Purchase date year before serial year

[Rolessor82]

Hi everyone,

I purchased a watch dated 1988 according to serial number of punched paper, but the date of purchase is from december of prior year (1987). Possible?

Thank you all for your help!

[Tools]

The serial number is not an absolute indication of manufacture date, it is an estimate.

It is even less accurate with two tone and precious metal watches because their allocated numbers may not be actually produced in the same years as the allocation.

[TimeToGo]

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Just curious, what guide are you using to determine the year of production..

[Rolessor82]

Originally Posted by TimeToGo

.
Just curious, what guide are you using to determine the year of production..

Honestly, Google. The site of BobsWatches wich btw os the same info as a Rolex book I have.

Thank you :)

[Rolessor82]

Originally Posted by Tools

The serial number is not an absolute indication of manufacture date, it is an estimate.

It is even less accurate with two tone and precious metal watches because their allocated numbers may not be actually produced in the same years as the allocation.

Thanks a lot Larry,

[subx]

Originally Posted by Tools

The serial number is not an absolute indication of manufacture date, it is an estimate.

It is even less accurate with two tone and precious metal watches because their allocated numbers may not be actually produced in the same years as the allocation.

absolutely full gold can be off 2 years either direction from the serial number guidelines

[Tools]

1987 was the first year for the letter-prefix serials, so many "1987" watches will be an R prefix serial, and then L prefixes were released, according to charts, in the next year, 1988.

However, there is always carry over, and so an L serial could easily have shown up someplace in '87 because they always produced more than one letter prefix concurrently.

In other words, they never drew a line in the sand and said R's are only '87, L's are only '88. All three iterations: late numbers, R serials, and early L's were all likely rolling off the assembly lines together at some point in time.

This is why paperwork and sales invoices are needed to better refine the date of a watch. And even that is going to be off because they had to warehouse and ship all of the watches before they ever got to the Dealer for sale.

[ancientmariner]

If the watch is on a bracelet you could also look up the date code on the clasp.

[watchmavan]

Originally Posted by ancientmariner

If the watch is on a bracelet you could also look up the date code on the clasp.

When they are different, would you back one over the other? Particularly with transitional references.


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[ancientmariner]

Originally Posted by watchmavan

When they are different, would you back one over the other? Particularly with transitional references.


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If watch has genuine papers, then sale date is 100% certain. As mentioned previously, watch serial number gives a guide to manufacture date over an up to 3 years range. Date on clasp is least reliable as clasp or bracelet could have been replaced, but it is nice to have them all agreeing.
Of course sale date can be a few years after manufacture date if watch was a slow seller. There is a good guide to serial numbers in the reference section on this forum.

[Rolessor82]

Thank you all. Very informative