Reference:Serial-numbers: Difference between revisions

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For [[Reference:1601|ref. 1601]], Phillips lists case number 926196 on a watch dated circa 1963. Sotheby’s records case 1,267,924 on a circa-1966 example, 3'835'110 on a circa-1974 watch, and 4'201'060 on a circa-1976 watch. Use these catalogue pairings to compare individual 1601s; the general serial chart remains an estimate and the pairings do not establish production years. [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/106298 Phillips, lot 880]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/fine-watches-3/reference-1601-datejust-a-stainless-steel Sotheby’s, lot 694]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-2/reference-1601-datejust-a-yellow-gold-automatic Sotheby’s, lot 130]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/important-watches-9/reference-1601-datejust-a-yellow-gold-automatic Sotheby’s, lot 44].

For ref. [[Reference:5052|5052]], Christie’s gives case 653977 and dates its pink-gold watch to the 1940s; Stockholms Auktionsverk records steel case serial 663654 with a 1950s estimate. These nearby numbers do not fix the watches to those decades: the numeric sequence was reused, and the published dates remain catalogue estimates. Anderson & Garland's 5052-attributed watch has only the prefix 663xxx, so it cannot be matched to case 663654 from the number alone. [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-1472920 Christie’s, case 653977] [https://auctionet.com/fi/2105792-rolex-bubleback-rannekello-teras-automaatti-1950-luku Stockholms Auktionsverk, case 663654] [https://www.andersonandgarland.com/auction/lot/lot-421---a-rolex-oyster-perpetual-stainless-steel-wristwatch/?lot=371857&sd=1 Anderson & Garland, lot 421]

For ref. [[Reference:8952|8952]], Sotheby’s dates case 351,427 circa 1952. Crescent Watch Guys' chart puts that number in both a mid-1940s pre-reset range and a late-1950s post-reset range. The chart is an estimate; keep Sotheby’s date attached to its catalogue entry. [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/86de210f-86a9-4599-a8b9-bef3d3bfed75/lots/83afeb8b-1684-4fb2-9c38-0fe31a484dfe Sotheby’s, lot 8932]; [https://crescentwatchguys.com/pages/rolex-serial-numbers Crescent Watch Guys serial chart].

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Auction catalogues assign dates from circa 1962 to 1969 to individually numbered 1507 or 1503/1507 watches: case 928,501 (joint attribution) circa 1962; 1,144,916 circa 1964; 1,122,198 circa 1965; and 1,916,162 and 2,864,908 circa 1969. Sotheby’s’ circa-1964 estimate for 1,144,916 is later in the serial sequence than its circa-1965 estimate for 1,122,198. These estimates do not form a reliable serial chronology. A separate circa-1975 Christie's 1507 has no published case number. [https://www.barnebys.fr/ventes/objet/rolex-eYswah4-633694142 Barnebys archive of an Antiquorum listing, case 928,501]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/watches-l19070/lot.1.html Sotheby’s, case 1,144,916]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/fine-watches-10/datejust-shantung-dial-pyramid-markers-reference Sotheby’s, case 1,122,198]; [https://jewelry.ha.com/itm/timepieces/rolex-ref-1507-oyster-perpetual-date-bark-finished-bezel-18k-gold-circa-1969/a/5422-54009.s Heritage, case 1,916,162]; [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-rolex-date-ref-150718k-gold-self-winding-case-5091508/ Christie’s, case 2,864,908].

=== Oyster Perpetual Date 1510 dated examples ===

Christie’s dates case 1,598,902 to circa 1965 and case 1,691,443 to 1967; Phillips dates case 1,901,206 to circa 1968; Monaco Legend dates case 2,223,098 to 1969. Phillips re-listed the same Ricciardi watch in 2026 with case number 1,906,206, while movement, retailer mark, clasp stamp and paper dates match its 2019 record. Christie's dates serial 2,860,900 to circa 1971, while Gazette Drouot uses the same number for a hand-wound watch dated 1955–58. The conflicting movements and dates leave this serial unusable as a production boundary. Catalogue dates apply to individual watches; serial-number chronology remains unresolved. [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5841772 Christie’s, case 1,598,902]; [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5493400 Christie’s, case 1,691,443]; [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080319/4 Phillips 2019, case 1,901,206]; [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/236697 Phillips 2026, case 1,906,206]; [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-15/lot-140 Monaco Legend, case 2,223,098]; [https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/watches-online-geneva-edit/rolex-yellow-gold-oyster-perpetual-date-zephyr-ref-1510-285/183944 Christie’s, serial 2,860,900]; [https://www.gazette-drouot.com/en/lots/25117066-rolex--22oyster-perpetual-date--- Gazette Drouot, serial 2,860,900].

=== Oyster Perpetual Date 1505 dated examples ===

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 For [[Reference:1601|ref. 1601]], Phillips lists case number 926196 on a watch dated circa 1963. Sotheby’s records case 1,267,924 on a circa-1966 example, 3'835'110 on a circa-1974 watch, and 4'201'060 on a circa-1976 watch. Use these catalogue pairings to compare individual 1601s; the general serial chart remains an estimate and the pairings do not establish production years. [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/106298 Phillips, lot 880]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/fine-watches-3/reference-1601-datejust-a-stainless-steel Sotheby’s, lot 694]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-2/reference-1601-datejust-a-yellow-gold-automatic Sotheby’s, lot 130]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/important-watches-9/reference-1601-datejust-a-yellow-gold-automatic Sotheby’s, lot 44].
+For ref. [[Reference:5052|5052]], Christie’s gives case 653977 and dates its pink-gold watch to the 1940s; Stockholms Auktionsverk records steel case serial 663654 with a 1950s estimate. These nearby numbers do not fix the watches to those decades: the numeric sequence was reused, and the published dates remain catalogue estimates. Anderson & Garland's 5052-attributed watch has only the prefix 663xxx, so it cannot be matched to case 663654 from the number alone. [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-1472920 Christie’s, case 653977] [https://auctionet.com/fi/2105792-rolex-bubleback-rannekello-teras-automaatti-1950-luku Stockholms Auktionsverk, case 663654] [https://www.andersonandgarland.com/auction/lot/lot-421---a-rolex-oyster-perpetual-stainless-steel-wristwatch/?lot=371857&sd=1 Anderson & Garland, lot 421]
 For ref. [[Reference:8952|8952]], Sotheby’s dates case 351,427 circa 1952. Crescent Watch Guys' chart puts that number in both a mid-1940s pre-reset range and a late-1950s post-reset range. The chart is an estimate; keep Sotheby’s date attached to its catalogue entry. [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/86de210f-86a9-4599-a8b9-bef3d3bfed75/lots/83afeb8b-1684-4fb2-9c38-0fe31a484dfe Sotheby’s, lot 8932]; [https://crescentwatchguys.com/pages/rolex-serial-numbers Crescent Watch Guys serial chart].
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 Auction catalogues assign dates from circa 1962 to 1969 to individually numbered 1507 or 1503/1507 watches: case 928,501 (joint attribution) circa 1962; 1,144,916 circa 1964; 1,122,198 circa 1965; and 1,916,162 and 2,864,908 circa 1969. Sotheby’s’ circa-1964 estimate for 1,144,916 is later in the serial sequence than its circa-1965 estimate for 1,122,198. These estimates do not form a reliable serial chronology. A separate circa-1975 Christie's 1507 has no published case number. [https://www.barnebys.fr/ventes/objet/rolex-eYswah4-633694142 Barnebys archive of an Antiquorum listing, case 928,501]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/watches-l19070/lot.1.html Sotheby’s, case 1,144,916]; [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/fine-watches-10/datejust-shantung-dial-pyramid-markers-reference Sotheby’s, case 1,122,198]; [https://jewelry.ha.com/itm/timepieces/rolex-ref-1507-oyster-perpetual-date-bark-finished-bezel-18k-gold-circa-1969/a/5422-54009.s Heritage, case 1,916,162]; [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-rolex-date-ref-150718k-gold-self-winding-case-5091508/ Christie’s, case 2,864,908].
+=== Oyster Perpetual Date 1510 dated examples ===
+Christie’s dates case 1,598,902 to circa 1965 and case 1,691,443 to 1967; Phillips dates case 1,901,206 to circa 1968; Monaco Legend dates case 2,223,098 to 1969. Phillips re-listed the same Ricciardi watch in 2026 with case number 1,906,206, while movement, retailer mark, clasp stamp and paper dates match its 2019 record. Christie's dates serial 2,860,900 to circa 1971, while Gazette Drouot uses the same number for a hand-wound watch dated 1955–58. The conflicting movements and dates leave this serial unusable as a production boundary. Catalogue dates apply to individual watches; serial-number chronology remains unresolved. [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5841772 Christie’s, case 1,598,902]; [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5493400 Christie’s, case 1,691,443]; [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080319/4 Phillips 2019, case 1,901,206]; [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/236697 Phillips 2026, case 1,906,206]; [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-15/lot-140 Monaco Legend, case 2,223,098]; [https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/watches-online-geneva-edit/rolex-yellow-gold-oyster-perpetual-date-zephyr-ref-1510-285/183944 Christie’s, serial 2,860,900]; [https://www.gazette-drouot.com/en/lots/25117066-rolex--22oyster-perpetual-date--- Gazette Drouot, serial 2,860,900].
 === Oyster Perpetual Date 1505 dated examples ===