As one of the representatives of luxury watches, Rolex is arguably the top of the range in terms of pussiveness, it is luxurious and practical both inside and out. Wearing a Rolex is not only dignified, it’s also classy and has substance.
Some would surely say that it’s all silver for nothing, but many people like Rolex not just because it’s expensive. Its status in the world of watches alone is unmatched by any other brand.
Where did Rolex’s status come from?
The first waterproof watch came from Rolex
In 1926, Rolex created the first watch that was water and dust resistant. To prove its technology, a young Englishwoman, Mercedes Gillies, successfully crossed the English Channel wearing a Rolex Oyster watch. After swimming for over ten hours to reach the finish line, her watch, called the “Oyster”, was still intact and functioning as usual.
The first logbook watch, also from Rolex
In 1945, Rolex introduced the Logbook, the world’s first self-winding watch with a calendar on its face. Initially designed for men, the Logbook evolved into a wide range of ladies’ models a decade later.
The first watch brand to be chronometer-certified
Rolex was also the first watch brand to be chronometer-certified, and is currently the brand with the highest number of such certifications.
The bezels represented by the different numbers
Rolex owes much of its popularity to its bezels, which can also be described as varied: ceramic, gradient, dogtooth, fluted …… Many of Rolex’s classic bezel designs have been lovingly referred to by watch enthusiasts, and I believe the words “rainbow ring The three words “rainbow ring” are not new to anyone. So what kind of “ring” do the numbers in the numbering represent?
The penultimate number in the numbering represents the type of bezel that Rolex has. The numbers range from 0 to 6, representing the different types of bezel, and unlike the models in the collection, the bezel is represented by a single number, as follows.
0: Polished bezel – without much decoration, generally just polished.
1: Rotating bezel with flat letters – generally refers to the ceramic bezel used on the GMT Master, with flat letters.
2: Convex rotating bezel – generally refers to the bezel used on the Explorer, with raised lettering.
3: Tooth bezel – a fluted bezel, which is often referred to as a dog tooth bezel.
4: Hand-engraved bezel – this is a hand-engraved bezel. (Rolex bezels are to a large extent handcrafted)
5: Tooth bezel – the bezel looks like a pyramid, which is very different from a dog tooth bezel.
6: Rotating bezel for diving – this type of bezel is reserved for Rolex diving watches.
The different numbers represent the materials
The penultimate number of the number represents the bezel and the last number represents the material of the Rolex watch. Rolex is said to have its own exclusive recipe for case materials, and the last number also represents the different materials. From 0 to 9, with the exception of 7, there are nine material combinations, and they are represented by a single number only.
0: Steel
1: Rose gold with steel
2: Platinum with steel
3: 18-carat yellow gold with steel
4: White gold with steel
5: Rose gold
6: Platinum
8: 18K yellow gold
9: 18-carat white gold
This concludes the numbering of Rolex watches, which can sometimes represent a Rolex watch with five or six digits. For example, if the model number is 16610, the first three digits of the number “166” represent the collection, the Submariner; the penultimate digit “1” represents the bezel, which is a rotating bezel; the last digit “0 The last “0” represents the material, which is a combination of rose gold and steel.
The meaning of the letters of the alphabet
The Rolex model numbers are much more than that. In the watch catalogue, in addition to the numbers introduced, we can sometimes find a few letters of the alphabet following these numbers. So what do these letters do? In fact, they are used to mark the decoration used on the watch.
A: 8 diamonds and 2 baguette diamonds on the face.
CR: Face set with 10 diamonds, with Roman lettering.
C11: face set with 11 diamonds.
DP: Pave set with diamonds (full star).
G: Faceted with 10 diamonds.
GV: Green glass.
J: Commemorative text set with 10 diamonds.
LB: Diamond-set ring and 10 diamonds on the face (also said to refer to the blue bezel).
LE: Diamond-set ring and emerald.
LN: Black bezel.
LR: Bezel set with a diamond ring and 10 rubies.
LV: Green bezel.
NA: Mother-of-pearl face with Arabic numerals.
NC8DI: Mother-of-pearl face set with 8 diamonds.
NC11DI: mother-of-pearl face set with 11 diamonds, with Roman numerals.
NG: Mother-of-pearl surface set with 10 diamonds.
NGR: mother-of-pearl surface set with 10 rubies.
NGS: mother-of-pearl surface set with 10 sapphires.
NR: mother-of-pearl surface set with a diamond ring with Roman lettering.
P: Full sky star face.
PB: Full star face set with 10 diamonds.
PLAT: platinum face.
WOOD: wood-grain face.
XL: face paved with extra large diamonds (large full star).
XS11: Large full star set with 11 sapphires.
XS8: Star with 8 sapphires.
ZR: face pavé set with diamonds and set with 11 rubies.
ZS: face pavé set with diamonds and set with 11 sapphires.
ZSA: face pavé set with 8 round diamonds, 2 baguette-shaped diamonds.
11DI: face set with 11 diamonds.
3DI: face set with 3 diamonds.
8DI: face set with 8 diamonds.
8D3R: Set with 8 diamonds, 1 triangular-shaped diamond and 2 baguette-shaped rubies.
8D3S: face set with 8 diamonds, 1 triangular-shaped diamond, 2 baguette-shaped sapphires.
So when you see a Rolex again, just look at the number and you will have a general idea.
