• 100% Authentic watches
  • Safe delivery or pick-up
  • Warranty & easy returns
Our collection

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! 

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.  

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 NumbersWatch Model
55, 140, 116Rolex Air-King
16, 162, 1162, 1263Rolex Datejust
1163Rolex Datejust II
679, 791, 1791, 2791Rolex Lady-Datejust
65, 18, 180, 182, 183, 1182, 2282Rolex Day-Date
2182Rolex Day-Date II
62, 162, 165, 1165Rolex Daytona
142, 10, 1142, 2142Rolex Explorer
16, 165, 2165Rolex Explorer II
10, 140, 142, 114Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Model NumbersWatch Model
65, 10, 1164Rolex Millgauss
16, 166, 1166, 1266Rolex Sea-Dweller
55, 140, 1140Rolex Submariner
16, 166, 168, 1166Rolex Submariner (No date)
65, 16, 1675Rolex GMT-Master
167, 1167, 1267Rolex GMT-Master II
166, 686, 696, 1686, 1696, 1166Rolex Yacht-Master
1166Rolex Yacht-Master II
326Rolex 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 NumberBezel Description
0Polished bezel
1Finely Engine Turned bezel
2Engine Turned bezel
3Fluted (solid gold) bezel
4Hand-crafted bezel
5Pyramid bezel
6Rotating bezel
7Various

Case Material

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

Material NumberMaterial Description
0Stainless-steel
1Stainless-steel & Rose gold (Everose)
2Stainless-steel & Platinum
3Stainless-steel & Yellow gold (Rolesor)
4Stainless-steel & White gold
5Rose gold
6Platinum
714k yellow gold
818k yellow gold
918k 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:

LettersFeature
BLROBleu/Rouge: Blue and Red bezel. Often seen on the Rolex Pepsi.
BLNRBleu/Noir: Blue and Black bezel. Often seen on the Rolex Batman or Rolex Batwoman.
VTNRVerte/Noir: the green and black bezel. Found on the relatively new GMT-Master II Sprite.
LNLunette Noir: Black bezel.
LVLunette Verte: Green bezel. Often seen on the Rolex Submariner Hulk.
LBLunette Bleu: Blue bezel.
GVGlasse Verte: Green coloured crystal. Often seen on the (discontinued) Rolex Milgauss.
RNBWRainbow: Multi coloured Saphire Set Bezel. Often seen on the Rolex Daytone Rainbow.
CHNRChocolat/Noir: Black and (chocolate) brown bezel. Often seen on the Rootbeer.
SASapphirs: A bezel set with sapphires
SANRSapphirs-Noir: A bezel set with baguette-cut black sapphires and diamonds.
SARUSaphirs-Rubis: A bezel set with sapphires and rubies.
SABRSapphirs-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.

 

Wristler

Keep track on luxury watch trends & releases

  • What to consider for your purchase
  • What to consider for your purchase
  • Latest watch trend reports

Copy the link below to click one of the platforms below.

  • 100% Authentic watches
  • Safe delivery or pick-up
  • Warranty & easy returns