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Watercolour of a steel Rolex Submariner Date 116610LN with a black dial and a black ceramic bezel on an Oyster bracelet

Guide · 13 minute read

How to tell if a Rolex is real

Every Rolex for sale comes with someone who swears it is genuine. It is the one detail the fakes never get wrong.

Watercolour of a stainless steel Rolex Submariner Date with a black dial, a black aluminium bezel insert and an Oyster bracelet

Guide · 12 minute read

Rolex serial numbers: where to find them and how to date a Rolex

Rolex engraves a serial number on every watch and, by the dealers' own account, has never published what the numbers mean. The charts that fill the gap mostly copy one another, and the few that do not still disagree by up to three years on some letters, which is close enough to date a watch and nowhere near close enough to settle an argument.