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__NOTOC__
__NOTOC__
<div style="display:none;">{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="display:none;">BezelBase</span>}}</div>
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=BezelBase — The Encyclopedic Reference for Watch Collectors
|title=BezelBase — Watch Reference Encyclopedia
|description=A community-built encyclopedic reference for Rolex watches — historical and modern. Production history, specifications, variants, and collector context. Starting with the Submariner.
|description=Encyclopedic reference for Rolex watches. Vintage and discontinued Rolex references documented — specs, dial variants, serial ranges, production history.
|keywords=watch reference, Rolex, Rolex Submariner, collector guide, vintage Rolex, watch specifications, production history, dial variants
|keywords=watch reference, Rolex, Rolex Submariner, Rolex Daytona, Rolex Explorer, Rolex GMT-Master, Rolex Bubbleback, Rolex Prince, Brancard, Oyster, Ovettone, vintage Rolex, collector guide, watch history, production history, dial variants
|image=Bezelbase_main_poster.webp
|image_alt=BezelBase — vintage Rolex reference encyclopedia
|image_width=1280
|image_height=1280
|og_type=website
}}
}}


<div style="max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0 1em;">
<div style="max-width: 720px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0 1em;">


== What this is ==
<div style="margin: 0.5em 0 1.5em 0; font-size: 110%;">
Rolex changed what a wristwatch could do. The Oyster case (1926) made watches waterproof, the Perpetual rotor (1931) made them self-winding, the Prince (1928) built them to chronometer grade. Watchmakers and collectors have spent the decades since cataloguing what changed across each reference. BezelBase tries to store this information in a single place.


BezelBase is an enthusiast-driven project to collect, organize, and publish everything worth knowing about Rolex watches — historical and modern. Production histories, specification changes, dial variants, bracelet fitments, movement upgrades, special branches, and the collector context around all of it. Built by people who care about getting the details right.
Each article documents one Rolex reference: production years, movement, dial variants, case and bracelet details, auction record, and the things to check when authenticating one. Coverage spans the main Rolex lines so the history reads as one connected archive.


The goal is an encyclopedic reference for every Rolex family, assembled from primary Rolex material, serious collector literature, specialist dealers, and auction records. Where evidence conflicts, both sides are presented with attribution. Where gaps exist, they are named honestly. Nothing is invented.
Inside one reference, the watch can change a lot. A 5512 from 1962 is not the 5512 from 1978. A pointed-crown-guard 1675 is not the late matte 1675. Generation matters first. [[BezelBase:About|About →]]
</div>
 
<div style="text-align:center; margin:1.5em auto 2em auto;">
[[File:Bezelbase_main_poster.webp|frameless|320x320px|link=]]
</div>


We are starting with the Submariner — '''39 complete reference articles''' covering every reference from the first 6204 in 1953 through the current 126-series production. More families will follow.
== Submariner ==


== Submariner references ==
{| style="width:100%; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:0.5em; table-layout:fixed; line-height:1.35;"
|-
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px; width:150px;" | Era
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px;" | References
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Pre-five-digit<br/><small>1953–90</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:6204|6204]] · [[Reference:6205|6205]] · [[Reference:6200|6200]] · [[Reference:6536|6536]] · [[Reference:6536-1|6536/1]] · [[Reference:6538|6538]] · [[Reference:5508|5508]] · [[Reference:5510|5510]] · [[Reference:5512|5512]] · [[Reference:5513|5513]] · [[Reference:5514|5514]] · [[Reference:5517|5517]] · [[Reference:1680|1680]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Five-digit<br/><small>1979–2010</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:14060|14060]] · [[Reference:14060M|14060M]] · [[Reference:16800|16800]] · [[Reference:16610|16610]] · [[Reference:16610LV|16610LV]] · [[Reference:16803|16803]] · [[Reference:16808|16808]] · [[Reference:16613|16613]] · [[Reference:16618|16618]]
|}


<div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 1.5em; margin: 1em 0;">
'''[[Reference:submariner|→ Full Submariner index]]'''


<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 250px; background: #f8f8f8; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 4px; padding: 1em;">
== Daytona ==
=== Vintage (1953–1979) ===
The gilt and matte eras. No crown guards to crown guards. Radium to tritium. This is where the Submariner was invented and reinvented, sometimes year to year.


'''No-date references:'''<br/>
{| style="width:100%; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:0.5em; table-layout:fixed; line-height:1.35;"
[[Reference:6204|6204]] · [[Reference:6205|6205]] · [[Reference:6200|6200]] · [[Reference:6536|6536]] · [[Reference:6536-1|6536/1]] · [[Reference:6538|6538]] · [[Reference:5508|5508]] · [[Reference:5510|5510]] · [[Reference:5512|5512]] · [[Reference:5513|5513]] · [[Reference:5514|5514]] · [[Reference:5517|5517]]
|-
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px; width:150px;" | Era
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px;" | References
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Manual-wind chronograph<br/><small>1962–1988</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:6238|6238]] · [[Reference:6239|6239]] · [[Reference:6240|6240]] · [[Reference:6241|6241]] · [[Reference:6262|6262]] · [[Reference:6263|6263]] · [[Reference:6264|6264]] · [[Reference:6265|6265]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Zenith automatic<br/><small>1988–2000</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:16520|16520]] · [[Reference:16518|16518]] · [[Reference:16519|16519]] · [[Reference:16523|16523]] · [[Reference:16528|16528]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | In-house cal 4130<br/><small>2000–2016</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:116520|116520]] · [[Reference:116523|116523]] · [[Reference:116528|116528]]
|}


'''Date references:'''<br/>
'''[[Reference:daytona|→ Full Daytona index]]'''
[[Reference:1680|1680]]


'''Overviews:'''<br/>
== Explorer ==
[[Reference:submariner-early-family|Early family (pre-crown-guards)]] · [[Reference:submariner-5xxx-family|5xxx family]]
</div>


<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 250px; background: #f8f8f8; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 4px; padding: 1em;">
{| style="width:100%; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:0.5em; table-layout:fixed; line-height:1.35;"
=== Transitional (1979–2010) ===
|-
Sapphire crystals, caliber 3035, then 3135. The five-digit era spans the shift from tool watch to luxury collectible — and the references reflect it, in steel, gold, and two-tone.
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px; width:150px;" | Era
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px;" | References
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Vintage<br/><small>1952–89</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:6150|6150]] · [[Reference:6350|6350]] · [[Reference:6610|6610]] · [[Reference:1016|1016]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Modern<br/><small>1989–2021</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:14270|14270]] · [[Reference:114270|114270]] · [[Reference:214270|214270]]
|}


'''No-date references:'''<br/>
'''[[Reference:explorer|→ Full Explorer index]]'''
[[Reference:14060|14060]] · [[Reference:14060M|14060M]]


'''Date references (steel):'''<br/>
== Explorer II ==
[[Reference:16800|16800]] · [[Reference:16610|16610]] · [[Reference:16610LV|16610LV]]


'''Date references (precious metal):'''<br/>
{| style="width:100%; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:0.5em; table-layout:fixed; line-height:1.35;"
[[Reference:16803|16803]] · [[Reference:16808|16808]] · [[Reference:16613|16613]] · [[Reference:16618|16618]]
|-
</div>
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px; width:150px;" | Era
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px;" | References
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Vintage Freccione<br/><small>1971–1984</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:1655|1655]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Transitional<br/><small>1985–1989</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:16550|16550]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Modern 40mm<br/><small>1989–2010</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:16570|16570]]
|}


<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 250px; background: #f8f8f8; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 4px; padding: 1em;">
'''[[Reference:explorer-ii|→ Full Explorer II index]]'''
=== Modern (2010–present) ===
Cerachrom bezels, Glidelock bracelets, the 41mm case. The six-digit era is the Submariner refined to its most polished form — and the beginning of its life as a collector's reference in its own right.


'''No-date references:'''<br/>
== GMT-Master ==
[[Reference:114060|114060]] · [[Reference:124060|124060]]


'''Date references (steel):'''<br/>
{| style="width:100%; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:0.5em; table-layout:fixed; line-height:1.35;"
[[Reference:116610LN|116610LN]] · [[Reference:116610LV|116610LV]] · [[Reference:126610LN|126610LN]] · [[Reference:126610LV|126610LV]]
|-
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px; width:150px;" | Era
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px;" | References
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Vintage<br/><small>1955–99</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:6542|6542]] · [[Reference:1675|1675]] · [[Reference:16750|16750]] · [[Reference:16753|16753]] · [[Reference:16758|16758]] · [[Reference:16700|16700]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | GMT-Master II<br/><small>1983–2007</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:16760|16760]] · [[Reference:16710|16710]] · [[Reference:16713|16713]] · [[Reference:16718|16718]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Ceramic 5-digit<br/><small>2005–19</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:116718LN|116718LN]] · [[Reference:116713LN|116713LN]] · [[Reference:116710LN|116710LN]] · [[Reference:116710BLNR|116710BLNR]] · [[Reference:116719BLRO|116719BLRO]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Ceramic 6-digit<br/><small>2018–present</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] · [[Reference:126711CHNR|126711CHNR]] · [[Reference:126715CHNR|126715CHNR]] · [[Reference:126710BLNR|126710BLNR]] · [[Reference:126720VTNR|126720VTNR]] · [[Reference:126713GRNR|126713GRNR]] · [[Reference:126718GRNR|126718GRNR]] · [[Reference:126710GRNR|126710GRNR]]
|}


'''Date references (precious metal):'''<br/>
'''[[Reference:gmt-master|→ Full GMT-Master index]]'''
[[Reference:116613|116613]] · [[Reference:116618|116618]] · [[Reference:116619LB|116619LB]] · [[Reference:126613LB|126613LB]] · [[Reference:126613LN|126613LN]] · [[Reference:126618LB|126618LB]] · [[Reference:126618LN|126618LN]] · [[Reference:126619LB|126619LB]]
</div>


</div>
== Oyster & Bubbleback ==


== What makes this different ==
{| style="width:100%; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:0.5em; table-layout:fixed; line-height:1.35;"
|-
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px; width:150px;" | Era
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px;" | References
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Pre-Oyster & Oyster<br/><small>1922–37</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:3666|3666]] · [[Reference:2136|2136]] · [[Reference:3003|3003]] · [[Reference:3004|3004]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Bubbleback era<br/><small>1933–45</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:1858|1858]] · [[Reference:3131|3131]] · [[Reference:3372|3372]] · [[Reference:3525|3525]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Datejust / Padellone / Super Oyster<br/><small>1945–53</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:4467|4467]] · [[Reference:5030|5030]] · [[Reference:5031|5031]] · [[Reference:6031|6031]] · [[Reference:6075|6075]] · [[Reference:6105|6105]] · [[Reference:8171|8171]] · [[Reference:6098|6098]]
|}


<div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 1.5em; margin: 1em 0;">
'''[[Reference:bubbleback|→ Full Bubbleback index]]'''


<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 200px;">
== Air-King ==
==== Sourced, not speculated ====
Every claim traces back to a named source — Rolex primary material, the Vintage Rolex Field Manual, auction catalogues from Phillips, Sotheby's, and Christie's, specialist dealer archives, and vetted collector research. Where sources disagree, both positions are presented.
</div>


<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 200px;">
{| style="width:100%; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:0.5em; table-layout:fixed; line-height:1.35;"
==== Structured for reference ====
|-
Each article follows the same architecture: core specifications, production timeline, movement notes, dial map, case and bezel details, bracelet fitment, special branches, and market context. Find what you need without reading the whole page.
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px; width:150px;" | Era
</div>
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px;" | References
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Battle of Britain origin<br/><small>1945–53</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:4925|4925]] · [[Reference:4365|4365]] · [[Reference:4499|4499]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | First automatic<br/><small>1953–57</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:6552|6552]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Long-run mainstay<br/><small>1957–89</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:5500|5500]] · [[Reference:5501|5501]] · [[Reference:5502|5502]] · [[Reference:5504|5504]] · [[Reference:5506|5506]] · [[Reference:5520|5520]] · [[Reference:5700|5700]] · [[Reference:5701|5701]]
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Sapphire era<br/><small>1989–2014</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:14000|14000]] · [[Reference:14000M|14000M]] · [[Reference:114200|114200]]
|}


<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 200px;">
'''[[Reference:air-king|→ Full Air-King index]]'''
==== Honest about gaps ====
Rolex's history has real gaps — undocumented production changes, disputed dates, conflicting dealer accounts. BezelBase names those gaps instead of papering over them. If something is conjecture, it says so.
</div>


</div>
== Prince ==


== Contribute ==
{| style="width:100%; font-size:85%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:0.5em; table-layout:fixed; line-height:1.35;"
|-
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px; width:150px;" | Era
! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc; padding:2px 3px;" | References
|-
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top; font-weight:bold;" | Brancard era<br/><small>1928–mid-1940s</small>
| style="padding:3px 4px; vertical-align:top;" | [[Reference:1343|1343]] · [[Reference:971|971]] · [[Reference:1490|1490]] · [[Reference:1491|1491]] · [[Reference:1527|1527]] · [[Reference:1862|1862]] · [[Reference:3361|3361]] · [[Reference:3937|3937]]
|}


BezelBase is open for contribution. Every edit is reviewed and attributed.
'''[[Reference:prince|→ Full Prince index]]'''


* '''Improve an article''' — find a reference page that needs work and click ''Edit source''
== Reference guides ==
* '''Add sources''' — bring auction results, dealer documentation, or published research that strengthens existing claims
* '''Upload photos''' — contribute images of watches you own (see our [[BezelBase:Image policy|image policy]])
* '''Flag errors''' — if something is wrong, mark it for review; accuracy matters more than completeness


All contributions follow Wikipedia-style sourcing: claims should be backed by reliable, named sources. Forum consensus alone is not enough — but well-documented forum research with specific evidence is welcome.
Three pages cover material that applies across every Rolex line documented here. '''[[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]]''' catalogs bracelet refs, end links, clasps, and link types alongside the clasp date-code key. '''[[Reference:Movements|Movements]]''' lists every caliber spanning the manual-wind chronograph, Zenith-driven, and in-house generations. '''[[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]]''' decodes the three Rolex serial systems — numeric pre-1987, letter 1987–2010, and random alphanumeric 2010+.


</div>
</div>


[[Category:BezelBase]]
[[Category:BezelBase]]

Latest revision as of 04:54, 2 May 2026

Rolex changed what a wristwatch could do. The Oyster case (1926) made watches waterproof, the Perpetual rotor (1931) made them self-winding, the Prince (1928) built them to chronometer grade. Watchmakers and collectors have spent the decades since cataloguing what changed across each reference. BezelBase tries to store this information in a single place.

Each article documents one Rolex reference: production years, movement, dial variants, case and bracelet details, auction record, and the things to check when authenticating one. Coverage spans the main Rolex lines so the history reads as one connected archive.

Inside one reference, the watch can change a lot. A 5512 from 1962 is not the 5512 from 1978. A pointed-crown-guard 1675 is not the late matte 1675. Generation matters first. About →

Submariner

Era References
Pre-five-digit
1953–90 		6204 · 6205 · 6200 · 6536 · 6536/1 · 6538 · 5508 · 5510 · 5512 · 5513 · 5514 · 5517 · 1680
Five-digit
1979–2010 		14060 · 14060M · 16800 · 16610 · 16610LV · 16803 · 16808 · 16613 · 16618

→ Full Submariner index

Daytona

Era References
Manual-wind chronograph
1962–1988 		6238 · 6239 · 6240 · 6241 · 6262 · 6263 · 6264 · 6265
Zenith automatic
1988–2000 		16520 · 16518 · 16519 · 16523 · 16528
In-house cal 4130
2000–2016 		116520 · 116523 · 116528

→ Full Daytona index

Explorer

Era References
Vintage
1952–89 		6150 · 6350 · 6610 · 1016
Modern
1989–2021 		14270 · 114270 · 214270

→ Full Explorer index

Explorer II

Era References
Vintage Freccione
1971–1984 		1655
Transitional
1985–1989 		16550
Modern 40mm
1989–2010 		16570

→ Full Explorer II index

GMT-Master

Era References
Vintage
1955–99 		6542 · 1675 · 16750 · 16753 · 16758 · 16700
GMT-Master II
1983–2007 		16760 · 16710 · 16713 · 16718
Ceramic 5-digit
2005–19 		116718LN · 116713LN · 116710LN · 116710BLNR · 116719BLRO
Ceramic 6-digit
2018–present 		126710BLRO · 126711CHNR · 126715CHNR · 126710BLNR · 126720VTNR · 126713GRNR · 126718GRNR · 126710GRNR

→ Full GMT-Master index

Oyster & Bubbleback

Era References
Pre-Oyster & Oyster
1922–37 		3666 · 2136 · 3003 · 3004
Bubbleback era
1933–45 		1858 · 3131 · 3372 · 3525
Datejust / Padellone / Super Oyster
1945–53 		4467 · 5030 · 5031 · 6031 · 6075 · 6105 · 8171 · 6098

→ Full Bubbleback index

Air-King

Era References
Battle of Britain origin
1945–53 		4925 · 4365 · 4499
First automatic
1953–57 		6552
Long-run mainstay
1957–89 		5500 · 5501 · 5502 · 5504 · 5506 · 5520 · 5700 · 5701
Sapphire era
1989–2014 		14000 · 14000M · 114200

→ Full Air-King index

Prince

Era References
Brancard era
1928–mid-1940s 		1343 · 971 · 1490 · 1491 · 1527 · 1862 · 3361 · 3937

→ Full Prince index

Reference guides

Three pages cover material that applies across every Rolex line documented here. Bracelets catalogs bracelet refs, end links, clasps, and link types alongside the clasp date-code key. Movements lists every caliber spanning the manual-wind chronograph, Zenith-driven, and in-house generations. Serial numbers decodes the three Rolex serial systems — numeric pre-1987, letter 1987–2010, and random alphanumeric 2010+.

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