Audemars Piguet Serial Number

Audemars

The very great majority of Ls. Audemars serial numbers were 5-digits long, with some 3- and a lot of 4- digit references from the newly discovered books. We also have a discontinuous run of 379 6-digit numbers, 100767 to 285129. Louis Audemars Serial Numbers. Serial Numbers and the “Lost” Ledgers for Watches and Movements Made or Sold by Louis Audemars & Cie, of Le Brassus, Switzerland. Louis-Benjamin Audemars established his business in Le Brassus in 1811. His sons continued the business after his death in 1833, but the company failed and was liquidated in 1885.

Coordinates: 46°34′49″N6°12′30″E / 46.58036°N 6.20825°E

Number
Audemars Piguet Holding SA
Private
IndustryLuxury watchmaking
Founded1875
1881 (Audemars Piguet & Cie)
FounderJules-Louis Audemars
Edward-Auguste Piguet
Headquarters,
Area served
Worldwide
  • Jasmine Audemars (Chair)
  • Olivier Audemars (Vice Chair)
  • Francois-Henry Bennahmias (CEO)
ProductsWatches, clocks
40,000 (2018)
Revenue 1.1 billion CHF (2018)
Number of employees
1450[1]
SubsidiariesRenaud & Papi SA
Centror SA
Websitewww.audemarspiguet.com/

Audemars Piguet Holding SA (French pronunciation: ​[odmaʁ piɡɛ]) is a Swissmanufacturer of luxury mechanical watches and clocks, headquartered in Le Brassus, Switzerland.[2][3] The company was founded by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in the Vallée de Joux in 1875, acquiring the name Audemars Piguet & Cie in 1881.[4][5][6] The company has been family-owned since its founding.[2][7]

Audemars Piguet is a highly regarded watch manufacturer.[6][8][9][10][11] The company is best known for introducing the Royal Oak wristwatch in 1972, which helped the brand rise to prominence within the watchmaking industry.[10][12] One of Audemars Piguet's early achievements was creating the world's first minute-repeatingmovement for wristwatches in 1892.[Note 1][13][14] In addition, the company developed the first skeleton watch in 1934 and has manufactured some of the thinnest watches in the world, such as the 1986 ultra-thin automatictourbillon wristwatch (Calibre 2870).[6][9][15]

  • 1History
  • 3Watch manufacturing
  • 4Notable models
  • 5Notable patrons and owners

Vintage Audemars Piguet Serial Numbers

History[edit]

Early history[edit]

Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet knew each other in their childhood, but were not re-connected until 1874 when they were in their early twenties.[9] In 1875, they formed partnership and began their business.[9][15] In 1881, Audemars Piguet & Cie was officially founded, and was based in Le Brassus, a village inside the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland.[2][4][5]

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak chronograph

Both Audemars and Piguet were previously watchmakers. Audemars created complex watch movements for other watch manufacturers such as Tiffany Co. to use.[5] Piguet specialized in the regulation of watch movements. Once partnered, they split the responsibilities while operating their own company: Audemars was in charge of production and technical aspects while Piguet focused on sales and management.[16][17]

The second-generation company leaders included Paul Louis Audemars and Paul Edward Piguet, and the third generation included Jacques Louis Audemars and Paulette Piguet.[7]

Recent development[edit]

In 1970s, Audemars Piguet rose to an important position in watchmaking industry, especially after introducing the Royal Oak collection.[9]

The fourth-generation company leaders are both from the Audemars family, including Jasmine Audemars and Olivier Frank Edward Audemars.[7] Currently, the company is an active member of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH, and produces around 40,000 timepieces annually.[18][19][20]

Motto and slogan[edit]

One of Audemars Piguet's company slogans is 'To Break the Rules, You Must First Master Them'.[21][22] The slogan was introduced in 2012.[21][23]

Watch manufacturing[edit]

Bracelet on a Royal Oak

Notable inventions and patents[edit]

The following are some of the notable inventions of Audemars Piguet.

  • In 1892, created the world's first wristwatch minute-repeatingmovement, which was then sold to Louis Brandt frères (Omega SA).[Note 1][13][14][24]
  • In 1899, manufactured a “Grand Complication” pocket watch with 7 complications, including a grand and small strike, minute repeater, alarm, perpetual calendar, deadbeat seconds, chronograph with jumping seconds, and split-seconds hand.[6][9]
  • In 1921, created the world's first jumping-hour wristwatch, driven by Calibre HPVM10''.[6][9][15]
  • In 1934, introduced the first skeleton watch.[15][25]
  • In 1946, produced the world's thinnest watch, with a 1.64-mm-thick movement.[26][27][28]
  • In 1972, introduced the world's first luxury sport wristwatch, the Royal Oak.[6][29]
  • In 1986, created an ultra-thin automatictourbillon wristwatch (Calibre 2870), being only 5.3 mm thick (including the case).[6][30]
  • In 1995/96, manufactured the world's first automatic 'Grande Complication' wristwatch (Calibre 2885).[6][31]
  • In 2006, introduced the world's first direct-impulse escapement, based on a design by watchmaker Robert Robin in the 18th century.[6][32][33]
  • In 2007/08, developed the first watch with a carbon case and a carbon movement (a Royal Oak Carbon Concept).[6][34]

Environmental rating[edit]

Top 5 gold producing nations

In December 2018, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released an official report giving environmental ratings for 15 major watch manufacturers and jewelers in Switzerland.[35][36] Audemars Piguet, along with 7 other manufacturers including Patek Philippe, Breguet and Rolex, was given the lowest environmental rating as 'Latecomers/Non-transparent', suggesting that the manufacturer has taken very few actions addressing the impact of its manufacturing activities on the environment and climate change.[35][36]

There are concerns over the lack of transparency in manufacturing activities and the sourcing of precious raw materials such as gold, which is a major cause of environmental issues such as pollution, soil degradation and deforestation.[35][36] The situation is especially serious in the developing countries which are top producers of gold, such as China, Russia and South Africa.[37][38][39][40] It is estimated that the watch and jewelry sector uses over 50% of world's annual gold production (over 2,000 tons), but in most cases the watch companies are not able to or are unwilling to demonstrate where their raw materials come from and if the material suppliers use eco-friendly sourcing technologies.[35]

Notable models[edit]

The current lineup of Audemars Piguet watch collections include Royal Oak, Royal Oak Concept, Royal Oak Offshore, Millenary, Jules Audemars, Haute Joaillerie, Classique and Code 11.59.[41]

Royal Oak/Concept/Offshore[edit]

A Royal Oak Offshore chronograph

The Royal Oak is considered to be the most popular watch that Audemars Piguet currently manufactures.[8][9][10][15] It was first presented at the 1972 Baselworld, during the quartz crisis.[42][43] Designed by Gérald Genta, who is also responsible for designing other notable timepieces including the Patek Phillipe Nautilus, the Royal Oak model is considered to be the first luxury sports watch in the world.[44] The watch was inspired by traditional diving helmets and therefore featured exposed screw heads as well as a unique case design.[45][46] The watch also featured an integrated bracelet.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet hired a young designer, Emmanuel Gueit, to design a new watch known as the Royal Oak Offshore.[47] The Offshore was formally introduced in 1993, with a much larger case (42mm compared to the original 39mm) which was thought to be tougher than the original.[48] The new watch proved to be just as successful as the original.[45]

Millenary[edit]

The Millenary collection was launched in 1995.[49] The idea behind the unique design was to give the viewer a three-dimensional take on a standard watch movement. They are characterized by oval cases as well as domed sapphire crystal. The off-centred watch dial is notable with a view of the balance wheel. Audemars Piguet claims that their calibre 4104 is reversed to allow more components to be seen on the dial. All of the Millenary watches share the case and a unique Damaskeening or Côtes de Genève across the movement dial.[50]

Jules Audemars[edit]

Named after one of the founders, the Jules Audemars collection takes cues from more traditional Audemars Piguet designs. In 1875, Jules Audemars created about 20 very complex movements, which he later used as collateral when he and Edward Piguet founded Audemars Piguet & Cie in 1881.[5][51] These movements marked the beginning of Audemars Piguet. All the watches in this collection have circular shape, some of which also contain complications such as tourbillon, minute repeater, and perpetual calendar.[50]

Code 11.59[edit]

Released at the 'Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) 2019', the Code 11.59 collection is the latest addition to the Audemars Piguet lineup.[52] The collection boasts several unique characteristics. All Code 11.59 watches feature a chapter ring with numerals depicting seconds for time-only models, a tachymeter (watch) for the chronograph model, and a week indicator for the perpetual calendar model. The crystals on all the watches in this collection feature a unique curvature which changes the way the dial appears at certain angles. All the Code 11.59 watches feature a three-piece-case design with an octagonal section in the middle.[53]

Notable patrons and owners[edit]

Michael Schumacher with his Royal Oak Offshore chronograph

Athletes[edit]

  • Novak Djokovic, Serbian tennis player (brand ambassador)[54]
  • Lebron James, American basketball player (brand ambassador)[55]
  • Rory McIlroy, Northern Irish golfer (brand ambassador)[56]
  • Leo Messi, Argentine soccer/football player (brand ambassador)[57]
  • Michael Schumacher, German racing driver (brand ambassador)[58]
  • Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricket player (brand ambassador)[59]
  • Serena Williams, American tennis player (brand ambassador)[60]

Celebrities[edit]

  • Tom Cruise, American actor[61][62]
  • Kevin Hart, American comedian[61][63]
    The Audemars Piguet Classics series
  • Kim Kardashian, American television personality[64]
  • John Mayer, American singer[65]
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger, American actor and former Californiagovernor[66]
  • Harry Styles, English singer[67]
  • Jay-Z, American rapper[68]

Royalty[edit]

  • Mohammad Reza Shah, Shah (King) of Iran[69]
  • Juan Carlos I of Spain, King of Spain[70][71]
  • Felipe VI of Spain, King of Spain[71]
  • Prince Michael of Kent, United Kingdom[70][71]


Notes[edit]

  1. ^ ab In 1892, Audemars Piguet created the world's first wristwatch minute-repeating movement, at the request of Louis Brandt, the founder of Omega SA. In the same year, Omega assembled the world's first minute-repeating wristwatch with this movement. The 18K-gold wristwatch is now kept in the Omega Museum in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^World Tempus (April 2013). 'Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias, a new master'. WorldTempus.
  2. ^ abc'Audemars Piguet | Our origins'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  3. ^'Company Overview of Audemars Piguet Holding SA'. www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  4. ^ ab'PHILLIPS: Audemars Piguet'. Phillips. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  5. ^ abcd'Audemars Piguet History – Official Watches'. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  6. ^ abcdefghij'Audemars Piguet History - Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie'. www.hautehorlogerie.org. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  7. ^ abc'Audemars Piguet | Spirit of Independence'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  8. ^ ab'Timeless: Audemars Piguet have a world-leading reputation for their exclusive timepieces'. www.luxos.com. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  9. ^ abcdefgh'The History of Audemars Piguet'. Crown & Caliber Blog. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  10. ^ abcJuly 7, Jack Forster; 2017. 'Letters To The Editor: Why Isn't Rolex Considered One Of 'The Big Three'?'. HODINKEE. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  11. ^'The Saga of Steel: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak'. Haute Living. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  12. ^Forster, Jack (7 August 2012). 'The Saga of Steel: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak'. Haute Living. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  13. ^ ab'Audemars Piguet | Innovation: Tradition & Avant-garde'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  14. ^ abBrunner, Written byGisbert (12 July 2018). '7 Milestone Omega Watches, from 1892 to Today'. WatchTime - USA's No.1 Watch Magazine. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  15. ^ abcde'Audemars Piguet: A Brand History | Editorial | Bucherer'. Editorial. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  16. ^'A History of Audemars Piguet | AP Watches'. Govberg Jewelers. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  17. ^'Audemars Piguet: A Brand History | Editorial | The Watch Gallery'. Editorial. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  18. ^'Our brands'. Federation of the Swiss watch industry.
  19. ^'François-Henry Bennahmias: 'There are some great years ahead' – FHH Journal'. journal.hautehorlogerie.org. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  20. ^Garrahan, Rachel (19 September 2017). 'At Audemars Piguet, Sales Go Beyond the Showroom'. The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  21. ^ ab'The Watch Quote: Audemars Piguet today announces the launch of its new ad campaign - 'To break the rules, you must first master them''. www.thewatchquote.com. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  22. ^'Audemars Piguet reignites slogan for new advertising campaign'. Day & Night Magazine. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  23. ^'TO BREAK THE RULES, YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THEM Trademark of Audemars Piguet Holding SA - Registration Number 4212166 - Serial Number 79109251 :: Justia Trademarks'. trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  24. ^Tan, Timmy. 'The world's first wristwatch minute repeater: Still sound | TIMEWERKE'. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  25. ^January 6, Benjamin Clymer; 2014. 'A Week On The Wrist: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph'. HODINKEE. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  26. ^Richter, Written byMartina (17 July 2012). 'Slim Tickings: Thin Watches from Audemars Piguet and Girard-Perregaux'. WatchTime - USA's No.1 Watch Magazine. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  27. ^Haines, Reyne (15 March 2010). Vintage Wristwatches. F+W Media, Inc. ISBN9781440215247.
  28. ^'Marketing strategy and new product launch for Audemars Piguet'. Issuu. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  29. ^'The Royal Oak design revolution – FHH Journal'. journal.hautehorlogerie.org. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  30. ^'Audemars Piguet 20th Century Complicated Wristwatches'. Issuu. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  31. ^'Audemars Piguet, 'Grande Complication Jules Audemars', no. E19886, circa 2000'. Sotheby's. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  32. ^'A Technical Perspective - The Evolution of the Escapement and recent innovations'. Monochrome Watches. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  33. ^'Robert Robin - Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie'. www.hautehorlogerie.org. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  34. ^'Audemars Piguet ( ROYAL OAK CARBON CONCEPT CIRCA 2008)'. Sotheby's. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  35. ^ abcd'Environmental rating and industry report 2018'(PDF). World Wide Fund for Nature. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  36. ^ abcswissinfo.ch, S. W. I.; Corporation, a branch of the Swiss Broadcasting. 'Swiss luxury watches fail to meet environmental standards'. SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  37. ^Vidal, John; Guest, graphic by Pete (15 August 2015). 'How developing countries are paying a high price for the global mineral boom'. The Observer. ISSN0029-7712. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  38. ^'China needs to get to grips with its gold mining pollution crisis'. www.chinadialogue.net. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  39. ^Einhorn, Dom (9 February 2015). 'Mining in Russia: An economic boost or an environmental threat?'. Born2Invest. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  40. ^'South Africa has failed to protect locals from gold mine pollution: Harvard report'. MINING.com. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  41. ^'Audemars Piguet | Swiss Luxury Watch Collections'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  42. ^'Audemars Piguet | Unleashing the Beast'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  43. ^'Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 45th Anniversary | History of the Royal Oak'. Govberg Jewelers. 31 May 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  44. ^Macdonald, Fiona. 'The most iconic timepieces of the last 100 years'. www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  45. ^ ab'History of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak'. Time and Watches. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  46. ^Williams, Alex (2016). 'How the Royal Oak Watch Became a Cult Classic'. The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  47. ^'Audemars Piguet | Unleashing the Beast'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  48. ^'Audemars Piguet | The Royal Oak Offshore Celebrates 25 Years'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  49. ^'Audemars Piguet | New Millenary'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  50. ^ ab'Audemars Piguet - Swiss Luxury Watches'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  51. ^'Jules Audemars'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  52. ^January 12, Stephen Pulvirent; 2019. 'Introducing: CODE 11.59 By Audemars Piguet (VIDEO)'. HODINKEE. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  53. ^'Audemars Piguet | CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  54. ^'Nole newly appointed Audemars Piguet ambassador'. Novak Djokovic. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  55. ^Adams, Ariel. 'You Can Now Buy The $51,500 LeBron James Limited Edition Watch By Audemars Piguet'. Forbes. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  56. ^'Rory McIlroy Rocks Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore'. Crown & Caliber Blog. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  57. ^August 15, HODINKEE; 2012. 'Hands-On: With The AP Royal Oak Leo Messi Chronograph (Live Pics + Pricing)'. HODINKEE. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  58. ^October 17, HODINKEE; 2012. 'Introducing The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Michael Schumacher Limited Edition'. HODINKEE. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  59. ^'Sachin Tendulkar reveals his watch collection'. GQ India. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  60. ^'Audemars Piguet | Extraordinary Relationships'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  61. ^ ab'Top Celebrities & Their Watches | Crown & Caliber'. Crown & Caliber Blog. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  62. ^'Tom Cruise and his watches'. montre24.com. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  63. ^March 17, Arthur Touchot |; 2015 (17 March 2015). 'Kevin Hart: From Rolex to Richard Mille, His Watch Collection Is No Joke'. Luxury Watch Trends 2018 - Baselworld SIHH Watch News. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  64. ^'£40,000 gold watch ripped off man's wrist after hammer attack in Dudley'. International Business Times UK. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  65. ^Mobilio, Cam Wolf,Matteo (9 October 2018). 'The Ultra-Fancy Watch That Comes with a Free John Mayer Performance'. GQ. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  66. ^'26378IO.OO.A001KE.01 - Royal Oak Offshore Collection - Audemars Piguet'. Audemars Piguet - Le Brassus. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  67. ^Winston, Armour. 'WHY CHOOSE AUDEMARS PIGUET?'. www.armourwinston.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  68. ^August 8, Blake Buettner; 2013. 'Spotted: Jay Z Wearing An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar In Picasso Baby'. HODINKEE. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  69. ^June 17, HODINKEE; 2011. 'A 1970s Royal Oak Owned By Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez AND Signed By Bulgari: This Is A Special One'. HODINKEE. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  70. ^ abKoh, Wei (21 March 2018). 'The King of Cool: Audemars Piguet's Game Changing Royal Oak'. Revolution. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  71. ^ abc'Spot the Watch: Members of Royal Families -'. DEPLOYANT. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2019.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Audemars Piguet.
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This entry was posted on September 28, 2018.

Once you spend a little time looking at Rolex watches and comparing models, one thing you’ll notice is long strings of numbers and letters being thrown around. Submariner 114060; GMT-Master II 126710BLRO; Daytona 6263; W5642301; D246135 and so on. What do these numbers mean? What’s the difference between Rolex serial numbers and Rolex reference numbers? How can I tell what year my Rolex was produced? If you have any of these unanswered questions, then read our handy guide to Rolex serial numbers and Rolex reference numbers.

What is a Rolex Serial Number?

Every Rolex watch that comes out of the factory is designated with its own serial number. As a result, each Rolex serial number is unique (there are exceptions, as we’ll see shortly). So in theory, a Rolex serial number can tell you what year (approximately) the watch was made in.

We say in theory, because there have been a few irregularities over the years. For example, Rolex reset the serial numbers in 1954 after they reached #999,999. So a watch from the 1960s can have the same reference number as one from the 1950s. Thankfully, Rolex also furnished the interior of the casebacks with date codes, thus making it easier to differentiate between a pre-1954 serial number and post-1954 one (if you open up the watch).

The bracelet must be removed to see the serial and reference numbers

When Rolex reached #9,999,999 in mid-1987, the company began adding a letter followed by six digits. But to confuse matters even more, they did not begin with the letter “A” but instead, the letter “R,” then “L,” then “E,” followed by other non-sequential letters.

The biggest change in Rolex serial numbers, however, came about by the end of 2010, when Rolex decided to use random serial numbers. Due to this change, it cannot be determined what year a Rolex was made if it was manufactured post-2010. There are several theories on why Rolex has done this. One is that the company does not want the public to know just how many units they produce a year, while another speculation says that it’s a measure against counterfeiting.

Rolex Serial Number Look Up Chart

Using this Rolex Serial Number Look Up chart, you can approximate what year a Rolex was produced (pre-2011). It’s important to note that Rolex has never released official numbers so these have been approximated, recorded, and categorized by collectors over the years. It is not an exact science.

Where Can I Find the Rolex Serial Number?

If you have the watch’s papers, then the serial number will be on there. However, if you don’t have any documents, then you’ll find it on the Rolex watch itself.

On Rolex watches made prior to 2007, the serial number can be found engraved on the case in between the lugs at 6 o’clock. You will have to remove the bracelet to see it.

The Rolex serial number is between the lugs at 6 o'clock

Starting in late 2006, in addition to the case stamping Rolex also included the serial number laser engraved on the rehaut—visible through the sapphire crystal. Finally, starting in the late 2008, Rolex phased out the case engraving entirely and now exclusively displays the serial number on the rehaut.

What is a Rolex Reference Number?

Unlike a unique serial number, Rolex reference numbers (also known as model numbers) are shared across watches. Among other things, the first few numbers tell you what particular collection a Rolex watch belongs to.

Furthermore, a reference number also includes codes for material and bezel type.

Finally, sometimes there are letters in a Rolex reference number that reveal even more details.

So if we take these charts and the 116613LB reference number as an example, this will tell you:

1166 – Submariner

1 – Rotating Bezel

3 – Two Tone Stainless Steel and Yellow Gold

LB – Blue Bezel

Where Can I Find the Rolex Reference Number?

Again, if you have the watch’s official papers, then you can easily find the official Rolex reference (model) number there. However, if you don’t have access to the papers, then you can find it on the watch.

The Rolex reference number is engraved between the lugs at 12 o'clock

The Rolex reference number is also engraved on the watch, but on the opposite side from the serial number position. So you’ll have to remove the bracelet from the 12 o’clock side of the case to see it.

Kumpulan Serial Number

How to Use Rolex Serial Numbers and Reference Numbers

Serial Number Idm

The most common way a reference number is used is to identify exactly the type of Rolex watch you have (or have your eye on). This is especially important when sourcing your Rolex from the secondary market to ensure that what think you’re buying matches up with what you’re actually buying. Understanding Rolex reference numbers is important if you want to make an informed purchase.

Likewise, a Rolex serial number helps you date a specific watch so that you can understand what era your watch is from. Not only will this will help you to know if the watch in question is actually an honest vintage piece, but also, it will reveal if all the other details of the watch (dial, bezel, bracelet) match up or if they were replacement/service pieces.

Audemar Piguet Royal Oak Offshore

When buying a pre-owned Rolex watch, the more you understand, the better decisions you’ll make when choosing which one you want to add to your collection.