Are you an authorized Rolex dealer?
What is the difference between a Chronometer and Chronograph?
- Chronometer:
An automatic timepiece that has been tested and proven to keep very accurate time.
- Chronograph:
A watch with a built-in stopwatch. It will generally have “pushers” above and below the crown. The upper one typically starts and stops the stopwatch, while the lower one will reset the stopwatch. Chronographs will have sub-dials which will display the amount of time that has passed since the stopwatch was activated.
What is the difference between Single-Quickset vs. Double-Quickset?
- Single-Quickset:
When the crown is unscrewed and pulled out to the 1st click, it will only allow you to change the date quickly (numbered disc 1-31).
You would have to pull the unscrewed crown out to the 2nd click and physically rotate the hands forwards or backwards to set the day (Monday-Sunday).
- Double-Quickset:
When the crown is unscrewed and pulled out to the first click, it will allow you to quickly change the day (Monday-Sunday) by rotating the crown one direction, and date (1-31) by rotating the crown in the opposite direction.
**NOTE: YOU MUST NOT USE THE QUICK-SET FEATURE IF THE WATCH IS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 9 AND 3.**
The watch is powering up for a stressful date change. Any interference can disrupt this operation and damage the internal watch parts. Move the time to the 6 o’clock position before using the quickset function.
What is the difference between the DateJust and the Date?
This has been a big misconception regarding Rolex watches, “sweeping” versus “ticking.” In the past, people used this as a method of identifying counterfeit Rolex watches.The truth is, genuine Rolex watches do, in fact, “tick.” However, they tick at around 5 to 6 times per second, so it gives the illusion of “sweeping” or “floating” around the dial. If you watch the second hand with a loupe you can see it. However, these days counterfeits use mechanical movements that appear to “float,” but only at around 3 to 4 times per second.In the past, cheap counterfeits would utilize quartz movements, and thus would “tick” once per second. This gives what we call a “choppy step,” and can also be spotted with a loupe. That said, Rolex also made quartz watches since the 1970s, but were discontinued a few years ago. However, these models were only made in very small quantity and represented only around 2% of their total watch production.
Another Rolex model, the Tru-beat, featured a mechanical movement that was designed to “tick” only once per second. This “dead beat” seconds feature wasn’t very popular and the watch was discontinued shortly after it was introduced, in 1954.
What kind of Stainless Steel does Rolex use in their watch cases?
This refers to the chemical used on the hands and hour markers, which causes them to illuminate. Around 1950, watchmakers started using Tritium as their luminous material, and began indicating the amount of that radioactive material with a designation at the bottom of the dial (i.e. T SWISS T or SWISS T < 25). Around 1998, watchmakers changed the designation to read SWISS or SWISS MADE, when they replaced the Tritium with LumiNova (an organic, non-radioactive chemical), as their source of luminescence.
- T SWISS MADE T indicates that the radioactive material Tritium is present on the wristwatch. The amount of radioactive material emitted is limited to a maximum of 25 milliCurie.
- SWISS T < 25 more specifically indicates that the wristwatch emits an amount of Tritium that is less than the 25 milliCurie limit.
- SWISS T 25 indicates that the wristwatch emits the maximum allowable amount of Tritium (i.e. a full 25 milliCurie).
- SWISS (or) SWISS MADE on wristwatches produced after (around) 1998, indicates the presence of LumiNova as the luminous material.
Please Note: “SWISS” or “SWISS MADE” was also the indication on wristwatches produced prior to the 1950s, when Radium was used as the luminous material. However, at that time “SWISS” or “SWISS MADE” simply indicated that the watch was, in fact, made in Switzerland.
Why is there a “crown” logo on the crystal?
Since 2002, Rolex began to etch a “crown” logo into the crystal. This logo is positioned at 6, and needs 10X magnification to see clearly. It is another of Rolex’s anti-fake measures, but not all Rolex watches have this feature. Rolex is slowly putting it into production lines.
If you find an “S” below, it indicates that the crystal glass has been replaced during service. It is a genuine Rolex crystal, but not the original crystal when the watch was manufactured.
What is an SEL?
SEL bracelet: beside the buckle, there is an O-shaped button, press it to release the diver’s extension.NON-SEL bracelet: pull up the bracelet to open the buckle until the diver’s extension is released.
Basically there are Jubilee, Oyster, Oysterlock, Oyster Fliplock and President.Jubilee: a Rolex classic
Oyster: a basic folding buckle, fasten it by pressing
OysterLock: similar to Oyster, but there is an additional secure buckle to prevent accidental fall off. When opening, first you must pull the secure buckle to the left, and then open the OysterLock to the right.
Fliplock: similar to OysterLock, but has an added diver’s extension. FlipLock is also much longer to cover the deployant buckle.
President: Named after American President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 when this bracelet first appeared. He chose one to wear to celebrate the victory of WWII, when Rolex gifted President Eisenhower an 18K gold Datejust watch (British Prime Minister Winston Churchill also had one at that time). In 1956, this watch was returned to the factory to maintain and repair and was replaced with a new bracelet (this was the origin of the president bracelet). Day-Date is often called the “President Watch,” objectively it refers to the bracelet. In fact, Eisenhower’s was Datejust, not Day-Date.
Where is the model number / serial number of my Rolex?
In order to find the model number and/or serial number on your Rolex, you must remove the bracelet. It is recommended you use proper tools to remove the bracelet or have a watchmaker or other skilled person remove it for you.The model number is engraved on the case between the lugs and under the bracelet at the 12 o’clock position.The serial number is engraved on the case between the lugs and under the bracelet at the 6 o’clock position.
In 2005, Rolex began engraving the serial number on the rehaut (French for ‘flange’) between the dial and the crystal as well as the 6′ o’clock location. Starting in 2008, Rolex stopped engraving the serial number at the case 6 o’clock location, using only the rehaut location. By 2010 this practice had gradually transitioned to all models.
In 2010, Rolex mostly abandoned their conventional numbering sequence in favor for a mixed (aka random aka scrambled) serial. They will be 8 digits, opposed to 7 in the past. Random examples of these indecipherable numbers are “OT23Q257″, “12345J78″, and “345X29VN”.
What is the benefit of buying a pre-owned Rolex over a new one?
Rolex Production Dates by Serial Number
- Mixed Serials 2009 (Fall) to Present
- G000,001 * 2009 (Fall) to Present
- V000,001 2008 (Fall)
- M000,001 2007 (Fall)
- Z000,001 2006 (Summer)
- D000,001 2005 (Summer)
- F000,001 2003 (Fall)
- Y000,001 2002 (Fall)
- K000,001 2001 (Fall)
- P000,001 2000 (Winter)
- A000,001 1999
- U000,001 1997 (Summer)
- T000,001 1995 (Summer)
- W000,001 1995
- S000,001 1993 (Fall)
- C000,001 1992 (Winter)
- N000,001 1991 (Fall)
- X000,001 1991 (Fall)
- E000,001 1990 (Summer)
- L000,001 1989
- R000,000 1987 (Summer) **
Rolex never started a series with B, I, J, L, O, or Q.
- 9,999,999 1987
- 9,290,000 1986
- 8,814,000 1985
- 8,338,000 1984
- 7,862,000 1983
- 7,386,000 1982
- 6,910,000 1981
- 6,434,000 1980
- 5,958,000 1979
- 5,482,000 1978
- 5,006,000 1977
- 4,539,000 1976
- 4,267,100 1975
- 4,004,200 1974
- 3,741,300 1973
- 3,478,400 1972
- 3,215,500 1971
- 2,952,600 1970
- 2,689,700 1969
- 2,426,800 1968
- 2,163,900 1967
- 1,871,000 1966
- 1,792,000 1965
- 1,714,000 1964
- 1,636,000 1963
- 1,558,000 1962
- 1,480,000 1961
- 1,402,000 1960
- 1,100,000 1959
- 600,000 1957
- 400,000 1956
- 200,000 1955
- 999,000 1954 ***
- 950,000 1953
- 803,800 1952
- 738,700 1951
- 673,600 1950
- 608,500 1949
- 543,400 1948
- 478,300 1947
- 413,200 1946
- 348,100 1945
- 283,000 1944
- 253,400 1943
- 223,800 1942
- 194,200 1941
- 164,600 1940
- 135,000 1939
- 117,000 1938
- 99,000 1937
- 81,000 1936
- 63,000 1935
- 45,000 1934
- 42,680 1932
- 40,250 1931
- 37,820 1930
- 35,390 1929
- 32,960 1928
- 30,430 1927
- 28,000 1926
* Some have seen G serialed watches that were produced in 2012, so Rolex is using both the mixed and the G at the same time.
** In 1987, rather than begin an 8 digit production serial, Rolex instead began their serials with a letter prefix such as R, then L, E & X. (ROLEX without the O) N, C, & S came out during the early to mid 1990’s, W, T & U a little later. The latest letter prefixes are all running concurrently…as Rolex wishes! Only Rolex knows the exact date that any watch was actually produced. Confused…contact Rolex with the exact serial number of your watch…don’t expect a reply with an answer!
*** When Rolex reached the 999,999 production serial in the early 1950’s…they restarted the production serial at 100,000 rather than begin a 7 digit number at 1,000,000. During this period Rolex was also putting the date code on the inside of the case backs…so confusing production serials can sometimes have their production date determined. Look for the Roman number I, II, III or IV for the quarter & two arabic digits for the year.
In the late 1950’s, Rolex again reached the 999,999 production serial & they started their 7 digit numeric numbering system at 1,000,000 for production serials, this continued until the 1990’s until production serials reached 9,999,999.