ROLEX serial number chart

​Rolex and Tudor watch cases are stamped with sets of numbers and/or letters between the lugs at twelve and six o'clock.  

The reference number is stamped between the lugs at twelve o'clock.

There is a serial number, unique to each watch, stamped between the lugs at six o'clock, that can be used to date the watch (not applicable to modern Rolexes).  While there is no official list, the following chart is an approximation of Rolex dates by serial number.

YEAR	SERIAL NUMBER
1926	28,000
1927	30,430
1928	32,960
1929	35,390
1930	37,820
1931	40,250
1932	42,680
1933
1934	45,000
1935	63,000
1936	81,000
1937	99,000
1938	117,000
1939	135,000
1940	164,600
1941	194,200
1942	223,800
1943	253,400
1944	283,000
1945	348,100
1946	413,200
1947	478,300
1948	543,400
1949	608,500
1950	673,600
1951	738,700
1952	803,800
1953	950,000
1954	999,999
1955	200,000
1956	400,000
1957	600,000
1958	800,000
1959	1,100,000
1960	1,402,000
1961	1,480,000
1962	1,558,000
1963	1,636,000
1964	1,714,000
1965	1,792,000
1966	1,871,000
1967	2,163,900
1968	2,426,800
1969	2,689,700
1970	2,952,600
1971	3,215,500
1972	3,478,400
1973	3,741,300
1974	4,004,200
1975	4,267,100
1976	4,539,000
1977	5,006,000
1978	5,482,000
1979	5,958,000
1980	6,434,000
1981	6,910,000
1982	7,386,000
1983	7,862,000
1984	8,338,000
1985	8,814,000
1986	9,290,000
1987	9,766,000 / R,000,000
1988
1989	L,000,000
1990	E,000,001
1991	X,000,001 / N,000,001
1992	C,000,001
1993	S,000,001
1994
1995	W,000,001 / T,000,001
1996
1997	U,000,001
1998
1999	A,000,001
2000	P,000,001
2001	K,000,000
2002	Y,000,000
2003	F,000,000
2004
2005	D,000,001
2006	D or Z
2007	M or Z
2008	M or V
2009	V
2010	G
2011 and Later	Random