Rolex serial number, what can it tell?

[Lennxi]

Dear members. I'm looking to purchase a watch from a grey market dealer. How do I tell if the watch is local or imported? Am I able to tell from the serial number? Thanks!!

[Alpino]

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serial number won't give you any information, totally random. Except maybe if the watch is more than about 12 years old, with the old s/n model. But grey dealers generally don't sell old watches ...

PS: don't buy to grey dealers, they are the main reason for the difficulty to get a Rolex watch these days ...

[joli160]

They were all made in the same factory, imported or not.
The serial number will tell you nothing on a modern Rolex.
Previous ones showed a country code, but still made in Geneva.

Happy hunting

[77T]

Originally Posted by Lennxi

How do I tell if the watch is local or imported? Am I able to tell from the serial number? Thanks!!

First, unless you live in Switzerland, all Rolexes are imported.

The serial number itself isn’t the issue - but the serial number has a role to play.

If the old watch you’re considering comes with original papers/card, then printed on the papers is the name of the jeweler who sold the watch. You can do a Google lookup from there.



On a card, then a printed 3 digit code on them can determine which Country.



And the way you verify that the paperwork belongs to the watch is by comparing the serial number with the Watch itself (it’ll be engraved on the midcase side between the lugs.

You can find lists of country codes on the internet.


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[996marty]

Originally Posted by Alpino

.

serial number won't give you any information, totally random. Except maybe if the watch is more than about 12 years old, with the old s/n model. But grey dealers generally don't sell old watches ...

PS: don't buy to grey dealers, they are the main reason for the difficulty to get a Rolex watch these days ...

Surely the difficulty in buying a Rolex is from Rolex themselves? You obviously haven’t seen the stock levels in your local AD kept low for a reason

[Alpino]

Originally Posted by 996marty

Surely the difficulty in buying a Rolex is from Rolex themselves? You obviously haven’t seen the stock levels in your local AD kept low for a reason

Where are the stock levels low ?

Try see yourself by checking how many of each model there's on just Chrono24 site , Daytona, Gmt, Sub, ... all brand new and coming from Rolex factory in Geneva

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by 77T

First, unless you live in Switzerland, all Rolexes are imported.

The serial number itself isn’t the issue - but the serial number has a role to play.

If the old watch you’re considering comes with original papers/card, then printed on the papers is the name of the jeweler who sold the watch. You can do a Google lookup from there.



On a card, then a printed 3 digit code on them can determine which Country.



And the way you verify that the paperwork belongs to the watch is by comparing the serial number with the Watch itself (it’ll be engraved on the midcase side between the lugs.

You can find lists of country codes on the internet.


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Beat me to it Paul … the country code on the card

[GGGMT]

Originally Posted by brandrea

Beat me to it Paul … the country code on the card

Country code also on punched papers. Here’s my Italy. 170.




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