Rolex 116500 Bracelet Date Code

[PhilK]

For the last few months, I have been looking to buy a Daytona 116500 and have been busy crawling through the various pieces for sale online. Not many dealers show the inside of the clasps but I have recently seen two 2019 watches (one white dial and one black dial) at the same dealership showing the same date code of 738 (I have also seen a late 2018 model elsewhere with the same date code). From 2015, I thought these were supposed to be a three digit random code as opposed to the previous version where the letters and numbers represented year and month of production. If it is supposed to be random, I find it strange that there would be three Daytonas sporting the same three digits on their clasps (two of which are sitting at the same dealer).

Is anyone aware of the three digit code being something different than "random"? I have attached pictures of the two 2019 pieces.

[dcash0615]

I’m sure the code is not random and probably some sort of inventory identification code that only Rolex knows it’s significance.

[PhilK]

Originally Posted by dcash0615

I’m sure the code is not random and probably some sort of inventory identification code that only Rolex knows it’s significance.

This could be useful.....

[Tools]

Serial numbers are random, and unique, to each watch example.

Bracelets have never had serial numbers but have been either date-coded, or batch coded.

I don't see anything unusual with several bracelets having the same code, which would mean that they were made at the same time, or in the same batch, as they always have been. Every bracelet wouldn't likely get its own unique scrambled date code.

[PhilK]

Originally Posted by Tools

Serial numbers are random, and unique, to each watch example.

Bracelets have never had serial numbers but have been either date-coded, or batch coded.

I don't see anything unusual with several bracelets having the same code, which would mean that they were made at the same time, or in the same batch, as they always have been. Every bracelet wouldn't likely get its own unique scrambled date code.

I think you're right. With three digits each having a range of 1-9 and A to Z, there are 42,785 permutations so, if these were random codes, the odds of seeing two 2019 Daytonas for sale at the same shop with the same three letter codes would be pretty remote!

As such, there may be some useful data to collect here. The various reference websites I've seen around dating bracelets all stop at the point these three digit codes were introduced. Via the forum membership, if we could collect bracelet codes against bracelet types and watch registration dates (which gives insight into production dates) then it should be possible to produce a pretty accurate guide to dating the new style bracelet codes.