Identifying the age of a newer Rolex

[Ricky Rolex]

Hi all. Quick query.

How do you identify the age of a newer model Rolex these days? Not all credit card style papers have the purchase date on and even if it did have a purchase date the actual age of the watch could be different?

A friend has been offered an Explorer which he will probably buy but when he asked what year it was from the seller said “around 2016 or 2017” naturally he’d like to know the real date of the watch.

Any advice I can pass on? Thanks


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[uhren917]

i insist on full box and papers for 2nd hand watches. With scrambled serial numbers on modern Rolexes a warranty card or sales receipt is the only way.

[newu5er]

Yep - serials don't help these days, so if you don't have card or receipt, you just have to take the sellers word. If it helps, there were no differences in the reference between those years. I understand it may make it hard to negotiate if you're trying to understand how old the watch is.

[JSolution]

Can Rolex identify the year by serial ?

[Zakalwe]

Originally Posted by JSolution

Can Rolex identify the year by serial ?

Almost certainly. But they won’t tell you.

[JSolution]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

Almost certainly. But they won’t tell you.

Really? Even if you sent it for a service they would never tell you the year?

[Zakalwe]

Originally Posted by JSolution

Really? Even if you sent it for a service they would never tell you the year?

Yup, pretty sure they wouldn’t tell you (bear in mind it’s possible RSC UK might not have access to the information anyway).

[Ricky Rolex]

Thanks for replies but I’m struggling to understand why it’s so hard to identify a newer watches age.

It should be on the credit card style papers for newer models the ‘birth’ year of the watch not just the date of sale.

Watch could be sitting in a safe for a long time before being sold meaning the date on the card is wrong. Strange.


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[Muxi]

Like cars, there are tell-tale signs of use like under the bracelet, or scratches on the clasp from opening and closing. As you said, a watch can be sitting in safe unworn.

It’s a tool watch.

[jeorge]

look up clasp code will tell you year the clasp was made. give you a rough year of your watch

[padi56]

No matter the serial when properly serviced Rolex watches in general will in many cases outlast their owners.Rolex watches are not like loaves of bread or packets of sausages they dont go off .The most important thing is first condition second the price anyone is willing to pay.Fact you could never tell when any Rolex was made, only a approx date between X&Y years when the case or clasp was stamped.And most all serials overlapped a year or so, now how old the movement inside the case well that could be weeks, months,or years old before they are matched to a case.Rolex sends many hundreds down the COSC to be tested they test so many Rolex has there own machine there.After test sent back to Rolex passed and failed, then stored with movement like the cal 3135 perhaps thousands sat in store till needed for production.