AP serial reference

[jfestrelabr]

Nice info

[metronidazole]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

No need for concern

My 44 Titanium which I just got on Monday is the same there is no NoXXXX at the top. My RG 44 has one though. They were purchased 2 1/2 months apart from the same AD and are both 2017 Novelties. Weirdly enough the serial on the bottom went from J 35,000-ish to J 70,000-ish in less than 3 months. So something has changed very recently with the numbering. Authenticity isn't in question and they are both registered with AP on their site.

The warranty book used to say Case number: JXXXXX - xxxx ( the first bit was the lettered serial number on the case and the second bit corresponded to the No.XXX on the case)
The warranty book now says Case number: JXXXXX with no second bit


Pic for reference....I blurred out the numbers following the "J" but have not edited anything else to give you an idea.

Thanks very much for the reply! I have contacted AP since and they confirmed that they no longer put the top number anymore in their 2017 new stocks. :)


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[metronidazole]

Originally Posted by 2nastie

You have a picture? Give it's from the boutique, authenticity should be there but I've never one without a serial number on the case. Should go: case # top line and then series letter and serial number second line.

Usually on the 15400:
No. XXXXX
J XXXXXX

Thanks for the reply! Yes i was a bit confused as I thought there would be no way that it wouldn't be authentic, as it was straight from a Boutique! I have contacted AP and also the boutique and they confirmed they no longer put the serial number in the new 2017 stocks!


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[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by metronidazole

Thanks for the reply! Yes i was a bit confused as I thought there would be no way that it wouldn't be authentic, as it was straight from a Boutique! I have contacted AP and also the boutique and they confirmed they no longer put the serial number in the new 2017 stocks!


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i confirmed as well with AP

Some earlier 2017 models still have the number on the case and later 2017 ones don't as i have one with each format from this year. Needless to say it will create some questions/confusion on here for a bit.

[Tomas Eriksson]

Are they also going random?

[singe89]

Originally Posted by metronidazole

I have contacted AP and also the boutique and they confirmed they no longer put the serial number in the new 2017 stocks!


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So where's the serial number then? I can't see AP no longer using serial numbers. That would create major issues with warranty, authenticity, tracking, etc.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by singe89

So where's the serial number then? I can't see AP no longer using serial numbers. That would create major issues with warranty, authenticity, tracking, etc.

they still have a letter followed by a serial number just not the second number at the top. Post #30 has a pic

You never needed the second number anyway to register your watch with AP. The lettered serial is the number that identifies your exact watch.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Tomas Eriksson

Are they also going random?

i don't know what is up with the numbering... but 2 J serials that are new 2017 releases purchased less than 3 months apart have serial numbers ranging from J 35000 to J 70000. So they can't be sequentially numbered anymore unless they made 35,000+ watches in the last 3 months.

[2nastie]

Interesting. That's good to know and a different route AP is going.

I would have thought that the case No. would be relocated as the movement number although discrete is still located underneath the balance bridge.

[singe89]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

they still have a letter followed by a serial number just not the second number at the top. Post #30 has a pic

You never needed the second number anyway to register your watch with AP. The lettered serial is the number that identifies your exact watch.

Thanks. So the letter/serial number is still there. Wondered what the model/top number was for. Current production number in the series?

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by singe89

Thanks. So the letter/serial number is still there. Wondered what the model/top number was for. Current production number in the series?

i think i was the number of that reference number (or case style) made overall. For example, using approximate numbers and not my actual serial number, my 15710 from early 2016 was:
No. 1700
J00500

I understood that to be the 500th watch overall produced within the J series and the 1700th 15710 case made since introduction of the 15710 case style, which replaced the 15703 case in 2015 so it makes sense.

That top number (No. XXX) on all my watches based on when it was introduced is a totally plausible explanation.

My RG44 is No.5,000 and J 35000. That makes sense that it is roughly the 5000th 26401RO case made since introduction which was 2012 i think.and the 35,000th watch overall of the J series. My logic would mean that AP makes about 800-ish 26401 cases per year if you run the math backwards as that may include all 26401 cases ( as that case number is shared by the platinum too) or just the RG 26401 cases. That seems about right to me.

I could be wrong but that explanation makes sense based on what i know of production/ estimates of how many of certain watches AP makes on the three AP's I have with a top number engraved on the case as that same logic also can reasonably be applied to my 15400 too.

[metronidazole]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

i don't know what is up with the numbering... but 2 J serials that are new 2017 releases purchased less than 3 months apart have serial numbers ranging from J 35000 to J 70000. So they can't be sequentially numbered anymore unless they made 35,000+ watches in the last 3 months.

Mine was purchased 1 month ago and apparently just came in the new shipment and it is J69***


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[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by metronidazole

Mine was purchased 1 month ago and apparently just came in the new shipment and it is J69***


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sounds about right. the ones without the No.XXX are going to be the high number and the ones from a few months earlier with the No. XXX at the top will be in the 35,000 range. I think they just skipped a ton of numbers when changing format for whatever reason.

[Submarino]

Originally Posted by Tomas Eriksson

Are they also going random?

No, they're just removing the Royal Oak or Royal Oak Offshore consecutive number for each particular reference. The 'No.' one

Originally Posted by singe89

So where's the serial number then? I can't see AP no longer using serial numbers. That would create major issues with warranty, authenticity, tracking, etc.

The serial number is the number with the letter prefix. The No. is the consecutive for the particular reference.

Originally Posted by tyler1980

they still have a letter followed by a serial number just not the second number at the top. Post #30 has a pic

You never needed the second number anyway to register your watch with AP. The lettered serial is the number that identifies your exact watch.

Both numbers are completely linked and specific to each watch, however, it caused confusion amongst owners so for simplicity purposes only one is being used now. In my opinion it was better to have both numbers as far as authentication.

Originally Posted by tyler1980

i don't know what is up with the numbering... but 2 J serials that are new 2017 releases purchased less than 3 months apart have serial numbers ranging from J 35000 to J 70000. So they can't be sequentially numbered anymore unless they made 35,000+ watches in the last 3 months.

They are chronological and sequential pertaining all AP production regardless of the reference. Thus you can have a Royal Oak and a Millenary just a few numbers apart when it comes to the numbers after the letter.

Originally Posted by 2nastie

Interesting. That's good to know and a different route AP is going.

I would have thought that the case No. would be relocated as the movement number although discrete is still located underneath the balance bridge.

The 'No.' number is still kept within the AP Archives.

Originally Posted by singe89

Thanks. So the letter/serial number is still there. Wondered what the model/top number was for. Current production number in the series?

The consecutive and sequential for the particular reference.

Originally Posted by tyler1980

i think i was the number of that reference number (or case style) made overall. For example, using approximate numbers and not my actual serial number, my 15710 from early 2016 was:
No. 1700
J00500

I understood that to be the 500th watch overall produced within the J series and the 1700th 15710 case made since introduction of the 15710 case style, which replaced the 15703 case in 2015 so it makes sense.

That top number (No. XXX) on all my watches based on when it was introduced is a totally plausible explanation.

My RG44 is No.5,000 and J 35000. That makes sense that it is roughly the 5000th 26401RO case made since introduction which was 2012 i think.and the 35,000th watch overall of the J series. My logic would mean that AP makes about 800-ish 26401 cases per year if you run the math backwards as that may include all 26401 cases ( as that case number is shared by the platinum too) or just the RG 26401 cases. That seems about right to me.

I could be wrong but that explanation makes sense based on what i know of production/ estimates of how many of certain watches AP makes on the three AP's I have with a top number engraved on the case as that same logic also can reasonably be applied to my 15400 too.

You are mostly right, however, the consecutive 'No.' for the 26401 would also include all other 26400 as they share the exact same case construction regardless that the first is made of gold.

Originally Posted by tyler1980

sounds about right. the ones without the No.XXX are going to be the high number and the ones from a few months earlier with the No. XXX at the top will be in the 35,000 range. I think they just skipped a ton of numbers when changing format for whatever reason.

No numbers get skipped. The 'No.' is consecutive and sequential for the reference no matter what. That way AP knows exactly how many watches were produced of each reference.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Submarino

They are chronological and sequential pertaining all AP production regardless of the reference. Thus you can have a Royal Oak and a Millenary just a few numbers apart when it comes to the numbers after the letter.

this is where i disagree. How can they be sequential now? I know they used to be sequential regardless of product line, I'm talking about the change they made within the last month or two... If one purchased a novelty 2017 RG44 in april and a novelty 2017 Titanium 44 in June. Its impossible for the J serial to be sequential if one is J35,000 and the other is J70,000. They are both watches released this year so production on both is this year. If they are sequential AP made 35,000 watches in a couple of months.

How specifically can that be explained as maybe i am missing something?

My thought is they are still sequential but when they made the change for whatever reason they jumped ahead thousands of numbers. IE there may be no watches in the J 40000 to J 60000 range

[Submarino]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

this is where i disagree. How can they be sequential now? I know they used to be sequential regardless of product line, I'm talking about the change they mede within the last month or two... If one purchased a novelty 2017 RG44 in april and a novelty 2017 Titanium 44 in June. Its impossible for the J serial to be sequential if one is J35,000 and the other is J70,000. They are both watches released this year so production on both is this year. If they are sequential AP made 35,000 watches in a couple of months.

AP produces 40,000 watches a year. Remember each letter is switched after a 100,000 watches are produced which could take anywhere between two and a half and three years depending on actual production numbers. The time at which the watches are sold has nothing to do with the production chronological order as authorized dealer orders are fulfilled at different times and often one AD can get the latest produced watch and the other an older stock.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Submarino

AP produces 40,000 watches a year. Remember each letter is switched after a 100,000 watches are produced which could take anywhere between two and a half and three years depending on actual production numbers. The time at which the watches are sold has nothing to do with the production chronological order as authorized dealer orders are fulfilled at different times and often one AD can get the latest produced watch and the other an older stock.

thanks for the explanation. I always thought that was pretty much the way it worked, as you have explained in all of the posts above so that did help. thanks.

My two watches I got this year just confused me as i would have thought two watches announced as a new release at SIHH in January 2017 would have been made at around the same time, and fairly recently, since we are only a few months removed from them not existing at all (to us at least). Them being made more than 1 year apart from each other was hard to wrap my head around, so I all of a sudden questioned my understanding of the numbering system.

[yippie123]

Where exactly is the movement number and case number? I just bought 15202OR but did not receive the small hang tag and its warranty is now card type with information only Case number, and warranty card number unlike previous book type with all information printed inc, full model number, case number and movement number.

How does the hang tag are like now ?

[daveo5]

My 2 cents. The RO I own is a 14800 DST. The year it was purchased, in Paris, 1995; recorded in the registration, warranty book. The important thing to remember is that the years of production and date of sale can be several years apart.