The Rolex Reference Numbers Explained

One of the most famous watch brands in the world is probably the Swiss manufacturer Rolex. With lots of high-end timepieces bearing different reference numbers, it’s time for some explanation. We will walk you through all the different numbers, the meaning of these reference numbers and how you can identify these differences. Easy as that!

Kas Klerx

Chief Content

Last update: 17/12/2023

The history of the Rolex brand

Founded by Hans Wilsdorf, the company focused on making high-end luxury watches from solid gold and stainless-steel. Later on, Rolex introduced ‘Rolesor’ two-tone, which was a combination of stainless-steel and solid 18 karat yellow gold. The Datejust was the real starter for success when it comes to the Rolex history, making the watch extremely popular and highly sought-after by enthusiasts.

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Rolex Submariner vs Sea-Dweller

07/02/2024 — Kas Klerx

Reference numbers explained

There is a difference between the reference number and the serial number, where the reference number contains some specific features, while the serial number is unique and dedicated to just one watch, while there are more watches available bearing the same reference number.

Model numbers

When it comes to the first two, three or even four numbers in the reference, you can extract the model from the Rolex catalog, with the following numbers:

Model Numbers	Watch Model
55, 140, 116	Rolex Air-King
16, 162, 1162, 1263	Rolex Datejust
1163	Rolex Datejust II
679, 791, 1791, 2791	Rolex Lady-Datejust
65, 18, 180, 182, 183, 1182, 2282	Rolex Day-Date
2182	Rolex Day-Date II
62, 162, 165, 1165	Rolex Daytona
142, 10, 1142, 2142	Rolex Explorer
16, 165, 2165	Rolex Explorer II
10, 140, 142, 114	Rolex Oyster Perpetual

Model Numbers	Watch Model
65, 10, 1164	Rolex Millgauss
16, 166, 1166, 1266	Rolex Sea-Dweller
55, 140, 1140	Rolex Submariner
16, 166, 168, 1166	Rolex Submariner (No date)
65, 16, 1675	Rolex GMT-Master
167, 1167, 1267	Rolex GMT-Master II
166, 686, 696, 1686, 1696, 1166	Rolex Yacht-Master
1166	Rolex Yacht-Master II
326	Rolex Sky-Dweller

Bezel Features

So, the first two or three numbers in the reference from Rolex can extract the exact model, while the following numbers in the reference contain some features, as explained below:

Bezel Number	Bezel Description
0	Polished bezel
1	Finely Engine Turned bezel
2	Engine Turned bezel
3	Fluted (solid gold) bezel
4	Hand-crafted bezel
5	Pyramid bezel
6	Rotating bezel
7	Various

Case Material

Rolex also makes clear what material they’ve used on the specific watch, with reference numbers explaining the following:

Material Number	Material Description
0	Stainless-steel
1	Stainless-steel & Rose gold (Everose)
2	Stainless-steel & Platinum
3	Stainless-steel & Yellow gold (Rolesor)
4	Stainless-steel & White gold
5	Rose gold
6	Platinum
7	14k yellow gold
8	18k yellow gold
9	18k white gold

Other information

There are some other reference numbers (in fact, letters), that tells some other information, often about the bezel or crystal of the watch:

Letters	Feature
BLRO	Bleu/Rouge: Blue and Red bezel. Often seen on the Rolex Pepsi.
BLNR	Bleu/Noir: Blue and Black bezel. Often seen on the Rolex Batman or Rolex Batwoman.
VTNR	Verte/Noir: the green and black bezel. Found on the relatively new GMT-Master II Sprite.
LN	Lunette Noir: Black bezel.
LV	Lunette Verte: Green bezel. Often seen on the Rolex Submariner Hulk.
LB	Lunette Bleu: Blue bezel.
GV	Glasse Verte: Green coloured crystal. Often seen on the (discontinued) Rolex Milgauss.
RNBW	Rainbow: Multi coloured Saphire Set Bezel. Often seen on the Rolex Daytone Rainbow.
CHNR	Chocolat/Noir: Black and (chocolate) brown bezel. Often seen on the Rootbeer.
SA	Sapphirs: A bezel set with sapphires
SANR	Sapphirs-Noir: A bezel set with baguette-cut black sapphires and diamonds.
SARU	Saphirs-Rubis: A bezel set with sapphires and rubies.
SABR	Sapphirs-Brilliants: A bezel set with Sapphires and diamonds.

Example

This beautiful Rolex Day-Date, which is the so called Rolex President, bears the reference number 18238. The first three numbers (182) tells us it is a Rolex Day-Date. The next number (3) tells us it is a Fluted Solid Gold bezel. The final number (8) tells us that the rest of the watch is made from 18k yellow gold.

With these reference numbers, you can now extract the materials used on the watch, the bezel and the model in the Rolex catalog, making it a lot easier for you to see which model is presented, bearing a reference number. Since Rolex produces a lot of different materials and watches, expect to see some more reference numbers in the future, since Rolex always presents some new models.