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Rolex Serial Numbers

This is a checked version, approved on 13 September 2026. New changes may have been made.

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Rolex used numeric case serials, then letter-prefixed serials, and later randomized alphanumeric strings. Numeric and letter-prefixed ranges can suggest a production period. Randomized serials have no public year mapping. None of these systems establishes the originality of the dial, movement or bracelet.

The three systems

Rolex restarted its numeric case sequence in the mid-1950s. The same short number can therefore fall in more than one period. Letter-prefixed serials appeared around 1987; randomized serials followed around 2010. Neither change happened as a simple one-year boundary across every reference.

Finding the serial number

On many Oyster references made before the rehaut transition of the mid-2000s, the serial is engraved between the lugs at 6 o'clock, beneath the bracelet. The reference number is usually between the opposite lugs at 12 o'clock. Earlier case designs need reference-specific guidance.

Rolex moved the serial to the rehaut, the inner bezel ring that frames the dial, beginning around 2005, with the change complete across the catalog by about 2008. A rehaut watch carries the serial laser-etched on the flange at 6 o'clock, the crown logo and "ROLEX" repeating around the rest of the ring, and usually nothing between the lugs. Transition-period watches need comparison with documented examples of the same reference. Serial placement alone does not establish a case replacement.

Matching serials link a warranty card or guarantee paper to the case number, provided the document itself is authentic. They do not establish the originality of every component. The clasp uses a separate dating system. A movement can carry caliber designations, part references and an individual movement number; identify the marking before interpreting it.

Numeric serials (≤1987)

The table transcribes selected observations and ranges from the Pergola and Dowling–Hess charts reproduced by RolexHaven. These are unofficial collector charts. They disagree in places: Dowling–Hess places serial 132,562 in III 1953, while Pergola puts 63,425–139,166 in 1955. Do not average conflicting dates into a precise year.

The table is selective, with gaps between some entries. For a number outside it, compare documented examples of the reference. A matching row supplies an estimate, not proof of manufacture, assembly or sale in that year.

Serial / range in source Date assigned by source Chart
23,969 1928 Dowling and Hess
28,290 1930 Dowling and Hess
35,365 1935 Dowling and Hess
99,775 1940 Dowling and Hess
143,509 1942 Dowling and Hess
387,216 1946 Dowling and Hess
529,163 1947 Dowling and Hess
628,840 1948 Dowling and Hess
710,776 1951 Dowling and Hess
840,396 1952 Dowling and Hess
927,301–929,261 1952/1953 Pergola
929,262–974,681 1953 Pergola
974,682–982,114 1953/1954 Pergola
982,115–999,999 1954 Pergola
10,001–32,180 1954 Pergola, restarted sequence
32,181–63,424 1954/1955 Pergola
63,425–139,166 1955 Pergola
139,167–147,690 1955/1956 Pergola
147,691–261,715 1956 Pergola
272,289–360,987 1957 Pergola
381,923–426,480 1958 Pergola
437,255–530,168 1959 Pergola
539,969–663,484 1960 Pergola
688,767–785,296 1961 Pergola
840,046–919,916 1962 Pergola
950,451–974,197 1963 Pergola, after the reset
997,136–1,104,068 1964 Pergola
1,141,050–1,269,458 1965 Pergola
1,284,790–1,503,591 1966 Pergola
1,534,083–1,695,119 1967 Pergola
1,720,977–1,938,064 1968 Pergola
1,958,607–2,236,978 1969 Pergola
2,357,480–2,558,656 1970 Pergola
2,558,657–2,591,204 1970/1971 Pergola
3,215,500 1971 Dowling and Hess
3,478,400 1972 Dowling and Hess
3,741,300 1973 Dowling and Hess
4,004,200 1974 Dowling and Hess

Letter serials (1987–2010)

Letter-prefixed case serials usually contain one letter and six digits. The R prefix appeared around 1987; the Field Manual places L around 1989 and into early 1990. Prefixes overlap, and a guarantee date records sale rather than the exact date the case was numbered.

Letter Production year Notes
R 1987–1988 Field Manual: around 1987 through late 1988.
L Around 1989–early 1990 Field Manual: 1989 into early 1990.
E 1990 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
N 1991 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
X 1991–1992 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
C 1992 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
S 1993 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
W 1994–1995 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
T 1995–1996 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
U 1997–1998 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
A 1998–1999 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
P 2000 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
K 2001–2002 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
Y 2002–2003 A Sotheby's 116528, case Y239786, has an October 2002 guarantee; that dates sale.
F 2003–2004 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
D 2005–2006 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
Z 2006–2007 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
M 2007–2008 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
V 2008–2009 Approximate collector dating; check the individual reference.
G Around 2010; overlaps randomized serials Phillips records a G-prefix 114270 with a November 2010 guarantee. This does not establish a first-half-only production window.

Letter-prefix ranges overlap. Use the table as an approximate date range, then compare the case, dial and movement with documented examples of that reference.

Case serial prefixes and clasp codes are different systems. A letter on the clasp cannot be read as the same letter in the case-serial table.

Random serials (mid-2010 onward)

Rolex began using randomized case serials around 2010, during the period of the final letter prefixes. Mixed-letter-and-digit serials have no public year mapping. A guarantee can establish a recorded sale date, but the serial alone cannot give the exact production year.

For a modern watch, start with the production span of the reference and any dated paperwork. Randomized clasp codes also lack a public year mapping. The case serial remains useful for linking records to a particular watch.

Pre-1948 vintage references and hallmark dating

For vintage references produced before about 1948, the numeric serial system on its own is rarely enough to date a watch precisely. That covers the Prince family (971, 1490, 1491, 1527, 1862, 3361, 3937), the early Bubbleback era (2240, 2574, 2764, 2940, 3065, 3132, 3458, 3595), and manual Oysters such as 1873, 2765, 2784, and 3009. Movement and case numbers were not always issued in strict chronological order, and Rolex's own archival material for the pre-WWII period is incomplete. On precious-metal cases bearing British hallmarks, assay marks provide a separate date anchor. Steel cases need other evidence.

Glasgow and Edinburgh assay marks

British hallmarks on precious-metal cases can identify the assay office, metal standard, sponsor and assay year. Imported cases may carry different office marks from domestic work. Match the complete mark, including its shield and lettering, to the correct office and period; a date letter records assay, not necessarily manufacture or retail sale.

For a hallmarked case, identify the assay office and the complete date-letter punch, then consult that office's chart. Compare the result with the reference and documented movement examples. Opening a case for inspection is work for someone equipped to avoid damaging it.

A specific example documents the workflow on the 971 reference: Antiquorum NY March 2010 lot 401 sold a sterling silver 971 with English hallmark dated 1928, case 70,064, movement 7,216, from the Arman Collection. The auction catalogue attributes the hallmark to 1928. That is a date anchor for the case, rather than proof of when every component was made or assembled.

Why the serial-system year-letter chart fails for the Prince era

The Rolex letter-prefix serial system documented above (1987–2010) postdates Prince production by 50+ years. The pre-1987 numeric system was sequential rather than calendar-locked: serial ranges advanced as production volume cleared blocks of numbers, and a watch with serial 70,000 in one year of pre-WWII production might overlap with a watch numbered 80,000 in the same year of a different reference. Rolex's own archival material for the era is incomplete, and the published numeric-serial-to-year correspondences cover the post-WWII era reasonably well but become unreliable before 1948. For a hallmarked Prince or pre-war Bubbleback, the assay date supplies an independent check on the estimated case date.

Prince case-number anchors

The table collects dated Prince examples. Auction dates and dedications are different kinds of evidence from assay dates; keep those distinctions when comparing case numbers.

Reference Case number Material / configuration Hallmark / dating Source
971 70,064 sterling silver English hallmark 1928 — earliest documented 971 Antiquorum NY 2010 lot 401 (Arman Collection)
971 70,668 sterling silver Glasgow 1929 Bonhams London 2018 lot 37
971 71,883 sterling silver c.1929–1930 Sotheby's 2019
971 011,651 steel + Beyer-double-signed dial c.1928 (NOS, found 1998) Phillips Geneva X CH080319/17
971 6,013 platinum, Cal. 300 7½′′′ 18-jewel c.1935 Phillips Geneva V/X/XIV (sold 3×)
971 6,047 platinum 1935 Phillips 2015 Watch Auction One lot 210
971 6,077 platinum c.1930 Antiquorum 2013
971 1,472 stainless + 14K, Eaton 1/4 Century dedication "1907–1932" Monaco Legend July 2019 lot 156
971 60,206 9K bicolor "Zebra" c.1934 Antiquorum 2020 lot 235
971 65,196 18K Tiger Stripe (971A) c.1930 Antiquorum 2015 lot 275
971 65,377 18K Tiger Stripe (971A) c.1932 Antiquorum 2006 lot 316
971 68,305 9K bicolor "Zebra" (971A) c.1932 Bonhams NY 2017 lot 133
971 68,591 18K Tiger Stripe (971A) c.1938 — latest documented 971A Bonhams HK 2023 lot 644
971 74,768 stainless steel (971U) box + papers Antiquorum 2024 lot 462
1490 13,009 18K yellow gold Glasgow 1933 Phillips NY 2023 NY080223/92 + Sotheby's 2019 L19070 (likely same watch)
1490 17,365 steel + pink gold Cal. T.S. 300 Ultra Prima, 1935 Antiquorum May 2006 Mondani lot 46
1490 38,525 steel + Bucherer-double-signed dial c.1937 Sotheby's Watches Online July 2019 lot 13
1490 58,115 18K (group lot with 1862) c.1930 Christie's Geneva 1395 lot 307
1490 73,910 steel c.1936 Bonhams Nov 2023 lot 50
1490 309,367 14K Observatory grade caseback dedication 1947 — latest documented Prince case veryimportantlot
1862 1,608 9K Glasgow 1934 — earliest documented 1862 Antiquorum 249-98
1862 16,237 9K Glasgow + Cal. 527 Glasgow 1934 Christie's online lot 31 (sale 13523)
1862 16,663 18K (group lot with 1490) c.1938 Christie's Geneva 1395 lot 307
1862 280,124 18K yellow (1862A variant) c.1930 Sotheby's NY 2018 n09911 lot 53
1491 (Glasgow 1930) 18K yellow gold jump-hour Brancard Glasgow Import mark 1930 — earliest documented 1491 Bonhams sale 29152 lot 23
1491 F2149HS white-gold 1491HS Bucherer-retailed c.1945 (original Bucherer invoice) Antiquorum 2008 lot 692
1491 F220 two-color 18K gold 1491HS jump-hour c.1930 Bonhams sale 29152 lot 6 (also 2024 lot, F220 stamp)
1527 (Vicenza 1992 lot 146/5) 18 ct white + pink gold stepped Railway, beads-of-rice bracelet 1930s — earliest documented "Prince Railway" catalog naming Antiquorum Vicenza Oro 1992 lot 146/5
1527 189 18K white + yellow gold stepped Railway, original bamboo bracelet dated 1931 (highest documented result, CHF 27,140) Antiquorum May 2006 Mondani lot 108/33
1527 6920 18K white + pink stepped (catalogued "1527 M") c.1930s Drouot lot 182 (M suffix unexplained; possibly a factory bicolor variant code)
1527 6936 18K white + pink stepped Glasgow 1931 EveryWatch lot 378
1527 (1940s) steel + gold-filled stepped Railway 1940s — late-production end of 1527 line Bonhams NY 2006 sale 15217 lot 9
3361 899,568 18K yellow gold Aerodynamic dated 1952 (Mondani Collection) Antiquorum May 2006 Mondani lot 108/210 (hammer CHF 18,880)
3361 899,677 18K pink gold Aerodynamic with monogrammed escutcheon dated 1952 Antiquorum May 2006 Mondani lot 108/209 (hammer CHF 21,240 — highest documented result for the 3361)
3361 (mvt T94122) 18K yellow gold Aerodynamic c.1940 Antiquorum NY December 2015 sale 296 lot 73 (hammer USD 16,250)
3361 T61239 18K Aerodynamic — included in Phillips "Rolex Milestones" exhibition (year not retrieved) Phillips "38 Timepieces That Made History" Hong Kong
3361 59,330 (mvt 1,847) 18K pink gold with Cuervo y Sobrinos co-signed dial (Cuban retail channel) PatekMonger / Grailium / 1stdibs (dealer-level only — not auction-confirmed)
3362 62,482 14K pink gold Aerodynamic case c.1935 — earlier than canonical 3361 production; Friedberg dates 3362 to 1940 (contradiction unresolved) Antiquorum May 2015 sale 291 lot 109 (hammer CHF 11,250)
3937 64,190 14K yellow gold Rams Horn 1938 — earliest documented 3937 Bonhams 2023 lot 50 (production-launch anchor)
3937 (Garbett presentation) 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club dial: post-service Rolex-signed; caseback: "Presented to Sidnet Garbett... 1926–1951" Sotheby's NY 2020 lot 73
3937 (Bird presentation) 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club, 21×45mm caseback: "Presented to Donald M. Bird... 1926–1951" 1stdibs (dealer-level)
3937 (McMackon presentation) 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club caseback: "Presented to Fred W. McMackon... 1928–1953" — latest documented 3937 Eaton presentation Collectors Weekly family-heirloom story
6222 (Eaton successor) (King presentation) automatic Oyster — post-Prince Eaton continuity caseback: "Presented to Reginald A. King... 1929–1954" Antiquorum HK 2005 lot 86/19. Documents Eaton program continuing past the rectangular Prince era through 1966

Read down the table, the numbering falls into bands. Sterling and 9K Glasgow imports from 1928 to 1937 sit in the low-to-mid five digits. The listed platinum 971s have four-digit numbers (6,013 / 6,047 / 6,077). These examples do not establish annual production quantities. The 1862 reaches six digits at 280,124 on the 1862A 18K configuration, and the highest documented Prince case, 309,367 on a 1947-dedicated 14K 1490, sits at the top of the range. Those outliers bracket Prince production at roughly 1928 to 1947. Mid-1940s examples are rare; most documented watches date between 1929 and 1937.

Caseback engraving conventions

A second dating signal on pre-1948 references is the caseback engraving style. Factory casebacks of the period are stamped, with the marks physically pressed into the metal at production. Hand engraving needs examination in context; it does not by itself prove a replacement or a later alteration. Owner-presentation engraving (recipient names, dates, club affiliations) and retailer-program engraving are the exception. The Eaton 1/4 Century Club presentations on Princes are the canonical case, with caseback inscriptions along the lines of Presented to T.D. Switzer to mark a quarter-century of continuous service with T. Eaton C., Ltd., 1907–1932. Presentation engraving sits alongside the factory stamping rather than replacing it.

Vintage Submariner / Explorer / GMT case-number anchors

The 1953–1979 vintage Sub / Explorer / GMT-Master cluster carries case-number bands tight enough to date heads to a year or two within each reference. The numeric-serial tables give the broad year band; the per-reference anchors tighten it once the reference is known. Cross-check against the inside-caseback Roman-quarter date code where present (II.53 = Q2 1953, III.57 = Q3 1957, IV.55 = Q4 1955, etc.).

Reference Case number Configuration Year Source
6204 (Submariner) 949,136 honeycomb dial 1953 Phillips Geneva XII 2020 lot 177 (CHF 75,600)
6204 988,613 gilt, US Navy provenance c.1953–54 Sotheby's 2018 lot 250
6204 988,773 Sub-Aqua, end-link 65 1954 Phillips Geneva Watch Auction TWO 2015 lot 292
6204 988,923 pencil hands, gilt c.1954, clasp 2.53 Phillips NY Watch Auction 2021 lot 79 (USD 233,100)
6204 988,929 Sub-Aqua tropical 1954 Antiquorum Geneva 2013 lot 577
6204 42,439 Sub-Aqua "prototype" (post-reset) 1954 Monaco Legend 2019 lot 69 (EUR 78,000)
6205 (Submariner) 21,354 pencil hands, no-Submariner dial, riveted Oyster end-link 65 c.1954, Series 1 Phillips Game Changers NY 2019 lot 54 (USD 162,500)
6205 21,442 Mercedes hands, gilt gloss, stretch riveted bracelet c.1954–55 Sotheby's Fine Watches 2022 lot 13
6205 21,644 re-lumed reprinted no-Submariner dial 1954–55 Antiquorum Geneva 2025 lot 377-180 (CHF 16,250)
6205 85,972 Mercedes, gilt no depth (Series 2) 1955 Sotheby's Important Watches NY 2019 lot 178
6205 86,033 Atelier de Restauration 2023 restoration 1955 Sotheby's Important Watches II 2025 lot 336
6200 (Submariner) 320,xxx–322,xxx Big Crown 8mm Brevet, A296, Explorer or red depth 1954–56 Nicholas Foulkes, Oyster Perpetual Submariner (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024) — 303 examples in this cluster
6536/1 (Submariner) 112,256 Q4 1955 caseback "4 55", Jubilee bracelet stamped 1960 1955 Sotheby's 2021 lot 35
6536/1 112,341 Red Depth, IV.55 caseback 1955 Bonhams Dec 2021 lot 36
6536/1 155,502 Q2 1956 caseback II.56, on 7206 rivet bracelet 1956 Phillips Geneva V 2017 lot 102
6536/1 229,640 I.57 caseback 1957 Sotheby's 2018 lot 215
6536 (parent) 306,706 gloss black gilt, red triangle bezel March 1957 Bonhams London 2012 lot 116 (GBP 21,250)
6536/1 306,989 III.57 caseback, no-hash red triangle, glossy gilt — world record 1957 Sotheby's NY 2018 lot 252 (USD 225,000 — small-crown record)
6536 399,228 brown tropical dial c.1959 Sotheby's London 2019 lot 121
6538 (Submariner) 140,300–140,500 (Series 1) ~200 watches per Blackbird Watch Manual c.1956 Blackbird Biebuyck (2019)
6538 158,100–158,400 (Series 2) four-line OCC dial concentration c.1957–58 Blackbird Biebuyck (2019)
6538 307,100–307,600 (Series 3) two-line gilt 1958 Blackbird Biebuyck (2019)
6538 426,000–449,300 (Series 4) late-run, fourth series late 1958 / 1959 Blackbird; Sotheby's Olmsted 2024 lot 170 case 449,004
5510 (Submariner big crown) 362,153 RAN MilSub Explorer dial, fixed lugs (~4 known) 1958 Sotheby's Important Watches 2023 lot 107
5510 362,187 reprinted Explorer dial RAN 1958 Antiquorum Monaco 2018 lot 314-248
5510 362,252 Royal Navy diver provenance, RN log, 9315/580 bracelet 1958 Bonhams 16805/140
5508 (Submariner small crown) 361,650 black gilt, red triangle insert 1958 Phillips Geneva NINE 2019 lot 213 (CHF 500,000)
5508 400,505 tropical dial, 1960 papers 1958 Sotheby's Fine Watches 2023 lot 40
5508 489,831 small-crown James Bond catalogue 1959 Sotheby's Watches Online 2020
5508 490,575 ghost bezel, rivet bracelet '63 1958 Antiquorum Geneva 2020 lot 333-422 (CHF 56,250)
5508 762,896 exclamation gilt, II.62 caseback, 7206/64 bracelet 1962 Phillips Hong Kong SPORTS 2019 lot 881 (HKD 2,687,500)
5508 764,524 exclamation, 6636 clasp 4/64 1962 Phillips Geneva XV 2022 lot 160 (CHF 132,300)
6098 (Pre-Explorer / Oyster Perpetual) 912,378 steel + Sesto Continente "Super Oyster" provenance, IV.52 caseback Q4 1952 Vailati 1953 letter to Rolex Archives (Perezcope)
6150 (Pre-Explorer) 931,134 H.S.10 CD Royal Navy with crow's foot c.1953 Sotheby's Fine Watches 2025 L25713
6150 944,811 H.S.10 CD, Burford matte-black Swiss T Precision printing, MOD broad-arrow February 1953 Bonhams 18849/181 (GBP 8,400 incl. premium)
6150 944,925 "Oyster Perpetual Precision" dial 1953 Antiquorum Geneva 2022 lot 349-152
6150 945,021 "KANGCHENJUNGA 1955 G.C BAND" caseback engraving 1953 case, 1955 expedition gift Phillips Geneva Watch Auction SIX 2017 lot 244 (CHF 200,000)
6150 945,096 A296 18j, Oyster expandable bracelet c.1953 Sotheby's 2022 / 2024 (same example reoffered)
6350 (Explorer chronometer) 955,190 (low) → 955,948 (high) A296 chronometer-rated, 3-6-9 chapter ring "Explorer" + OCC, ~760-unit numerical span 1953–55 Documented as a tight single-batch run
6350 955,761 Sir Douglas Prior 1956 Royal Society Antarctic Expedition, Cal. 775 service replacement 1953 case Antiquorum Geneva 2018 lot 317-570 (CHF 62,500)
6610 (Explorer second-gen) 113,092 → 360,272+ Cal. 1030 25j COSC, gilt chapter-ring; red-depth concentrates in 113,xxx first-year batch 1955–59 active, leftover stock to 1963 Phillips Geneva 8 lot 95; Phillips Watch Auction One lot 167; Antiquorum lot 368-493
5513 (Submariner, no-date) 765,450 gloss black "exclamation" Explorer dial, cal. 1530; riveted Oyster 7206 / 80 end-links, clasp 4.62 c.1962 (I.62) Phillips Geneva EIGHT lot 23
5513 979,313 gilt / gloss underline Explorer dial; folded Oyster 9315 / 580 end-links c.1963 Phillips Geneva XIV lot 153
5513 991,837 underline double-Swiss gilt dial; Oyster 6636, clasp dated Q1 1964 1963 (III.63) Phillips Geneva THREE lot 106
5513 1,023,362 gloss Explorer (3-6-9) dial, Garrard guarantee 23 March 1965; Jubilee bracelet c.1964 Sotheby's Important Watches 2020 lot 377
5513 6,2XX,XXX Mark III "maxi" dial, cal. 1520; 93150 Oyster, service-replacement clasp S6 c.1979 Bonhams Watches and Wristwatches 2019 lot 103
5514 (Submariner COMEX) 2,833,552 5513 COMEX HEV Prototype No. 24 autumn 1970 Antiquorum Geneva 2006 lot 144-323 (CHF 76,700) — pre-5514 5513-COMEX-HEV anchor
5514 3,804,841 prototype-batch ~20 pieces, no COMEX logo on dial — "stealth" early 5514 1972 Antiquorum NY 2009 lot 223-373 (USD 72,000)
5514 4,089,919 COMEX 377, matte black, 9315 bracelet, Henry Hudson letter 1975 Phillips NY Watch Auction SIX 2022 lot 153 (USD 252,000 — record)
5514 4,155,901 COMEX 446, "Cuerpo Infanteria" Argentine Navy / COMEX joint variant 1974 Phillips Geneva 2015 lot CH080215/145
5514 5,230,258 COMEX 878, "Big Numbers" wrap-around caseback 1977 Antiquorum Monaco 2025 lot 383-172 (EUR 91,840)
5517 (MilSub, Royal Navy / Army) ~3,926,000 cluster (Batches 1–2) 5513-only and 5513/5517 double-reference; issue years 77/79 1972–1975 Phillips New York 2019 lot 28 case 3,926,768; Phillips HK 2017 lot 807 case 3,926,923; Antiquorum Monaco 2022 lot 77 case 3,926,842
5517 ~5,339,000 cluster (Batch 3) 5517-only between-lugs engraving, sword hands, full 60-min bezel; issue year 78 1977–1978 Phillips Geneva XIV 2021 lot 152 case 5,339,827 (CHF 504,000 — record); Sotheby's 2023 lot 3 case 5,339,705 issue 853/78 (CHF 482,600)
1680 (Submariner Date, Red Sub) 2,241,069 Mark II "tropical" meters-first dial, red Submariner text; Oyster 9315, clasp 3.71 c.1969 (III.69) Phillips WINNING ICONS lot 4
1680 2,421,653 Mark IV "tropical" Red Sub, feet-first "open 6s"; folded Oyster 9315, 280 end-links, clasp 4.70 c.1970 Phillips Geneva XIV lot 155
1680 2,631,521 Mark IV red dial, cream indexes; Oyster 7836, clasp 3-69 1970 (I.70) Phillips Geneva SEVEN lot 108
1680 3,184,430 single-red Submariner dial; 93150 Oyster, clasp CL9 c.1972 Bonhams London Fine Watches 2025 lot 18
1680 3,740,344 feet-first Red Sub dial, Tiffany & Co. retailer signature c.1974 Sotheby's Important Watches II 2024
1680 5,429,380 ref. 1680/8 18k yellow gold, blue sunray dial; gold Oyster, clasp 3.71 c.1978 Phillips Geneva SEVEN lot 238
1680 6,1XX,XXX Mark 1 "White Submariner" (closed 6s), first white-text dial — end of the run c.1979 Bonhams Hong Kong Watches 2022 lot 928
1675 (GMT-Master, Pepsi) 1,004,133 underline + double-Swiss gilt dial, pointed crown guards, cal. 1560; bracelet 6636 / 80 end-links, clasp 3.64 c.1963 (IV.63) Phillips "Rolex Milestones" lot 810
1675 1,323,448 MK III late-gilt gloss dial (SWISS - T<25), cal. 1570; bracelet 7206 / 80 end-links, clasp 4.65 c.1965 (IV.65) Phillips Hong Kong Sessions Spring 2026 lot 8019
1675 1,686,416 matte black dial, steel Pepsi, cal. 1570 c.1967 Sotheby's Watches 2020 lot 76
1675 1,796,673 matte black "Fuchsia" insert, cal. 1570, mvt D091203 (ROW / US delivery); clasp 7-68 1967 (II.67) Phillips New York Watch Auction SEVEN lot 25
1675 5,468,961 18k yellow gold, black dial, President bracelet, cal. 1570 c.1978 Sotheby's Watches 2020 lot 77
16750 (GMT-Master, first quickset) 6,250,744 matte black dial, black bezel insert (spare Pepsi included), cal. 3075; 93150 Oyster, clasp VC c.1981 Bonhams Knightsbridge 2024 lot 95 (£10,240)
16750 7,625,315 black dial, Omani Police royal-issue emblem, cal. 3075; 62510H Jubilee / 555 end-links, clasp G4 c.1983 Bonhams Fine Watches 2021 lot 68
16750 8,631,078 glossy "spider" (zapon-crackle) dial, cal. 3075; 78360 Oyster / 580 end-links, clasp I6 c.1984 Phillips Hong Kong EIGHT lot 1180
16750 R672618 gloss black dial, R-prefix — final-year production at the numeric→letter cutover c.1988 Bonhams Hong Kong Watches 2019 lot 845
16760 (GMT-Master II Fat Lady) 8,463,283 Coke bezel, cal. 3085 27j, "Fat Lady" attribution c.1984 Sotheby's Important Watches HK 2021 lot 2004
16760 R275863 Coke, mvt 1994435, 78790 service-replacement bracelet c.1988 Bonhams Knightsbridge 2023 lot 28031/167
16760 R434190 full set with Merksamer Jewelers guarantee, mvt 2102621 c.1988 Phillips Geneva Watch Auction X 2019 lot 149 (CHF 20,000)
16700 (Last caller GMT-Master) R-serial 1988 Pepsi, 78360 / RS11 clasp 1988 Bonhams 25956/4
16700 T254282 1996 Pepsi delivered Dec 1996, full set with Beyer receipt 1996 Antiquorum Geneva 2020 lot 329-88 (CHF 11,875)
16700 T848499 c.1996 Pepsi, with extra black bezel, cal. 3175 1996 Sotheby's Geneva Important Watches 2019 lot 10
16700 W752611 c.1995 Pepsi, faded bezel, tritium dial 1995 Sotheby's Fine Watches Online 2024 lot 417
16700 U443556 1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 14/50, Bell X-1 1947 caseback 1997 Bonhams 25232/969 (HKD 106,250 incl. premium)
16700 U453541 c.1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 21/50 1997 Phillips Hong Kong XI 2020 lot 862
16700 A245609 c.1999 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's 1999 Sotheby's Hong Kong 2019 lot 2023

Vintage Submariner case-number bands run tighter than the year-band tables suggest. The 6204's dominant cluster sits in the 988,xxx range across 1953–54. The 6205 splits cleanly between the post-reset 21,3xx–21,6xx (Series 1, 1954) and 85,9xx–86,0xx (Series 2, 1955). The 5510 clusters in 362,xxx in 1958, and the 6536 / 6536-1 cluster spans 112,xxx through 399,xxx across 1955–59. For any 1953–62 Submariner or Explorer head the Roman-quarter caseback stamp inside the case is the cleaner anchor. Read it before trusting a case number on its own.

Cross-referencing for full dating

An early serial range suggests a case date. Compare the bracelet reference, dial and movement separately. A clasp code dates the marked component, and a replacement clasp or bracelet does not change the case date.

A bracelet from the same period as the case may be period-correct without being original to that watch. Matching date estimates alone cannot establish original delivery.

Per-reference serial detail

For numeric and letter-prefixed serials, the tables suggest a year band; the individual reference pages carry the detailed tables. The 16520 is the clearest letter-by-letter example, and the manual-wind Daytonas sit on Pergola's numeric ranges.

The Air-King 5500 had a long production run, commonly dated from 1957 to 1989. Its case-number band spans roughly 365,000 (early 1958) through to the late seven-million range (1985 to 1989) — covering the full numeric-serial era and crossing into the early letter serials toward the end. Inside-caseback Roman-quarter date stamps (II.65, III.71, IV.83, etc.) are the cleaner per-watch dating tell on a 5500 since the case-number band overlaps with much of the broader Oyster Perpetual / Datejust production. Caseback inside stamps frequently read "1002" rather than "5500" on 1970s-onward production — period-correct, since the 5500 shares its case middle with the 1002 Oyster Perpetual.

Sources

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