"Googling" this random serial number thing . . .

[El Cascarrabias]

Just not impressed. (I'm sure Rolex is concerned)

For me, being able to date a watch adds to the historicity of the brand. It gives the brand's reputation weight. Why would Rolex care if some consider a watch from one year better than another year. They've already sold the watch.

Say a dealer has a random numbered watch that for some reason does not sell for 5 years or he puts one in the safe for himself for several years, falls out of love with it and puts it out for sell looking exactly like the one next to it that came in yesterday.

Is it possible this "new/old" watch now has lubricants that are several years old and the customer may need to service it much sooner. Don't know diddly about lubricants but it seems that if its not being used, just sitting, oozing into another position due to gravity that maybe that's not a good thing when it finally gets running.

And the argument that randomizing discourages fakes. A faker can't randomize a serial number? Really?

As someone who is giving very serious consideration to purchasing, how does this benefit Rolex or the Rolex brand?

[T. Ferguson]

The case number never gave you the year of manufacture. It's good for Rolex because it's good for their AD network. It's not so much to allow them to sell a 7 year old watch as brand spankin' new as it is simply to be able to sell an X serial once the Y serial is introduced. Everyone wants the one they think is newer, as though these things have a "sell by" date like milk.

Moreover, it gives Rolex a lot more permutations (many years) before they have to rethink the serial number format again.

A watch can still be dated by the original bill of sale, warranty card, or service records. These are more accurate in fact than the serial number ever was, understanding that as for as Rolex is concerned a watch's life begins the day it's sold.

[SUBversive]

It's part of the charm.

[Thatguy]

As was already stated you can't really date a watch by SN. All the charts are just estimates. What benefit does rolex gain from having "non-random" series numbers? Now they can print a bunch of cases and sell until the model changes without having someone who saw a chart on the internet complain to an AD.


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[GradyPhilpott]

It's a brave new world!

[Bangel]

Rolex does what Rolex wants.

The bottom line is, don't let a serial number discourage you from your watch purchase.

[Rogdogg]

I am a fan of the new random serial numbers. I know it's very impractical and some identification is needed, but in my ideal world, there would be no serial number at all and everything would come down to condition and service history only.

[kilyung]

OT: I'm not sure "historicity" is the right word. Whether you can date a watch or not has no bearing on the historical authenticity of the Rolex brand.

[GhostWriter]

I'm with the OP. In 25 years vintage collectors won't be too happy trying to date watches that don't have accompanying papers. I want to know what year (as close as one can tell) a watch was made. I wish they'd go back to some type of non-random system.

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by GhostWriter

I'm with the OP. In 25 years vintage collectors won't be too happy trying to date watches that don't have accompanying papers. I want to know what year (as close as one can tell) a watch was made. I wish they'd go back to some type of non-random system.

That will make the bill of sale or warranty card that much more important for older watches. Fortunately, these days more people keep those things than back in the day.

But aside from the papers, in the vintage market there oftwn seems to be slight variations Rolex makes to it's models here and there over time: the dial, font, text spacing, date wheel, lug holes, SELs, engraved rehaut...yada yada. The vintage guys around here are pretty savvy about all the little changes that occurred along the way.

True even with the new models, I think. Take the current GMTC for example. The color of the lume will help place the age of the watch as newer or older.

But to an extent I do see your point with vintage pieces. I suppose Rolex wasn't thinking 50 years ahead on this.

[azguy]

simple, by an older watch, get it serviced and it's really yours for ever...

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