Reference:Serial-numbers: Difference between revisions

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For early [[Reference:prince|Prince]], [[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] and manual Oyster references such as [[Reference:3478|3478]], compare the case number with examples of the same reference and material. A chart covering later Oyster production may not describe an earlier case-number sequence. British hallmarks on precious-metal cases provide a separate assay date. Steel cases need other evidence.

For [[Reference:3346|ref. 3346]], Antiquorum dates case 146262 to circa 1937; Christie’s dates its 2002 example to circa 1938, and Sotheby’s later identifies that watch as case 142587. Monaco Legend dates case 142589 to circa 1941, while Sotheby’s dates case 146269 to circa 1942. The lower-numbered 142589 thus receives a later catalogue date than 146262. These are attributions to individual watches, not a serial-year sequence or production span. [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3346-zerographe-lot-339-292 Antiquorum, case 146262] [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-2070687 Christie’s, dated c.1938] [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches/reference-3346-zerograph-an-extremely-rare-and?locale=en Sotheby’s case-number survey] [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-33/lot-199 Monaco Legend, case 142589] [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches/reference-3346-zerograph-an-extremely-rare-and?locale=en Sotheby’s, case 146269]

Antiquorum dates ref. [[Reference:4392|4392]] case 607544 to 1947. This is one catalogue pairing of case number and date, not a 4392 serial-year sequence. [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-4392-bubble-back-stainless-steel-lot-383-105 Antiquorum, lot 105]

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For the Oyster Perpetual ref. 1013, a Rago Arts & Auction Center lot dated serial 1,900,046 to 1969. Pergola's unofficial serial chart places that number in its 1968 range. These are conflicting estimates for one watch; neither establishes a production-year boundary for the reference. [https://www.ragoarts.com/auctions/2022/02/interesting-timepieces/508 Rago lot 508]; [https://rolexhaven.com/serial-numbers.html Pergola serial chart].

For Oyster Perpetual ref. [[Reference:1014|1014]], Bonhams dates a gold-plated steel ~~watch with masked~~ case ~~number~~ 769*** to circa 1951. Bellmans ~~later records~~ serial 769199 ~~and dates that watch~~ to 1962; ~~the~~ masked ~~number could match~~, but the catalogues do not confirm ~~one object~~. Pergola~~'s chart places~~ 769199 in its 1961 band. The photographed Dowling–Hess chart ~~lists~~ 710,776 in 1951 and 840,396 in 1952~~, but does not list 769199, so~~ it ~~gives~~ no ~~direct date~~ for ~~this case~~. These ~~are lot~~ and chart ~~attributions~~, not a production span. [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24231/lot/182/rolex-a-stainless-steel-and-gold-filled-automatic-sweep-seconds-wristwatch-ref-1014-circa-1951/ Bonhams lot 182]; [https://app.bellmans.co.uk/en/auction/nov-jewellery-2025-20-november-fine-jewellery-watches/1569-a-rolex-oyster-perpetual-chronometer-gold-capped-ref-1014-with-additional-9ct-gold-bracelet?page=12&listView=1 Bellmans lot 1569]; [https://rolexhaven.com/serial-numbers.html Pergola, Dowling and Hess chart photographs].

For Oyster Perpetual ref. [[Reference:1014|1014]], Bonhams dates its gold-plated steel case, numbered 769***, to circa 1951. Bellmans dates serial 769199 to 1962; that number is consistent with Bonhams' masked prefix, but the catalogues do not confirm that their listings describe the same watch. Pergola assigns 769199 to its 1961 band. The photographed Dowling–Hess chart gives 710,776 for 1951 and 840,396 for 1952; it has no entry for 769199. These auction dates and chart estimates describe individual records, not a production span. [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24231/lot/182/rolex-a-stainless-steel-and-gold-filled-automatic-sweep-seconds-wristwatch-ref-1014-circa-1951/ Bonhams lot 182]; [https://app.bellmans.co.uk/en/auction/nov-jewellery-2025-20-november-fine-jewellery-watches/1569-a-rolex-oyster-perpetual-chronometer-gold-capped-ref-1014-with-additional-9ct-gold-bracelet?page=12&listView=1 Bellmans lot 1569]; [https://rolexhaven.com/serial-numbers.html Pergola, Dowling and Hess chart photographs].

For ref. [[Reference:6718|6718]], catalogues date individual examples: case 3,405,859 is dated circa 1975 by Antiquorum; case 5,277,493 is assigned to 1978 by Antiquorum, which records a 6 November 1978 sale; Sotheby's dates case 6,628,393 to circa 1981; and Antiquorum dates case 7,350,321 to 1982. The case numbers are dated examples; factory endpoints remain unknown. [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6718-lot-376-202 Antiquorum, case 3,405,859]; [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-253-252 Antiquorum, case 5,277,493]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/fine-watches-11/oyster-perpetual-reference-6718-a-yellow-gold Sotheby's, case 6,628,393]; [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6718-lot-293-102 Antiquorum, case 7,350,321]

For ref. [[Reference:6719|6719]], Antiquorum dates case 6,703,003 to circa 1981. Leland Little dates serial 7,350,177 to circa 1982, and its photographs show the same number on the accompanying guarantee paper. These are catalogue dates for individual watches, not production limits. [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6719-oyster-perpetual-lot-342-154 Antiquorum, ref. 6719]; [https://www.lelandlittle.com/items/568411/lady-s-stainless-steel-and-gold-i-oyster-perpetual-i-watch-rolex/ Leland Little, lot 1089]

For Cellini-labelled ref. [[Reference:3735|3735]], Fortuna dates case serial 1,809,871 to circa 1968; the number falls within Pergola's 1968 band (1,720,977–1,938,064). This agreement applies to one case. Farsetti dates its example to 1967 but masks the serial as 15**30, leaving no complete number for comparison. See [https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/rolex-cellini-blue-dial-in-18k-white-gold-113-c-d154d64b31 Fortuna, lot 113] and [https://www.farsettiarte.it/uk/auction-0264-2/rolex-cellini-ref-3735-1967-107363 Farsetti, lot 107363].

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 For early [[Reference:prince|Prince]], [[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] and manual Oyster references such as [[Reference:3478|3478]], compare the case number with examples of the same reference and material. A chart covering later Oyster production may not describe an earlier case-number sequence. British hallmarks on precious-metal cases provide a separate assay date. Steel cases need other evidence.
+For [[Reference:3346|ref. 3346]], Antiquorum dates case 146262 to circa 1937; Christie’s dates its 2002 example to circa 1938, and Sotheby’s later identifies that watch as case 142587. Monaco Legend dates case 142589 to circa 1941, while Sotheby’s dates case 146269 to circa 1942. The lower-numbered 142589 thus receives a later catalogue date than 146262. These are attributions to individual watches, not a serial-year sequence or production span. [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-3346-zerographe-lot-339-292 Antiquorum, case 146262] [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-2070687 Christie’s, dated c.1938] [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches/reference-3346-zerograph-an-extremely-rare-and?locale=en Sotheby’s case-number survey] [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-33/lot-199 Monaco Legend, case 142589] [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches/reference-3346-zerograph-an-extremely-rare-and?locale=en Sotheby’s, case 146269]
 Antiquorum dates ref. [[Reference:4392|4392]] case 607544 to 1947. This is one catalogue pairing of case number and date, not a 4392 serial-year sequence. [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-4392-bubble-back-stainless-steel-lot-383-105 Antiquorum, lot 105]
@@ Line 626: / Line 628: @@
 For the Oyster Perpetual ref. 1013, a Rago Arts & Auction Center lot dated serial 1,900,046 to 1969. Pergola's unofficial serial chart places that number in its 1968 range. These are conflicting estimates for one watch; neither establishes a production-year boundary for the reference. [https://www.ragoarts.com/auctions/2022/02/interesting-timepieces/508 Rago lot 508]; [https://rolexhaven.com/serial-numbers.html Pergola serial chart].
-For Oyster Perpetual ref. [[Reference:1014|1014]], Bonhams dates a gold-plated steel watch with masked case number 769*** to circa 1951. Bellmans later records serial 769199 and dates that watch to 1962; the masked number could match, but the catalogues do not confirm one object. Pergola's chart places 769199 in its 1961 band. The photographed Dowling–Hess chart lists 710,776 in 1951 and 840,396 in 1952, but does not list 769199, so it gives no direct date for this case. These are lot and chart attributions, not a production span. [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24231/lot/182/rolex-a-stainless-steel-and-gold-filled-automatic-sweep-seconds-wristwatch-ref-1014-circa-1951/ Bonhams lot 182]; [https://app.bellmans.co.uk/en/auction/nov-jewellery-2025-20-november-fine-jewellery-watches/1569-a-rolex-oyster-perpetual-chronometer-gold-capped-ref-1014-with-additional-9ct-gold-bracelet?page=12&listView=1 Bellmans lot 1569]; [https://rolexhaven.com/serial-numbers.html Pergola, Dowling and Hess chart photographs].
+For Oyster Perpetual ref. [[Reference:1014|1014]], Bonhams dates its gold-plated steel case, numbered 769***, to circa 1951. Bellmans dates serial 769199 to 1962; that number is consistent with Bonhams' masked prefix, but the catalogues do not confirm that their listings describe the same watch. Pergola assigns 769199 to its 1961 band. The photographed Dowling–Hess chart gives 710,776 for 1951 and 840,396 for 1952; it has no entry for 769199. These auction dates and chart estimates describe individual records, not a production span. [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24231/lot/182/rolex-a-stainless-steel-and-gold-filled-automatic-sweep-seconds-wristwatch-ref-1014-circa-1951/ Bonhams lot 182]; [https://app.bellmans.co.uk/en/auction/nov-jewellery-2025-20-november-fine-jewellery-watches/1569-a-rolex-oyster-perpetual-chronometer-gold-capped-ref-1014-with-additional-9ct-gold-bracelet?page=12&listView=1 Bellmans lot 1569]; [https://rolexhaven.com/serial-numbers.html Pergola, Dowling and Hess chart photographs].
 For ref. [[Reference:6718|6718]], catalogues date individual examples: case 3,405,859 is dated circa 1975 by Antiquorum; case 5,277,493 is assigned to 1978 by Antiquorum, which records a 6 November 1978 sale; Sotheby's dates case 6,628,393 to circa 1981; and Antiquorum dates case 7,350,321 to 1982. The case numbers are dated examples; factory endpoints remain unknown. [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6718-lot-376-202 Antiquorum, case 3,405,859]; [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-253-252 Antiquorum, case 5,277,493]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/fine-watches-11/oyster-perpetual-reference-6718-a-yellow-gold Sotheby's, case 6,628,393]; [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6718-lot-293-102 Antiquorum, case 7,350,321]
+For ref. [[Reference:6719|6719]], Antiquorum dates case 6,703,003 to circa 1981. Leland Little dates serial 7,350,177 to circa 1982, and its photographs show the same number on the accompanying guarantee paper. These are catalogue dates for individual watches, not production limits. [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6719-oyster-perpetual-lot-342-154 Antiquorum, ref. 6719]; [https://www.lelandlittle.com/items/568411/lady-s-stainless-steel-and-gold-i-oyster-perpetual-i-watch-rolex/ Leland Little, lot 1089]
 For Cellini-labelled ref. [[Reference:3735|3735]], Fortuna dates case serial 1,809,871 to circa 1968; the number falls within Pergola's 1968 band (1,720,977–1,938,064). This agreement applies to one case. Farsetti dates its example to 1967 but masks the serial as 15**30, leaving no complete number for comparison. See [https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/rolex-cellini-blue-dial-in-18k-white-gold-113-c-d154d64b31 Fortuna, lot 113] and [https://www.farsettiarte.it/uk/auction-0264-2/rolex-cellini-ref-3735-1967-107363 Farsetti, lot 107363].