The Rolex Reference Numbers Explained

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.  

What is a reference number of a Rolex? 

A Rolex reference number is a model-specific identifier that provides detailed information about a watch, including its model type, material, bezel style, and production period. Rolex reference numbers range from 4 to 6 digits, with earlier models having shorter numbers. For example, newer models often add a digit to older reference numbers to signify updates.

What is the difference between a reference number and serial number?

The main difference between a Rolex reference number and a serial number is their purpose. A reference number identifies a watch's model, features, and production era, and can be shared by multiple watches. In contrast, a serial number is unique to each individual watch, identifying it specifically and often indicating its production date.

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:

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: 

Case Material

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

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:

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.