When did Rolex go to the flat four bezel insert?

[donq]

I was just comparing my 1999 Sub Date to a friends
1998 Sub Date and the only difference I noticed was
his bezel insert had a pointed four. When did they change that?

[Paracentesis]

His is probably a service insert.

[donq]

So only the service bezels are pointed?

[Paracentesis]

No. They switched from flat to pointed, so his bezel is a later one than yours. And his watch is older than yours, so it must be a service replacement bezel.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by donq

I was just comparing my 1999 Sub Date to a friends
1998 Sub Date and the only difference I noticed was
his bezel insert had a pointed four. When did they change that?

Over the years Rolex has used quite a few different fonts on dials bezel inserts etc,at one time they were made by various different suppliers.