Rolex Encyclopedia

After having trusted the hand winding Valjoux caliber 72, and some variations of this caliber (read the article: ‘Valjoux 72: the start of the Daytona’), for a long time Rolex in 1987 decided to go and use a Zenith caliber to make the Daytona tick. Zenith had started the production of their El Primero caliber 400 in 1969 and, after being off the market for several years, from 1986 it was available again. The most interesting feature of the Zenith caliber 400 was that it oscillated with a frequency of 36.000 beats per our, where 18.000, 21.600 or 28.800 bph were common. This higher frequency made the watch more accurate.

The caliber 400 made by Zenith was the only chronograph watch with automatic winding that complied with the very high quality standard that Rolex employed. However, it was not that Zenith sent Rolex the calibers 400 and that they placed them untouched into the case. Far from that, Rolex made several adjustments to the 400 as listed below:

- A new escapement with a much bigger, free moving balance and a balance coil with Breguet overcoil; a Rolex preferred and more expensive configuration that leads to a higher accuracy
- The oscillation frequency was lowered from 36.000 to 28.800 bph; this to lower the need for regular maintenance.
- The date function was removed from the watch

With all the adjustments made Rolex had modulated circa 80% of the original Zenith caliber. The new Rolex caliber 4030 was born.

The Daytona with caliber 4030 had reference number 16520. Ref. 16520 differed from earlier versions of the Daytona in having sapphire glass and a couple of esthetic changes. Influenced by other Rolex sports watches from that era, for instance the Submariner, the diameter of the case had grown from 37 to 40 mm. The surface of the dials were now lacquered and shiny versus matte (black) or metallic (silver). The dial had metal hour indexes, laid in with radiant material. The sub dials had a thin scale with an opposite colour and a metal bezel.

Rolex made the ref 16520 from 1987 until 2000. In 2000 they started with their first chronograph driven by a manufacture watch.
As can be seen in the list below the era 1987-2000 can be divided into six periods in which slide changes were made to the Daytona. The most interesting are the following three:

- 1987(late)-1988: ‘floating’ Cosmograph, ‘Cosmograph’ stands alone in the middle of the dial
- 1989-1990(early): 4 lines, ‘officially certified’ is missing on the dial
- 1990(early)-1993(early): ‘inverted’ 6, the ‘6’ on the sub dial at 6 o’clock is inverted and looks like a ‘9’

The complete list of the production of the Rolex Daytona ref 16520 in the period 1987-2000:

Pic.: 1988

Pic.: 1989

Pic.: 1991

Pic.: 1992

Pic.: 1995

Pic.: 1999

Jaap Bakker

The reference and serial numbers of a Rolex watch are stamped between the lugs on the case. Until in the 1960s many models had not only the year of production written on the inside of the case but also in which quarter of the year it was manufactured, for instance ‘IV 62’.

Jaar	Nr.		Jaar	Nr.		Jaar	Nr.
1927	20190		1956	139400		1985	8624000
1928	23969		1957	216821		1986	9290000
1929	28290		1958	353343		1987	9863279
1930	29312		1959	399000		1987 / 1988	R
1931			1960	511687		1988 / 1989	L
1932	29312		1961	646900		1989 / 1990	L
1933	29933		1962	763663		1990 / 1991	E
1934	30823		1963	950000		1991 / 1992	X/N (va nov.)
1935	34336		1964	997436		1992 / 1993	C
1936	36856		1965	1193000		1993 / 1994	S
1937	40920		1966	1289727		1994 / 1995	W
1938	43793		1967	1554000		1995 / 1996	W
1939	71224		1968	1720977		1996 / 1997	T
1940	99775		1969	2060000		1997 / 1998	U (va aug.)
1941	106047		1970	2504211		1998 / 1999	A (va nov.)
1942	143509		1971	2728000		1999 / 2000	A
1943	230878		1972	3050000		2000 / 2001	P (va jan.)
1944	269561		1973	3523678		2001 / 2002	K (va sept.)
1945	302459		1974	3761535		2002 / 2003	Y (va sept.)
1946	367946		1975	3886050		2003 / 2004	F (va sept.)
1947	529163		1976	4155863		2004 / 2005	F
1948	628840		1977	5008000		2005 / 2006	D (va apr.)
1949			1978	5238376		2006 / 2007	Z (va mei)
1950			1979	5952834		2007 / 2008	M (va aug.)
1951	709249		1980	6434000		2008 / 2009	V
1952	726639		1981	6594000
1953	793930		1982	7129351
1954	976195		1983	7862000
1955	30634		1984	8338000

In the year 1954, after having passed the million, Rolex turned back the numbers en from 1987, after 10 million, they started using A, B, C etc in combination with the serial numbers.

Codes of the locks on the bracelets:

1976 A* 1988 M* 2000 AB
1977 B 1989 N* 2001 DE
1978 C* 1990 O 2002 DT
1979 D 1991 P 2003 AD
1980 E 1992 Q* 2004 CL
1981 F 1993 R 2005 MA
1982 G 1994 S 2006 OP
1983 H* 1995 T of W 2007 EO
1984 I* 1996 V
1985 J* 1997 Z
1986 K* 1998 Z of W
1987 L* 1999 X

Rolex Landcodes:

10=Switzerland; 012=Switzerland; 013=Switzerland; 014=Switzerland; 015=Switzerland; 017=Switzerland; 021=Switzerland; 022=Switzerland; 023=Switzerland; 024=Switzerland; 025=Switzerland; 026=Switzerland; 028=Switzerland; 032=Switzerland; 033=Switzerland; 036=Liechtenstein; 037=Switzerland; 039=Switzerland; 044=Switzerland; 045=Switzerland; 061=Switzerland; 062=Switzerland; 100=Germany; 110=France; 112=France; 113=France; 119=France (COMEX); 120=Austria; 121=Austria; 122=Austria; 123=Austria; 124=Austria; 125=Austria; 126=Austria; 127=Austria; 128=Austria; 130=Belgium/Luxemburg; 133=Netherlands; 134=Netherlands; 135=Netherlands; 136=Netherlands; 137=Netherlands; 138=Netherlands; 150=Spain; 160=Great Britain; 170=Italy; 181=Italy; 200=Greece; 204=Italy; 201=Malta; 202=Turkey; 205=Cyprus; 207=Corfu; 208=Greece; 210=Portugal; 212=Portugal; 213=Portugal; 215=Portugal; 216=Portugal; 217=Portugal; 218=Portugal; 226=Denmark; 228=Denmark; 231=Denmark; 233=Denmark; 235=Denmark; 237=Iceland; 241=Norway; 242=Norway; 246=Sweden; 265=Sweden; 267=Sweden; 268=Sweden; 270=Sweden; 271=Sweden; 273=Sweden; 283=Finnland; 284=Norway; 286=Finnland; 291=Finnland; 298=Finnland; 311=Poland; 312=Poland; 317=Bulgaria; 318=Slovakia; 320=Czech Republic; 321=Czech Republic; 322=Hungary; 323=Slovenia; 325=Serbia Montenegro; 330=Russia; 381=Turkey; 400=Hong Kong; 402=Guam; 408=Seoul; 410=Japan; 413=Korea; 430=Singapore/Brunai/Indonesia; 431=Malaysia/Thailand; 440=Taiwan; 500=India ;501=India; 507=India; 505=Pakistan; 513=Kathmandu; 514=Bangladesh; 526=Bahrain; 527=Middle East; 529=Saudi Arabia; 531=Saudi Arabia; 532=Saudi Arabia; 533=Kuwait; 535=Katar; 536=Abu Dhabi; 537=Dubai; 538=Oman; 539=Oman; 542=Iran; 548=Israel; 551=Yemen; 573=India; 605=Tunisia; 612=Egypt; 634=Congo; 668=Kenya; 680=South Afrika; 700=Canada; 710=USA; 720=Mexico; 722=Mexico; 733=Honduras; 737=Costa Rica; 741=Bahamas; 742=Bermuda; 752=Jamaica; 756=Dominican Republic; 757=Caribbean Islands; 758=Virgin Islands; 759=Turks Islands; 760=Barbados; 761=Netherlands Antilles/Aruba; 762=Aruba; 764=Guadeloupe; 765=Antigua; 766=Saint Martin; 767=Cayman Islands; 768=Panama; 770=Venezuela; 780=Brazil; 781=Chile; 786=Bolivia; 790=Argentina; 810=Australia/New Zealand; 818=Philippines; 828=Taiwan; 838=China; 842=New Zealand; 871=Hawaii; 872=Alaska; 874=Hong Kong; 873=Guam; 888=Hong Kong; 900=Japan; 902=AAFES, Germany; 906=Natex Retail, German NATO Airbase; 907=Rheindalen, German NATO Headquarter;

Jaap Bakker

The following list gives you the reference numbers per model:

Air-King
4365, 4925, 5500, 5501, 5506, 5520, 6500, 6552, 7784,
14000, 14000M, 14010, 14010M, 114200, 114210, 114234

Air-King-Date
5700, 5701

Bubble Back
1858, 2704, 2725, 2760, 2764, 2768, 2940, 3042, 3064, 3065,

3130, 3131, 3133, 3134, 3135, 3159, 3353, 3372, 3458, 3496,

3536, 3548, 3595, 3599, 3696, 3716, 3772, 3794, 4362, 4392,

4467, 4643, 4777, 4846, 4857, 4984, 4961, 5006, 5009, 5010,

5011, 5015, 5018, 5028, 5029, 5050, 5054, 5055, 5084, 5284,

6011, 6015, 6022, 6029, 6050, 6075, 6084, 6085, 6092, 6098,

6102, 6105, 6106, 6108, 6206, 6298, 6334, 6352

Datejust
1600, 1601, 1603, 1607, 1625, 1630, 6305, 6518, 6604,
6605, 6827, 16013, 16014, 16018, 16030, 16078, 16200,
16203, 16220, 16233, 16234, 16238, 16248, 16263, 16364,
116135, 116138, 116139, 116185, 116188, 116189, 116199,
116200, 116201, 116203, 116208, 116231, 116233, 116234,
116238, 116243, 116244, 116261, 116263, 116264, 116285

Datejust II
116300, 116333, 116334

Datejust Medium
6824, 6827, 68158, 68159, 68238, 68240, 68243, 68246, 68248,
68258, 68266, 68268, 68273, 68274, 68278, 68279, 68286, 68288,
68289, 77080, 77014, 77438,77518, 78240, 78243, 78246, 78248,
78266, 78273, 78274, 78278, 78279, 78286, 78288, 81158, 81159,
81208, 81209, 81298, 81299, 81308, 81318, 81319, 81338, 81339,
178158, 178159, 178238, 178239, 178240, 178241, 178243, 178245,
178246, 178248, 178269, 178271, 178274, 178275, 178278, 178279,
178286, 178288, 178313, 178341, 178343, 178344,178383, 178384

The following list gives you the reference numbers per model:

Air-King
4365, 4925, 5500, 5501, 5506, 5520, 6500, 6552, 7784,
14000, 14000M, 14010, 14010M, 114200, 114210, 114234

Air-King-Date
5700, 5701

Bubble Back
1858, 2704, 2725, 2760, 2764, 2768, 2940, 3042, 3064, 3065,

3130, 3131, 3133, 3134, 3135, 3159, 3353, 3372, 3458, 3496,

3536, 3548, 3595, 3599, 3696, 3716, 3772, 3794, 4362, 4392,

4467, 4643, 4777, 4846, 4857, 4984, 4961, 5006, 5009, 5010,

5011, 5015, 5018, 5028, 5029, 5050, 5054, 5055, 5084, 5284,

6011, 6015, 6022, 6029, 6050, 6075, 6084, 6085, 6092, 6098,

6102, 6105, 6106, 6108, 6206, 6298, 6334, 6352

Datejust
1600, 1601, 1603, 1607, 1625, 1630, 6305, 6518, 6604,
6605, 6827, 16013, 16014, 16018, 16030, 16078, 16200,
16203, 16220, 16233, 16234, 16238, 16248, 16263, 16364,
116135, 116138, 116139, 116185, 116188, 116189, 116199,
116200, 116201, 116203, 116208, 116231, 116233, 116234,
116238, 116243, 116244, 116261, 116263, 116264, 116285

Datejust II
116300, 116333, 116334

Datejust Medium
6824, 6827, 68158, 68159, 68238, 68240, 68243, 68246, 68248,
68258, 68266, 68268, 68273, 68274, 68278, 68279, 68286, 68288,
68289, 77080, 77014, 77438,77518, 78240, 78243, 78246, 78248,
78266, 78273, 78274, 78278, 78279, 78286, 78288, 81158, 81159,
81208, 81209, 81298, 81299, 81308, 81318, 81319, 81338, 81339,
178158, 178159, 178238, 178239, 178240, 178241, 178243, 178245,
178246, 178248, 178269, 178271, 178274, 178275, 178278, 178279,
178286, 178288, 178313, 178341, 178343, 178344,178383, 178384

Day Date
1803, 1804, 1806, 1807, 6511, 6611, 18026, 18028, 18029, 18038,
18039, 18046, 18049, 18078, 18079, 18206, 18208, 18238,18239, 18248, 18249, 18296, 18308, 18338, 18346, 18348,
18349, 18366, 18368, 18378, 18388, 18389, 18946, 18948,
18956, 18958, 118205, 118206, 118208, 118209, 118235,
118238, 118239, 118296, 118338, 118339, 118346, 118348,
118366, 118388, 118389, 118398, 118399

Day Date II
218206, 218235, 218238, 218239, 218348, 218349, 218398, 218399

Daytona
6239, 6240, 6241, 6239, 62,40, 6241, 6262, 6263, 6264, 6265,
6240, 6241, 16518, 16519, 16520, 16523, 16528, 16568, 116505,
116509, 116515. 116518, 116519, 116520, 116523, 116528, 116568,
116589, 116598, 116599

Explorer
1016, 1038, 5500, 5501, 5504, 6098, 6150, 6298, 6305,
6350, 6610, 14270, 114270, 214270

Explorer II
1655, 16550, 16570, 216570

GMT-Master
1675, 6542, 16700, 16713, 16750, 16753, 16758

GMT-Master II
16710, 16713, 16718, 16760, 116710, 116713, 116718, 116758,
116759

Milgauss
1019, 6541, 116400

Oyster Perpetual
1002, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1010, 1014, 1018,
1023, 1024,1025, 1030, 1038, 1500, 1501, 1565, 5500,
6085, 6103, 6177, 6202, 6284, 6518, 6532, 6546, 6548,
6549, 6551, 6552, 6556, 6564, 6565, 6567, 6569, 6580,
6582, 6584, 6590, 6605, 6623, 6634, 14203, 14203M,
14208, 14208M, 14233, 14238, 116000, 116034, 177200,
177210, 177234

Oyster Perpetual Date
1500, 1501, 1503, 1505, 1530, 1550, 1560, 1603, 1625, 5075,
6075, 6335, 6518, 6534, 6605, 6627, 15000, 15010, 15037,
15038, 15053, 15200, 15203, 15210, 15223, 15238, 15505,
115200, 115210, 115234

Oyster Perpetual Lady
6718, 6719, 6723, 6724, 67180, 67183, 67188, 67193, 67194,
67197, 67198, 67230, 67233, 67243, 76030, 76080, 76094, 76180, 76183, 76188, 76193, 76198, 76243, 77518, 176200,
176210, 176234

Oyster Perpetual Lady Date
6516, 6517, 6519, 6916, 6917, 6919, 69160, 69163, 69173,
69190, 69240, 79160, 79190, 79240

Oyster Perpetual Lady Datejust
6916, 6917, 6927, 69068, 69069, 69078, 69079, 69088, 69089,
69126, 69128, 69136, 69138, 69139, 69158, 69159, 69163, 69166,
69168, 69173, 69174, 69178, 69179, 68188, 69198, 69238, 69258,
69268, 69278, 69279, 69288, 69298, 69299, 69308, 69318, 69359,
79068, 79078, 79079, 79088, 79089, 79126, 79136, 79138, 79158,
79159, 79163, 79166, 79168, 79173, 79174, 79178, 79179, 79238,
79288, 80298, 80299, 80309, 80315, 80318, 80319, 80328,
80329, 80359, 179136, 179138, 179158, 179159, 179160, 179161,
179165, 179166, 179168, 179171, 179173, 179175, 179178, 179179,
179239, 179298, 179313, 179368, 179459

Oysterquarz Datejust
17000, 17013, 17014

Oysterquarz Day-Date
19018, 19019, 19028, 19048, 19049, 19149

Sea-Dweller/Deepsea
1665, 16600, 16660, 116660

Submariner
5508, 5512, 5513, 5514, 5517, 6200, 6204, 6205, 6536,
6538, 6538A, 14060, 14060M, 114060

Submariner Date
1680, 16800, 168000, 16610, 16610LV, 16613, 16618, 16803,
16808, 116610, 116613, 116618, 116619

Turn-O-Graph
1625, 6202, 6309, 6609, 16250, 16253, 16268, 16263, 16264,
116261, 116263, 116264

Yacht Master
16622, 16623, 16628, 68623, 68628, 69623, 69628, 168622,
168623, 168628, 169622, 169623, 169628, 116622

Yacht Master II
116681, 116688, 116689

Sky-Dweller
326935, 326938, 326939

The following is a list of the years of introduction of the most important Rolex models:

1926 Oyster Case
1927 Serial Number On Oyster Case
1931 Oyster Perpetual
1938 Bubble Back
1938 Oyster Bracelet
1945 Jubilee Bracelet
1945 Datejust
1950 Mercedes Hand
1953 Submariner 100m / 330ft
1953 Turn-O-Graph
1953 Explorer
1954 GMT-Master
1954 Submariner 200m / 660ft
1954 Cyclop On Crystal
1954 Ladys Oyster Perpetual
1956 Day-Date
1956 President Bracelet
1959 Submariner gets Crown Guards and 40mm Case
1960 Deep Sea Special (Diving Record 10.916 m)
1962 Cosmograph Daytona
1967 Sea-Dweller
1969 Submariner Date
1969 Submariner Date 18 k YG
1971 Explorer II
1972 Hacking Movement
1974 Sapphire Crystal
1976 Oysterquartz
1977 Quick Set Date Feature
1978 Sea-Dweller 4000
1979 Submariner 300m / 1000ft with Sapphire Crystal
1983 GMT-Master II
1983 Submariner Rolesor
1988 Cosmograph Daytona (Zenith Movement)
1992 Yachtmaster
1994 Yachtmaster Lady & Medium
2000 Cosmograph Daytona With Inhouse Movement
2001 Laser Etched Hologram In Crystal
2003 “Green” Submariner Date
2004 Serial Number On The Inner Bezel
2004 New TOG
2004 New Datejust Case
2005 New GMT-Master YG (Cal. 3186)
2006 New GMT-Master Rolesor (Cal. 3186)
2007 New GMT-Master SS and WG (Cal. 3186)
2007 Caliber 3131
2007 Caliber 4160
2007 Yacht-Master II (YG & WG)
2007 New Milgauss in SS
2007 New Air-King in SS
2007 Submariner with COSC
2008 Sea-Dweller Deepsea2008 Day-Date II
2008 Oyster Perpetual 36mm
2008 RG Daytona
2008 Caliber 3156
2008 Submariner Date New Case YG
2009 Datejust II Rolesor & SS
2009 Submariner Date New Case Rolesor
2010 Explorer 39mm
2010 Submariner Date New Case SS
2011 Explorer II 42mm
2011 Yacht-Master II Rolesor
2011 RG Black Bezel Datona
2011 Caliber 3187
2012 Sky-Dweller
2012 Caliber 9001
2012 Submariner New Case
2012 Deepsea Challenge Prototype
2013 SS GMT-Master blue/black bezel
2013 SS Yacht-Machster II
2013 Platin Daytona
2013 “Stella Dial” Day-Date

Jaap Bakker

Although the ‘core business’ of this site is vintage Rolex watches, more and more other subjects find there way to publication. In my vision ‘planet Rolex’ has it’s own beauties and things of interest but it is also inhabited by lots of another objects that deserve a place on this site.

Just be patient now because I have to start translating all my Dutch articles so that is going to take some time. But before you know it everything will also be available in English.

Enjoy your time on Rolexencyclopedie.nl!

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