Sorry to be a noob!

[Tompe]

Why when selling a watch do people state "random serial number". Aren't they all random? Or are people looking for low numbers or ones that say 007 in them for instance?
Just curious.

[Yvette]

So you cant find out the actual production date of the watch
Someone correct me if I am wrong.

[Bigsykedaddy]

Originally Posted by Tompe

Why when selling a watch do people state "random serial number". Aren't they all random? Or are people looking for low numbers or ones that say 007 in them for instance?
Just curious.

Years ago you could figure out what year the watch was produced by reading the number. IE a Z serial turn-o-graph was made in the year 2012 (not sure if I'm correct on the year I am just using it as an example.)

I read that Rolex changed it because customers would come in, try a watch on and then see it was a "M" serial number and knew it was 3 years old and they wanted a brand new watch, not one that had been sitting in the case for years. So now that they're random you can't figure out exactly when it was made.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, this is just my understanding. Hope that helps

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by Tompe

Why when selling a watch do people state "random serial number". Aren't they all random? Or are people looking for low numbers or ones that say 007 in them for instance?
Just curious.

Now they are all random but they were not before and this is to separate from the previous versions.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Tompe

Why when selling a watch do people state "random serial number". Aren't they all random? Or are people looking for low numbers or ones that say 007 in them for instance?
Just curious.

The only difference now a random serial has a mixture letters numbers but 8 digits instead of a single letter and 6 numbers.The random serials started to appear at the ADs latter part of 2010,then a single letter G with 6 numbers was seen a little later in 2010.And both these serials were running at the same time for many years but now only the new random type serials around.But no case serial you could date any Rolex watch 100% when it was made, only a approx date between X&Y years when the case/clasp was stamped.And there is no significance in a random serial except from the seller brag factor when they first came out. At one time it was sales pitch making it seem it was a newer watch over the single letter plus 6 numbers, but in 2010 especially this was not true as G single letter serials were still being made.And the only other significance of the random serials is simply this and nothing more.Rolex started the single letter 6 numbers way back in 1987 and over those years made countless millions of watches, they simply ran out of single letter number combinations hence now the 8 digit random serials from 2010 on.

[Tompe]

Well that was a lot more complicated than I thought! Thank you for the info tho it makes sense now.
It's such an awesome forum for geeky information! I love it!
Cheers guys.