Help me identify my Rolex

[MILGAUSS88]

Originally Posted by MonBK

I'm still not convinced that's a serial number!

Early Rolex cases were out sourced. I am not sure what year they started making them in house.
But I believe this case was still from the out sourced era. Meaning the case serial number had nothing to do with the Rolex production numbers.

I have a 1917 Rolex, with a screw back case and what appears to be an early version of the knurled case back that we are familiar with on today's watches. That case has a case makers mark and the W & D mark to show it was made for Rolex.
So, it looks like Rolex was thinking about the seal on the case very early on.

Screw back cases are very unusual on early wristwatches, and you will see alot of damaged cases, because jewelers assumed that they were snap back cases and tried to pry them open. So, it appears to me that it had to be a conscious decision to do this, rather than a happy accident.