Production date vs purchase date

[bking604]

I apologize if this has been answered but I couldn't find anything relevant via the search function.

I just purchased a new Rolex from an AD last week. However, when I checked the production date using the serial number and it says the production year is 2011. This is my first Rolex so I don't know if this is the norm. 3 years seems like a long time for a 116520 to be sold.

Should I be worried? Thanks.

[Urosfan]

As long as you bought new from AD have no worries enjoy and wear it

[Alpino]

.

You say 2011 , so it should be a random serial or a G serial.

If random you have no way to know if it was produced in 2011 or in 2014.

If it's a G serial , it have been on display from 2010 to this year some months ago. Depending if it's a G0xxxxx or a G9xxxxx s/n that makes all the difference.

What's your serial ? (2 1st digit only)

[T. Ferguson]

Firstly, there is no such thing as a 2011 case number. The most recent case numbers are the "G" series and the random numbers, and both of these were first seen in 2010.

Secondly, there is no such thing as a case serial number giving you the year of production. It is only an estimate of when that series of numbers first were seen. Depending on the model any given serial number can span several years of production. Additionally, this number tells you nothing about when the movement inside the case was built, only when the case or rehaut was stamped.

Enjoy your watch. As far as Rolex is concerned, it began it's life the day you bought it. And now with the random serial numbers the bill of sale and warranty card will be the only ways of estimating how old a watch is.

[Bangel]

As above. No need to worry. Enjoy your new watch.

[THC]

Good Grief Charley Brown... If 2011 is your production date, you are doing better than 90% of us on TRF... Lol
Enjoy your random serial

[Sublover2166]

Rolex watches don't have model years like cars or trucks. Consider the born on date on the day you take it home, size it and wind it up.

[~JJ]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

Firstly, there is no such thing as a 2011 case number. The most recent case numbers are the "G" series and the random numbers, and both of these were first seen in 2010.

Secondly, there is no such thing as a case serial number giving you the year of production. It is only an estimate of when that series of numbers first were seen. Depending on the model any given serial number can span several years of production. Additionally, this number tells you nothing about when the movement inside the case was built, only when the case or rehaut was stamped.

Enjoy your watch. As far as Rolex is concerned, it began it's life the day you bought it. And now with the random serial numbers the bill of sale and warranty card will be the only ways of estimating how old a watch is.

I would listen to this. Plus, they create large batches of cases at a time and store them, so it's very possible to receive a G serial on watch that was recently assembled. Enjoy your new piece.

[Keith1]

Congratulations on your Daytona, and welcome to TRF!

Does the serial number start with a "G"?

[aleeboy]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

Firstly, there is no such thing as a 2011 case number. The most recent case numbers are the "G" series and the random numbers, and both of these were first seen in 2010.

Secondly, there is no such thing as a case serial number giving you the year of production. It is only an estimate of when that series of numbers first were seen. Depending on the model any given serial number can span several years of production. Additionally, this number tells you nothing about when the movement inside the case was built, only when the case or rehaut was stamped.

Enjoy your watch. As far as Rolex is concerned, it began it's life the day you bought it. And now with the random serial numbers the bill of sale and warranty card will be the only ways of estimating how old a watch is.

The case number can most definitely tell you if it the watch was produced earlier, or later, in any specific serial production run. How to do I know? I have two Rolex models that underwent changes during their serial production. For e.g:

My Explorer II underwent a change from non-SEL to SEL during the A-series run. My serial number is an A9.....

And to answer the OP, I have come across watches that are displayed in AD's that are "quite" old, so this doesn't surprise me.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by bking604

. . .
I just purchased a new Rolex from an AD last week. However, when I checked the production date using the serial number and it says the production year is 2011. This is my first Rolex so I don't know if this is the norm. 3 years seems like a long time for a 116520 to be sold.

Should I be worried? Thanks.

It's unlikely that any Daytona has been sitting around, unsold, for 3 years and, as mentioned, in 2011 Rolex was making completely random serial numbers and there is no chart or formula yet that has broken that "code"..

I believe that your "dating" method needs to be explained more fully..

[bking604]

Thanks for all the responses and thanks for the greetings!

My Daytona's serial number is N52XXXXX. Does this mean anything?

[watchwatcher]

Originally Posted by bking604

Thanks for all the responses and thanks for the greetings!

My Daytona's serial number is N52XXXXX. Does this mean anything?

It means it's a random serial number. Now congrats and enjoy that beauty.

[77T]

Originally Posted by bking604

My Daytona's serial number is N52XXXXX. Does this mean anything?

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

It means it's a random serial number.

And that means you can't presume it was made in any particular year...

[bking604]

Thanks all! Learned something new today.

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by bking604

Thanks for all the responses and thanks for the greetings!

My Daytona's serial number is N52XXXXX. Does this mean anything?

They added a digit when they started the random numbers. 8 digits is random, yours just happens to start with a letter.

I'm curious though, what source told you your random number denoted the watch as a 2011 build?

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by bking604

Thanks for all the responses and thanks for the greetings!

My Daytona's serial number is N52XXXXX. Does this mean anything?

It would have saved a lot of all round if you had said that in your first post. A watch with that random serial could have been sent out of the factory last week. I suspect you just typed it into one of those Rolex Serial Database things that some dealers have on their websites, right?

[padi56]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

Firstly, there is no such thing as a 2011 case number. The most recent case numbers are the "G" series and the random numbers, and both of these were first seen in 2010.

Secondly, there is no such thing as a case serial number giving you the year of production. It is only an estimate of when that series of numbers first were seen. Depending on the model any given serial number can span several years of production. Additionally, this number tells you nothing about when the movement inside the case was built, only when the case or rehaut was stamped.

Enjoy your watch. As far as Rolex is concerned, it began it's life the day you bought it. And now with the random serial numbers the bill of sale and warranty card will be the only ways of estimating how old a watch is.

Have to agree afraid today many worry to much about a case serial when looking up the various internet charts.All Rolex no matter the serial when bought new will last 40-50 years plus with a little care and routine service no matter the case serial stamp.

[FKruger]

To that I have nice comparison it is like fine Mercedes sitting in the garage for years but here you do not have to change oil and filters just wind up the motor and let it live

[bking604]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

They added a digit when they started the random numbers. 8 digits is random, yours just happens to start with a letter.

I'm curious though, what source told you your random number denoted the watch as a 2011 build?

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

It would have saved a lot of all round if you had said that in your first post. A watch with that random serial could have been sent out of the factory last week. I suspect you just typed it into one of those Rolex Serial Database things that some dealers have on their websites, right?

Ha ha, yes. I typed my serial into those online databases. Well, now I know 8 digits/letters = random serial!

[Keith1]

This could of been a Seinfeld episode about nothing-- yada yada yada!

[Turbo23dog]

You might know something about the age by the color of the Lume. If the watch has green Lume, it's "older". If blue Lume, it's newer although this is not 100% a given since there was some overlap of Lume color in production. So, what color Lume you got???

[Dvenus11]

If you put any random serial watch into any of the online sites it will always give you 2011

[bking604]

Originally Posted by Turbo23dog

You might know something about the age by the color of the Lume. If the watch has green Lume, it's "older". If blue Lume, it's newer although this is not 100% a given since there was some overlap of Lume color in production. So, what color Lume you got???

It looks...greenish blue?? It's really hard to tell but I think mine is more green than blue for sure.

[Keith1]

The best way to tell the color is right after you have been in the sun or had a light on it, go into a dark room immediately. The blue will show the best then if it is blue. After a few minutes, it will change to a greenish blue.

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by bking604

It looks...greenish blue?? It's really hard to tell but I think mine is more green than blue for sure.

If it looks greenish-blue it is probably blue. The green is definitely green but the blue lume is well, greenish-blue.

[T. Ferguson]

Dp.

[AlbertOC]

Originally Posted by bking604

I apologize if this has been answered but I couldn't find anything relevant via the search function.

I just purchased a new Rolex from an AD last week. However, when I checked the production date using the serial number and it says the production year is 2011. This is my first Rolex so I don't know if this is the norm. 3 years seems like a long time for a 116520 to be sold.

Should I be worried? Thanks.

The steel Daytona would've probably sold just a few days after the store received it, i'm sure of it. It's hard to track the years of production after about 2011 or 2012 since all the serial numbers are Random. If there's a watch that you don't have to worry about, it's that one! Definitely not a slow mover for stores...

[Danex]

Welcome to the forum! The Daytona was my first Rolex when I joined six months ago!
Much to learn about Rolex, a fascinating mech-tech product.

[psholtz]

I have noticed what the OP describes, though.

I purchased a brand new Milgauss from an AD about a month ago (2014). The serial number though is a V-series, which I suppose dates it to the 2008-2009 time frame. So either it does them a while to actually "assemble" the watch, or else inventory really does sit around at the ADs, sometimes for years, before being sold.

I suppose the Milgauss is one of the less popular models, though, so not entirely surprising that that might happen.

Doesn't bother me, but .. just saying that I've noticed a discrepancy between purchase date and serial numbers as well.