div>


The Submariner is also one of the most misunderstood watches in the world. A single reference like the 5513 ran for 27 years and went through gilt dials, matte dials, Explorer dials, Maxi dials, military-issue configurations, and a late glossy generation that barely resembles the watch it started as. The 1680 — the first Submariner with a date — splits into Red Subs and White Subs, with six distinct Mark numbers on the red-text dials alone, and a chocolate tropical variant that commands some of the highest prices in vintage Rolex collecting. And that is just two references out of thirty-nine.
<div class="rp-index">
 
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:day-date|Full Day-Date index →]]</div></div>
This is the watch that keeps pulling you further in. BezelBase exists because we wanted somewhere to put everything we found along the way.
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Originals<small>1956–59</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6510|6510]] [[Reference:6511|6511]] [[Reference:6611|6611]] [[Reference:6612|6612]] [[Reference:6612B|6612B]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">4-digit President<small>1959–78</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1803|1803]] [[Reference:1804|1804]] [[Reference:1806|1806]] [[Reference:1807|1807]] [[Reference:1811|1811]] [[Reference:1831|1831]]</div></div>
== The Submariner reference library ==
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">5-digit<small>1977–2000</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:18038|18038]] [[Reference:18028|18028]] [[Reference:18048|18048]] [[Reference:18078|18078]] [[Reference:18238|18238]] [[Reference:18248|18248]] [[Reference:18348|18348]] [[Reference:18208|18208]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">6-digit Day-Date 36<small>2000–19</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:118238|118238]] [[Reference:118208|118208]] [[Reference:118235|118235]] [[Reference:118138|118138]]</div></div>
Every article covers the full production story for one reference: specifications, movement history, dial variants, case and bezel details, bracelet fitment, special branches, and market context. Sources are cited. Gaps are named.
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Day-Date II 41mm<small>2008–15</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:218238|218238]] [[Reference:218206|218206]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Oysterquartz<small>1977–2001</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:19018|19018]] [[Reference:19028|19028]]</div></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 1.5em; margin: 1em 0;">
</div>
 
<div class="rp-index">
<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 280px; background: #f8f8f8; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 4px; padding: 1.2em;">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:milgauss|Milgauss]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:milgauss|Full Milgauss index →]]</div></div>
=== Early Submariner (1953–1959) ===
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Early and CERN era<small>c.1955–1988</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6543|6543]] [[Reference:6541|6541]] [[Reference:1019|1019]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Modern<small>2007–2023</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116400|116400]]</div></div>
The experimental years. Rolex had not yet decided what the Submariner would be. Crown sizes moved between 5.3mm and 8mm. Depth ratings jumped from 100 to 200 meters. The hands changed from pencil to Mercedes. Dial layouts shifted between clean faces, Explorer-style 3-6-9 numerals, and the first chronometer certifications. Some of the rarest and most valuable Submariners ever made came out of this period — including the 6200 "King Sub" and the 6538, the watch Sean Connery wore as James Bond.
 
[[Reference:6204|6204]] · [[Reference:6205|6205]] · [[Reference:6200|6200]] · [[Reference:6536|6536]] · [[Reference:6536-1|6536/1]] · [[Reference:6538|6538]]
 
''Overview: [[Reference:submariner-early-family|Early Submariner family]]''
</div>
</div>
 
<div class="rp-index">
<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 280px; background: #f8f8f8; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 4px; padding: 1.2em;">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:air-king|Air-King]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:air-king|Full Air-King index →]]</div></div>
=== Crown-guard era (1958–1990) ===
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Battle of Britain origin<small>1945–53</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:4925|4925]] [[Reference:4365|4365]] [[Reference:4499|4499]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">First automatic<small>1953–57</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6552|6552]]</div></div>
The Submariner finds its lasting form. Crown guards appear on the 5512 in 1959 and become permanent. The 5512 carries the chronometer certification; the 5513 runs alongside it as the non-chronometer alternative — cheaper, more widely produced, and ultimately the longest-running Submariner reference at 27 continuous years. The 5514 and 5517 branch off into COMEX and military service. The 1680 introduces the date window in 1969 and splits into the Red Sub and White Sub eras.
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Long-run mainstay<small>1957–89</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:5500|5500]] [[Reference:5501|5501]] [[Reference:5502|5502]] [[Reference:5504|5504]] [[Reference:5506|5506]] [[Reference:5520|5520]] [[Reference:5700|5700]] [[Reference:5701|5701]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Sapphire era<small>1989–2014</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:14000|14000]] [[Reference:14000M|14000M]] [[Reference:114200|114200]]</div></div>
'''No-date:'''<br/>
[[Reference:5508|5508]] · [[Reference:5510|5510]] · [[Reference:5512|5512]] · [[Reference:5513|5513]] · [[Reference:5514|5514]] · [[Reference:5517|5517]]
 
'''Date:'''<br/>
[[Reference:1680|1680]]
 
''Overview: [[Reference:submariner-5xxx-family|5xxx Submariner family]]''
</div>
</div>
 
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Full Oyster Perpetual index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Earlier references<small>Catalogue dates conflict; no production span established</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:4362|4362]] [[Reference:6548|6548]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Mid-century<small>Mostly 1950s catalogue dates; case 994893 has conflicting 1964 and 1954 estimates</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6106|6106]] [[Reference:6502|6502]] [[Reference:6567|6567]] [[Reference:6584|6584]] [[Reference:6609|6609]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Classic four-digit<small>1950s–1988 catalogue examples; limits vary by reference</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1002|1002]] [[Reference:1003|1003]] [[Reference:1005|1005]] [[Reference:1007|1007]] [[Reference:1008|1008]] [[Reference:1009|1009]] [[Reference:1010|1010]] [[Reference:1011|1011]] [[Reference:1012|1012]] [[Reference:1013|1013]] [[Reference:1014|1014]] [[Reference:1018|1018]] [[Reference:1022|1022]] [[Reference:1023|1023]] [[Reference:1024|1024]] [[Reference:1025|1025]] [[Reference:1026|1026]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Ladies' time-only<small>1973–82 catalogue examples; factory span unknown</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6718|6718]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Four-digit Datejust 36<small>From 1959; Monochrome dates discontinuation to 1981</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1601|1601]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Five-digit acrylic-crystal Datejust 36<small>Generation introduced 1977; reference end dates vary</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16003|16003]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Five-digit sapphire-crystal Datejust 36<small>Introduced 1988; published end dates differ</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16234|16234]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Last pre-refresh generation<small>2007–2020</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116000|116000]] [[Reference:114300|114300]] [[Reference:177200|177200]] [[Reference:176200|176200]]</div></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback and early Oyster]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:bubbleback|Full Bubbleback and early Oyster index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Pre-Oyster and Oyster<small>1922–37</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1925|1925]] [[Reference:2081|2081]] [[Reference:3666|3666]] [[Reference:2136|2136]] [[Reference:34075|34075]] [[Reference:3003|3003]] [[Reference:3004|3004]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Manual-wind Oyster<small>c.1930s–1940s</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1573|1573]] [[Reference:2280|2280]] [[Reference:2416|2416]] [[Reference:2849|2849]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Bubbleback era<small>1933–45</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1858|1858]] [[Reference:3131|3131]] [[Reference:3372|3372]] [[Reference:3525|3525]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Late Bubblebacks<small>selected catalogue estimates circa 1940–1955; dates do not set production spans</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:5002|5002]] [[Reference:5003|5003]] [[Reference:5006|5006]] [[Reference:5010|5010]] [[Reference:5013|5013]] [[Reference:5018|5018]] [[Reference:5045|5045]] [[Reference:6006|6006]]</div></div>


<div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 1.5em; margin: 0 0 1em 0;">
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Straight-lug Empire Oyster<small>catalogue dates circa 1940–1950s</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:3548|3548]] [[Reference:3716|3716]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Square Perpetual<small>1940s–1952 catalogue examples</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:4643|4643]]</div></div>
<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 280px; background: #f8f8f8; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 4px; padding: 1.2em;">
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Later Bubbleback examples<small>Catalogue estimates span circa 1945–60; 4919 has a disputed 1930s outlier</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:4392|4392]] [[Reference:4919|4919]] [[Reference:5050|5050]]</div></div>
=== Five-digit era (1979–2010) ===
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Large no-date Oyster Perpetual<small>catalogue estimates c.1946–58; production span unsettled</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:5026|5026]] [[Reference:5028|5028]] [[Reference:5029|5029]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Datejust, Padellone, Super Oyster<small>1945–53</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:3478|3478]] [[Reference:6244|6244]] [[Reference:4467|4467]] [[Reference:5030|5030]] [[Reference:5031|5031]] [[Reference:6031|6031]] [[Reference:6075|6075]] [[Reference:6105|6105]] [[Reference:8171|8171]] [[Reference:6098|6098]]</div></div>
The modern Submariner takes shape. The 16800 brings the sapphire crystal and caliber 3035 in 1979 — the end of the acrylic era. The 16610 follows and runs for 23 years with the caliber 3135, picking up solid end links, a Parachrom hairspring, and an engraved rehaut along the way. The 14060 and 14060M carry the no-date line forward. Rolex expands the Submariner into gold, two-tone, and the green-bezel 16610LV — the first colored-bezel steel Submariner.
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Oyster Precision</div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6082|6082]] [[Reference:6426|6426]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Oysterdate Precision</div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6094|6094]]</div></div>
'''No-date:'''<br/>
[[Reference:14060|14060]] · [[Reference:14060M|14060M]]
 
'''Date (steel):'''<br/>
[[Reference:16800|16800]] · [[Reference:16610|16610]] · [[Reference:16610LV|16610LV]]
 
'''Date (precious metal):'''<br/>
[[Reference:16803|16803]] · [[Reference:16808|16808]] · [[Reference:16613|16613]] · [[Reference:16618|16618]]
</div>
</div>
 
<div class="rp-index">
<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 280px; background: #f8f8f8; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 4px; padding: 1.2em;">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:prince|Prince]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:prince|Full Prince index →]]</div></div>
=== Six-digit era (2010–present) ===
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Brancard era<small>1928–mid-1940s</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1343|1343]] [[Reference:971|971]] [[Reference:971U|971U]] [[Reference:1490|1490]] [[Reference:1491|1491]] [[Reference:1527|1527]] [[Reference:1862|1862]] [[Reference:3361|3361]] [[Reference:3937|3937]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Other rectangular Princes<small>Catalogue dates c.1927–1938</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1768|1768]] [[Reference:1880|1880]]</div></div>
Cerachrom ceramic bezels, Glidelock micro-adjusting bracelets, and the move from 40mm to 41mm. The 114060 is the last 40mm no-date Submariner — collectors now call it "the last small Sub." The 116610LV "Hulk" becomes one of the most talked-about modern Rolexes. The current 126-series production represents the Submariner at its most refined, and increasingly, at the beginning of its own collecting era.
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Prince Imperial pocket watch<small>c.1930–1945</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1645|1645]]</div></div>
 
'''No-date:'''<br/>
[[Reference:114060|114060]] · [[Reference:124060|124060]]
 
'''Date (steel):'''<br/>
[[Reference:116610LN|116610LN]] · [[Reference:116610LV|116610LV]] · [[Reference:126610LN|126610LN]] · [[Reference:126610LV|126610LV]]
 
'''Date (precious metal):'''<br/>
[[Reference:116613|116613]] · [[Reference:116618|116618]] · [[Reference:116619LB|116619LB]] · [[Reference:126613LB|126613LB]] · [[Reference:126613LN|126613LN]] · [[Reference:126618LB|126618LB]] · [[Reference:126618LN|126618LN]] · [[Reference:126619LB|126619LB]]
</div>
</div>


<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">Other vintage references</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Manual-wind, small seconds<small>catalogued 1929–1940s</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:2318|2318]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Rectangular manual-wind<small>catalogued circa 1930–1938</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1381|1381]] [[Reference:1936|1936]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Manual-wind Oyster<small>catalogued 1930s–c.1955</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:3096|3096]] [[Reference:3019|3019]] [[Reference:3116|3116]] [[Reference:3121|3121]] [[Reference:3136|3136]] [[Reference:3351|3351]] [[Reference:5056|5056 (Kew A Speedking)]] [[Reference:6210|6210 (Kew A)]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Oyster Speedking<small>catalogued c.1952–1953</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6056|6056]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Chronometre Scientific<small>1937 case marks; catalogued examples circa 1937</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:2942|2942]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Chronometer / Precision dress watch<small>catalogued c.1943–50; model classification unresolved</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:4364|4364]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Round gold Precision<small>catalogued examples c.1945–1968; early date disputed</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:8952|8952]]</div></div>
</div>
</div>


== How this is built ==


Every claim in a BezelBase article traces to a named source — Rolex primary material, the Vintage Rolex Field Manual, auction catalogues from Phillips, Sotheby's, and Christie's, specialist dealer archives, and documented collector research. Where sources disagree, both positions are presented with attribution. Where the historical record has gaps, they are acknowledged rather than glossed over.


The articles are structured for reference use. Each follows the same architecture: core specifications, production outline, movement notes, dial map, case and bezel details, bracelet fitment, special branches, and market context. Built to be scanned, not just read.
<div class="rp-index">
 
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">Cellini</div></div>
== Contribute ==
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Vintage dress watch<small>Catalogued examples dated 1967–69</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:3735|3735]]</div></div>
 
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Modern Cellini Prince</div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:5440/8|5440/8]] [[Reference:5441/9|5441/9]] [[Reference:5442/5|5442/5]]</div></div>
This is an open project. If any of this interests you, there is plenty of work to do.
</div>
 
* '''Improve an article''' — every page is a working draft; click ''Edit source'' and make it better
* '''Bring sources''' — auction results, dealer archives, published research, anything that strengthens a claim or fills a gap
* '''Upload photos''' — images of watches you own are welcome (see the [[BezelBase:Image policy|image policy]])
* '''Flag errors''' — if something is wrong, say so; getting it right matters more than getting it finished


</div>
<div class="rp-footnote">Rolexopedia is an independent community reference and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Rolex SA. "Rolex" and the model names on this site are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the watches described. See the [[Rolexopedia:General disclaimer|disclaimer]].</div>


[[Category:BezelBase]]
[[Category:Rolexopedia]]

Revision as of 13:04, 20 October 2026

The Rolex reference encyclopedia

Rolexopedia is a reference guide to vintage and discontinued Rolex watches. Browse a family to compare generations, or open a reference number for its production history, movement, dial variants and case details.

A reference number can cover decades of changes. The articles distinguish documented variants and later replacements, with sources for further reading. The serial-number, movement and bracelet guides help compare the parts of an individual watch. About the project →

357wiki articles
12families
2,084image files
1920s onwardhistorical coverage

Browse by family

Rolex Submariner
Early divers through the ceramic generations
Big Crown models, the 5512 and 5513 dial changes, the Red Sub and the five-digit sapphire references.
Rolex Daytona
Manual-wind, Zenith and in-house chronographs
Manual-wind Valjoux chronographs, the Paul Newman exotic dials, the Zenith automatics and the in-house 4130 generation.
Rolex GMT-Master II Chuck Yeager advertisement
GMT-Master and GMT-Master II
From the Bakelite-bezel 6542 through the long 1675 run to the ceramic GMT-Master II.
Rolex Explorer advertisement with Hillary and Tenzing on Everest
Early Explorers and their sapphire successors
The 6150 and 6350, the long-running 1016, and the later sapphire-crystal models.
Rolex Explorer II advertisement with Alain Hubert
Fixed-bezel watches with a 24-hour hand
The orange-hand 1655 Freccione, the transitional 16550 and the long-run 16570.
Rolex Deepstar 4000 advertisement
Saturation-diving references
Single Red, Double Red and Great White 1665s, the Triple Six, later references and documented COMEX examples.
Rolex Day-Date 1960 advertisement
Day and date displays, in gold or platinum
The President from the 1956 originals through the 1803 era, five-digit sapphire, Day-Date II and Oysterquartz.
Rolex Milgauss
Magnetic protection across two production eras
The lightning-bolt seconds hand of the 6541, the 1019 and the green-crystal 116400GV.
Rolex Air-King advertisement, steel is a precious metal
Early Air-Kings through the 34mm sapphire models
Early hand-wound models, the long-running 5500 and the sapphire-crystal 14000 line.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Time-only automatic Oysters
The plain-dial Oyster: classic four-digit 1002 to 1018, five-digit and the last pre-refresh 116000 generation.
Rolex Oyster 1929 advertisement
Manual Oysters and early automatics
The first waterproof Oysters, the domed-caseback automatics, the Padellone, manual-wind Oyster Precision models such as the 6082, and later Oysterdate Precision references such as the 6094. A separate round dress watch, ref. 3540, is catalogued as a manual-wind Rolex Precision.
Rolex Prince 1932 advertisement
Rectangular and shaped cases
Rectangular Art-Deco chronometers: Classic 1343, Brancard 971, Railway and Tigre variants.

From the archive

Reference guides

Serial systems and dating limits
Numeric and letter-prefix year ranges, hallmark dating for early watches, and the limits of randomized serials.
Bracelets, end links, clasps
Rivet, folded and solid Oyster, Jubilee and President bracelets, end-link numbers and the clasp date-code key.
Calibers across the watch families
From the early manual-wind Oyster calibers through the 1500 and 3000 series to the Zenith and in-house chronographs.

Every reference, by era

Manual-wind chronograph1962–1988
Zenith automatic1988–2000
In-house cal 41302000–2016
Early single-buttonCatalogue dates c.1920–c.1940
Early Oyster monopusherCatalogue dates c.1937–1942
Early two-register1930s–1940s
Round Oyster chronographsfrom c.1950
Vintage1952–89
Modern1989–2021
Current2021–present
Vintage Freccione1971–1984
Transitional1985–1989
Modern 40mm1989–2010
Single Red to Great White1967–1983
Triple Six and 166001978–2008
Ceramic2008–2017
Yacht-Master
Yacht-Master 42Introduced 2019
Originals1956–59
4-digit President1959–78
6-digit Day-Date 362000–19
Day-Date II 41mm2008–15
Oysterquartz1977–2001
Early and CERN erac.1955–1988
Modern2007–2023
Battle of Britain origin1945–53
First automatic1953–57
Long-run mainstay1957–89
Sapphire era1989–2014
Earlier referencesCatalogue dates conflict; no production span established
Mid-centuryMostly 1950s catalogue dates; case 994893 has conflicting 1964 and 1954 estimates
Classic four-digit1950s–1988 catalogue examples; limits vary by reference
Ladies' time-only1973–82 catalogue examples; factory span unknown
Four-digit Datejust 36From 1959; Monochrome dates discontinuation to 1981
Five-digit acrylic-crystal Datejust 36Generation introduced 1977; reference end dates vary
Five-digit sapphire-crystal Datejust 36Introduced 1988; published end dates differ
Last pre-refresh generation2007–2020
Pre-Oyster and Oyster1922–37
Manual-wind Oysterc.1930s–1940s
Bubbleback era1933–45
Late Bubblebacksselected catalogue estimates circa 1940–1955; dates do not set production spans
Straight-lug Empire Oystercatalogue dates circa 1940–1950s
Square Perpetual1940s–1952 catalogue examples
Later Bubbleback examplesCatalogue estimates span circa 1945–60; 4919 has a disputed 1930s outlier
Large no-date Oyster Perpetualcatalogue estimates c.1946–58; production span unsettled
Datejust, Padellone, Super Oyster1945–53
Oyster Precision
Oysterdate Precision
Brancard era1928–mid-1940s
Other rectangular PrincesCatalogue dates c.1927–1938
Prince Imperial pocket watchc.1930–1945
Other vintage references
Manual-wind, small secondscatalogued 1929–1940s
Rectangular manual-windcatalogued circa 1930–1938
Manual-wind Oystercatalogued 1930s–c.1955
Oyster Speedkingcatalogued c.1952–1953
Chronometre Scientific1937 case marks; catalogued examples circa 1937
Chronometer / Precision dress watchcatalogued c.1943–50; model classification unresolved
Round gold Precisioncatalogued examples c.1945–1968; early date disputed


Cellini
Vintage dress watchCatalogued examples dated 1967–69
Modern Cellini Prince
Rolexopedia is an independent community reference and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Rolex SA. "Rolex" and the model names on this site are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the watches described. See the disclaimer.