Rolex mismatch

[reyvis]

Hi all and my first post after joining.

I have been a member on another forum T****z*** for years. But I really like the amount of knowledge shown here. i did not know this forum existed!
I did post on the other website a problem I have, but I feel I may get some more information or knowledgeable opinions here to help me.

in 2005 I walk into a main London UK AD and purchase a new 16613 F reg TT blue face sub. Love at first sight!. 16 years later I take it to my local AD for a first service. I know! I only took it in, because i noticed the manual wind was becoming a bit sticky, but it kept perfect time and i only wore it about once a month in the last 10 years.
They contacted me two weeks later and said, 'there is a mismatch with the serial and model number'. The serial and model matches a black face and bezel. I immediately get my box , papers, serial number, tags,other Rolex bits, original purchase receipts and they photocopy everything to confirm I am correct. I can say that they look at me rather strangely. 'Never happened before'. I get the vibe!

I also contact the original AD who has records only back to 2008. How? I ask can I possibly walk out with my lovely watch, but it matches the serial to a black faced sub. The present AD manager is at a loss to give an answer. Maybe a dial and bezel switch before the sale, but he said we do not switch dials etc , that would have had to have been done by Rolex themselves! We only sell them and do not touch them in that way.

A month later I am still waiting for a reply from the largest UK Rolex AD chain and Rolex themselves, who have my watch at the service centre.

My questions are, does anybody know if this has happened before and how is it possible. The blue faced sub was in very short supply at the time and is it possible that Rolex switched a batch to fill the need. Or a real manufacturing error with a mismatch of documentation to that particular watch. the watch does have a 16613LN tag which I 'now know' is for a black dial.

I know that Rolex have made some manufacturing errors that should not be possible, but they do and so it must be even easier to mismatch the documentation serial and model I presume.

Any help is much appreciated