How to Read a Rolex Reference Number

Every Rolex has a short code that tells you exactly what it is: the model, the generation, the metal and often the bezel colour. Learn to read it and a listing like “126610LV” stops being jargon and becomes a full description of the watch.

This guide walks through how the code is built, with real examples, so you can check that the watch in front of you matches the one you were promised.

Reference number vs. serial number

A Rolex carries two different numbers, and they do different jobs.

	Reference number	Serial number
What it identifies	The model. Every watch of that model shares it	That one individual watch
Example	126610LV	A unique code of letters and digits
Where to find it	Engraved between the lugs at 12 o’clock, and printed on the warranty card	Engraved on the inner ring of the dial (the rehaut) at 6 o’clock on modern pieces, and on the warranty card
Should a seller share it?	Yes, it belongs in every listing	Usually only with a serious buyer, as part of verification

The reference tells you what the watch is. The serial helps prove which watch it is. This article is about the reference.

Pictured above: a Submariner Date ref. 116610LV, the "Hulk". The serial on the inner dial ring has been blurred, which is standard practice when a watch is photographed for sale.

Reading a modern reference, piece by piece

Most current Rolex references have six digits, sometimes followed by letters. Read from left to right, they go from the general (which generation, which model) to the specific (which metal, which bezel).

126610LV: a current steel Submariner Date with a green bezel

12 Generation Current generation
11 = previous

661 Model family Submariner Date
(GMT-Master II is 671)

0 Material Oystersteel
8 = yellow gold

LV Bezel Green, from
Lunette Verte

The highlighted digit, the material, is the one to learn first. The next two sections cover it and the letters in full.

The last digit: what it’s made of

On a modern six-digit reference, the final number tells you the case metal. It is the quickest way to tell a steel watch from a gold or platinum one.

Last digit	Material	Example
0	Oystersteel (stainless steel)	126610LN, Submariner Date
1	Everose Rolesor (steel and 18k Everose gold)	126711CHNR, GMT-Master II “Root Beer”
2	Rolesium (steel and platinum)	126622, Yacht-Master 40
3	Yellow Rolesor (steel and 18k yellow gold)	126613LB, Submariner Date
4	White Rolesor (steel and 18k white gold)	126334, Datejust 41
5	18k Everose gold	126515LN, Daytona
6	Platinum	126506, Daytona
8	18k yellow gold	126618LN, Submariner Date
9	18k white gold	126619LB, Submariner Date

“Rolesor” is Rolex’s name for steel and gold on the same watch, often called “two-tone”. On White Rolesor, the gold is usually only the bezel, so the watch can look all-steel at first glance. On vintage five-digit references, a few of these digits had slightly different meanings, so treat this table as a guide to modern pieces.

The letters: bezel colour and gem-setting

Letters after the digits mostly describe the bezel. They come from French abbreviations, which is why they don’t always match the English colour name.

Suffix	Stands for	What you’ll see	Example
LN	Lunette Noire	Black bezel	126610LN, Submariner Date
LV	Lunette Verte	Green bezel	126610LV, Submariner Date
LB	Lunette Bleue	Blue bezel	126619LB, Submariner Date
BLRO	Bleu / Rouge	Blue and red bezel (“Pepsi”)	126710BLRO, GMT-Master II
BLNR	Bleu / Noir	Blue and black bezel (“Batman”)	126710BLNR, GMT-Master II
CHNR	Chocolat / Noir	Brown and black bezel (“Root Beer”)	126711CHNR, GMT-Master II
VTNR	Vert / Noir	Green and black bezel (“Sprite”)	126720VTNR, GMT-Master II
GRNR	Gris / Noir	Grey and black bezel	126713GRNR, GMT-Master II
RBR	Factory gem-setting	Diamonds set by Rolex, typically on the bezel	128348RBR, Day-Date 36

You may also see a short code after a dash, such as 116610LV-0002. That is Rolex’s catalogue number for one exact version of the model, down to the dial and bracelet. Two watches with the same reference can have different dials, and this code tells them apart.

How references change between generations

When Rolex updates a model, it usually keeps the core of the reference and changes the digits in front. That makes it easy to spot which generation a watch belongs to, even when two look almost identical in photos.

Four generations of the Submariner Date, one reference each

1. 1680 Late 1960s on
   Acrylic crystal
2. 16610 c. 1988 to 2010
   Aluminium bezel
3. 116610 2010 to 2020
   Ceramic bezel
4. 126610 2020 to today
   Larger 41mm case

The same pattern runs across the catalogue: the GMT-Master II went from 116710 to 126710 in 2018, and the Daytona from 116500 to 126500 in 2023. Older watches with four or five digits follow their own conventions, so for vintage pieces it is worth asking a specialist.

Five references, decoded

Put the pieces together and each reference reads like a sentence.

Reference	Breakdown	In plain English
126610LN	12 · 661 · 0 · LN	Current generation, Submariner Date, steel, black bezel
116610LV	11 · 661 · 0 · LV	Previous generation, Submariner Date, steel, green bezel: the “Hulk”
126710BLRO	12 · 671 · 0 · BLRO	Current generation, GMT-Master II, steel, blue and red bezel: the “Pepsi”
126334	12 · 633 · 4	Current generation, Datejust 41, White Rolesor with a fluted white gold bezel
126506	12 · 650 · 6	Current generation, Daytona, platinum

One caution: model families don’t all split their digits the same way, so read the reference as a whole rather than forcing every number into a box. The material digit and the letters are the reliable parts. On dress models such as the Datejust, the second-to-last digit often signals the bezel style: 126300 has a smooth steel bezel, while 126334 has a fluted one.

Using the reference when you buy

The reference number is your first check that a listing is what it claims to be. Before you commit to any pre-owned Rolex:

1. Match the reference on the listing to the warranty card. The model, metal and bezel should all agree.
2. Match it to the watch itself. Ask to see the engraving between the lugs at 12 o’clock.
3. Check the details against the code. A reference ending in 0 should be a steel watch; one ending in 8 should be solid yellow gold. If the bezel colour doesn’t fit the suffix, ask why.
4. Compare prices like for like. A 116610LV and a 126610LV look alike in photos but are different generations, and they are priced differently.
5. Ask about box and papers. A matching warranty card is one of the strongest supporting signals of a watch’s history.

A reference that matches is a good start, not the whole story. Movement, dial and case condition still need an expert eye, which is why every watch we sell goes through our verification process.