It's a nightmare and I often don't have a clue which watch people are talking about, even after all these years.
PP is the worst as to me they seem completely random!
At least Rolex seem to have a sort of system... ish!
Throughout various threads i have noticed numbers.....
For example 17000, 2014, 2541 etc
is there a system? do they tell us the age of the watch? or are they just a " model number"
It's a nightmare and I often don't have a clue which watch people are talking about, even after all these years.
PP is the worst as to me they seem completely random!
At least Rolex seem to have a sort of system... ish!
It's the 2254.322.118s that get me.
Also when someone says five digit Rolex rather than six digit etc. Whoosh
It's Panerai that gets me. Seems simple, three digits, but there's absolutely no pattern to what's what.
Seiko, on the other hand, a mad mix of letters and numbers but when you get a grip of them it's relatively easy to follow the family tree.
Omega are the worst. I mean, how many decimal points can you have in a single number??
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
There are usually three numbers:
The calibre number often near the balance wheel which is the movement designation used for ordering movement parts.
The case number. On the case ! For ordering case parts.
The serial number often poorly embossed can be stamped anywhere on the movement which tells the year of manufacture and sometimes the amount made. Last three digits of the serial can be found on the plates and bridges of hand made watch movements.
Brendan(webwatchmaker)
Just the model number, though from that you may be able to glean the production dates. Though in some cases it can span 20 years...
Omega's long numbers will always be a mystery to me, I fear.
I have a 145.022- Speedie from the early 70s but the serials for later versions of the same watch are completely different, starting 3570 and the like.
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I've heard worse ideas than a table of commonly used references, though you can always just google them. The most commonly mentioned are Rolex obviously, e.g. vintage subs, explorers, Explorer IIs, datejusts such as 5513, 1016, 16570, 1600, 16000, 16200, 17000 (Oysterquartz), as well as current models. Also Royal Oaks such as 15300, 15400, 15202, 14790ST are often familiar enough to only need numbers. Grand Seikos which tend to be along the lines of SBGX061, SBGR... etc., and other Seiko refs which mean little to me. And some Omegas get the number only treatment too, especially forum favourite 2254 (Seamaster Professional).
Agree Panerai has me completely confused!
I wished people would pop in a photo or a quick descriptor when staring a thread about "my new 684629". I understand that folks who are really into the knowledge side of their watch hobby instantly recognise the numbers, but I suspect a large majority here have to google (or move on to the next thread, like me!).
Anyway, the manufacturers should just officially call their watches by a name;
The Rolex Pierre
The Breitling Tom
The Panerai Luigi
The A Lang & Sohne Wolfgang
The Bremont Julian
The Omega Butch
Last edited by ach5; 3rd August 2017 at 14:54.
I view people who describe their watches by numeric codes the same way I do people who refer to BMWs by their E or F code or Porsche Boxsters by 9** numbers.
I know for the cognoscenti it's important, but even I can understand a what "Red Sub" is, whereas numbers are really only of interest to those already obsessed (IMVHO).
M.
I'm having the same trouble organising the sale of my Railmaster. It turns out that there are different decimal points based on what the watch was sold with in terms of leather/bracelet. Mine was on leather, meaning a particular decimal point number, but then I added the bracelet separately which would technically be a different reference number. Not to mention of course the fact that the watch was available in different sizes as well meaning different model numbers. Nightmare.
Nice wstch
This thread gives me hope! I've been a WIS for 12 years and I still can't fathom out either Rolex or Omega numbers. I thought it was just me...
Simon
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There is some sense in the Seiko serial numbers.
Not in the model numbers, but different versions on the same model usually have correlative ending numbers.