What's the future of random serial #'s

[ltdsands]

What's the future of random serial #'s, If I am buying or selling a watch and it's sporting an M serial, it's a 2007. What about those new random serials, do you need to contact rolex for manufacturing info?

[GradyPhilpott]

I don't think that Rolex is ever going to reveal that information.

So far, they have not.

The information regarding serial numbers and date of manufacture on the internet are educated guesses made by those who follow Rolex very closely and they are not absolute by any means.

Here's some info:

http://watchmakingblog.com/rolex-serial-registry/

[horseco]

I think the random serial # system was implemented to prevent Ads from having the amount of time a watch sat in the case to be relieved simply by the serial #... When you go to buy or sell in the future, the date on the warranty card or sales receipt is supposed to give an approximate year of the watch... I think this will ultimately prove problematic in future resale...

[MoBe]

Originally Posted by ltdsands

What's the future of random serial #'s, If I am buying or selling a watch and it's sporting an M serial, it's a 2007. What about those new random serials, do you need to contact rolex for manufacturing info?

Rolex doesn`t release any specific production information about watches to the public.

The only way to verify the history of a watch is by the use of original warranty and purchase reciept documentation,once these are lost you will have no way to know anything about a watch with randomized serialization.This situation is going to make for an awful lot of story telling when it comes time to sell random serial pieces without paperwork.I can see a lot of watches being less than a year old in the future and old watches becoming extremely difficult to find.

[handsfull]

Originally Posted by horseco

I think the random serial # system was implemented to prevent Ads from having the amount of time a watch sat in the case to be relieved simply by the serial #

Completely agree

[Speed]

Originally Posted by ltdsands

What's the future of random serial #'s, If I am buying or selling a watch and it's sporting an M serial, it's a 2007. What about those new random serials, do you need to contact rolex for manufacturing info?

What's the future of Random serials? I think their future is bright. Rolex and Ads must love them because customers will have a harder time deciphering how "old" a watch may be.

What would you want to contact Rolex for? They won't tell you anything.

[GradyPhilpott]

I think random numbering is here for a very long time, as the possible combinations are nearly astronomical.

I also think that some ADs are as concerned about dating watches as many enthusiasts are.

The history of watch numbering really doesn't lend itself well to conspiracy theories. The change was just the next logical step in the practice that would ensure a healthy supply of numbers.

This is not to say that Rolex did not recognize advantages in the change of the system, but I don't believe that the change was made simply to make the date of manufacture even more cryptic.

For at least one model, the random numbering system does a pretty good job of fixing date range of manufacture, that being the 14060M.

At the very least, future buyers and sellers will know that these were the last made.

For a long time, it will be a riddle many will try to solve.

[Chris B]

It’ll make b & p / original receipt more of an issue in the times to come

[esm]

How about the clasp code?

[padi56]

Originally Posted by ltdsands

What's the future of random serial #'s, If I am buying or selling a watch and it's sporting an M serial, it's a 2007. What about those new random serials, do you need to contact rolex for manufacturing info?

No all these Internet codes could ever tell you like your watch say a M serial. That a case/clasp was stamped sometime between August 2007 and July 2008 nothing more and not necessarily when a watch was made.You guys make far too much of a issue over a case stamp.Watches are not like loafs of bread they have no sale by date and they don't perish and go off if not kept under refrigeration etc.Take movements like the cal 3135 now Rolex must make millions of those,now can assure you they are not made to order for any particular case.With the thousands in stock plus the many hundreds being tested at the COSC and returning form the COSC a movement in any particular case could be older or newer or visa versa only Rolex knows when the movement was made.All we know by some Internet code is a appox date when a case or clasp was stamped and thats it.And all new watches when bought from a AD get the same two year warranty no matter what the case serial is.Myself always buy watches by there condition and we know the randoms started 2011 onward,so base price on condition of watch not by a serial.And posts about the ADs having watches in stock for years,well that might happen on say the slow selling gold models etc.But these Internet codes cannot be relied on as a 100% manufacture date with the slow sellers its that simple.Now in general the fast selling sports Rolex are not at ADs long enough to gather any dust,afraid today the Internet has put far two much importance ,on a case stamp with some now buying a case serial rather than a Rolex watch.And as we all should no by now Rolex watches are good for 50 years no matter what the case stamp is.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by horseco

I think the random serial # system was implemented to prevent Ads from having the amount of time a watch sat in the case to be relieved simply by the serial #...

Even if Rolex tracked this which they may not, they're not going to help you decode it.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by esm

How about the clasp code?

You would think they would have made this random as well. They didn't overlook this tidbit did they?

[ltdsands]

Appreciate the comments!

[azguy]

Originally Posted by Chris B

It’ll make b & p / original receipt more of an issue in the times to come

I agree 100%

[mikkolopez]

Now we need to keep everything complete if we want to resell our randomed Rolex.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by ltdsands

What's the future of random serial #'s, If I am buying or selling a watch and it's sporting an M serial, it's a 2007. What about those new random serials, do you need to contact rolex for manufacturing info?

No, this is wrong..

M serials were first seen in very late 2007. This does NOT mean that every M serial was made on that single day or in that single year.. a physical impossibility.

Serial prefixes were made and marketed for at least 2 to 4 years...

[ManUtd]

IMO deciphering Rolex serial numbers is an exercise in futility so I don't understand the obsession with it.

[gwalker]

Originally Posted by Tools

No, this is wrong..

M serials were first seen in very late 2007. This does NOT mean that every M serial was made on that single day or in that single year.. a physical impossibility.

Serial prefixes were made and marketed for at least 2 to 4 years...

You are correct. I still see M DD and DJ in cases every now and then. It's still a new watch. These serial number threads crack me up. People are way too anal about this.

[Timber Loftis]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

I think random numbering is here for a very long time, as the possible combinations are nearly astronomical...

The change was just the next logical step in the practice that would ensure a healthy supply of numbers.

Huh? By a simple mathematical method known as "counting" you are guaranteed an unlimited supply of numbers. True story, bro.

Frankly if an AD was going to pluck a decade-old watch out of the case and sell it to me as new, I would be unhappy. Each day it sits in the dealer's case is another day closer to when service is needed. Having a system of numbering was better in my opinion, and conveyed useful information that a smart company would have no interest in hiding.

[horseco]

Originally Posted by Timber Loftis

Frankly if an AD was going to pluck a decade-old watch out of the case and sell it to me as new, I would be unhappy. Each day it sits in the dealer's case is another day closer to when service is needed. Having a system of numbering was better in my opinion, and conveyed useful information that a smart company would have no interest in hiding.

WOW!!! This explains my feelings exactly... thank you...

[ltdsands]

x2

[ltdsands]

Originally Posted by gwalker

You are correct. I still see M DD and DJ in cases every now and then. It's still a new watch. These serial number threads crack me up. People are way too anal about this.

Glad to amuse, it captured someone's attention

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Timber Loftis

Huh? By a simple mathematical method known as "counting" you are guaranteed an unlimited supply of numbers. True story, bro.

Frankly if an AD was going to pluck a decade-old watch out of the case and sell it to me as new, I would be unhappy. Each day it sits in the dealer's case is another day closer to when service is needed. Having a system of numbering was better in my opinion, and conveyed useful information that a smart company would have no interest in hiding.

A Rolex watch does not have a self destruct built in.. It can sit in a case for quite a while and never get closer to needing a service than the time it was put there..

However.... thinking that you can look at a chart made up from Internet guessing, and know when a particular watch was made is just flat wrong...

The old charts that are out and about are for research when you do not have any information about a watch at all and choose to make some educated guesses about it.. They are not intended for people to go into Dealers showrooms and challenge them on how old you "think" the watch in the case is...

[horseco]

Even if the serial # does not give an exact age, at the very least we can get a range (even if its within 1-36 months)of when it was made. I feel Rolex has done us a disservice by taking that away from us...

[jfestrelabr]

Originally Posted by handsfull

completely agree

+1

[padi56]

Originally Posted by horseco

Even if the serial # does not give an exact age, at the very least we can get a range (even if its within 1-36 months)of when it was made. I feel Rolex has done us a disservice by taking that away from us...

How many watches have you seen sitting at any AD long enough to gather even dust especially the SS sports.Its only the slow selling models like say the all gold diamond watches etc.Now these Internet codes cannot in reality be applied to any of the slow selling type watches as many serials overlap in the years.All these Internet codes all they can tell us is a approximation when a case/clasp was stamped nothing more and not when a finished watch was made..And watches don't go off they have no sell by date,and with modern day oils its not a problem to let a watch sit for years but not many are.Now with watches that use the say cal 3135 they make around 600000 of those a year.And they are not all made in the same day week or year.So in any case the movement could be months a year or even older made before its cased.Rolex must have hundreds at the COSC being tested and hundreds returning passed, and the failed movements returned to say re-oiled and sent for testing again.Plus perhaps thousands in stock waiting to be cased, this serial case stuff has been blown well out of proportion by the Internet today.

[bewithabob]

Clearly Rolex made the move to go with non-sequential serial numbering system to gain advantage in their own manufacturing, distribution and supply chain strategy.

I cannot conceive any reason that ROLEX would want consumers or even ADs to understand the underpinnings for the ROLEX serial number strategy.

It stands to reason that for ROLEX models that are in production over many years, one will have no way to discern the date when a case or movement is made once it is separated from its ownership papers and warranty card. Even with the papers and warranty card, the actual date of manufacture is unclear and imprecise. So, unless the design is changed (or there is some manufacturing flaw), a ROLEX produced this year, will have no discernible difference with one that is produced 10 or even 20 years from now.

When you purchase from an AD, how will you know if you are getting NOS? How will you know if your lubricants are 'fresh' ? You won't! ROLEX maintains it will not make any appreciable difference to the serviceability and life of your watch. Every piece receives the same warranty!

So, now I am waiting for some technical papers to be published showing the degradation of ROLEX watch movement lubricants for a caliber that is left to sit on a shelf for 5 or even 10 years.

Someone on TRF recently reported that they were sold a ROLEX by an AD that may have been in the supply chain for several years before finally being sold for the first time. Who is to know the reasons it lingered for so long? For all the reasons cited above, there was no reason this customer should be unsatisfied with the first time purchase regardless of the born-on date. The watch is still under a 2- year warranty from date of original purchase.

And it has been said that, if a watch is properly serviced (at the cost to the consumer), it will last for years.

But I think the real question is, might the lifetime service cost to the consumer be higher, if it is originally sold as NOS with older, possibly degraded lubricants when first sold? Should ROLEX therefore introduce some policy as it relates to the sale of ROLEX with non-sequential serial numbers, that these should not be sold by an AD after a period of more than 5 years or even 10 years (fill in the blank), without first being returned to ROLEX for a caliber lubrication?

I think these are legitimate questions...

[GradyPhilpott]

As I've said before, I believe that the reason is purely mathematical, with regard to maintaining a system of numbering that will provide a series of fresh "alphanumeric identifiers" well into the future, after having gone through numbers only and then to a simple letter-first alphanumeric system.

Of course, that's just my opinion and as always, Rolex is not talking.

[MoBe]

Since Rolex have introduced new semisynthetic lubricants in their manufacture I don`t think "shelftime" is a significant factor that requires consumer awareness in quite the manner that some seem to imagine.Newer lubricants do not "dry up" the way older style lubricants did.

The bottom line is still that a new watch is "new" as of the date of sale,not manufacture.A new watch is not like a car that comes with a date code within the VIN ,the warranty of a Rolex is "triggered" on the date of sale for a period of two years.

[Timber Loftis]

Originally Posted by padi56

And watches don't go off they have no sell by date,and with modern day oils its not a problem to let a watch sit for years but not many are.

Are you saying that when I am considering my 5-year service date, I can skip counting all the days the watch sat not running?