Rolex calibres

Rolex is a company known for their complete watches, but as a full manufacture they also produce many notable watch movements. They have historically focused on simple rather than complicated movements, but this is changing in the 2010's. This is a list of the main calibre families from Rolex.

18,000 A/h, identical to the Alpina 835 and Gruen 835 (Alpina Gruen Guild).

18,000 A/h, identical to the Gruen 877 (Alpina Gruen Guild).

The Rolex 620 had the first true automatic rotor winding mechanism in 1932. The name, “Perpetual” appeared soon after and remains in use ever since for automatic Rolex movements.

The Rolex 740 used in the Rolex Datejust had the first automatic date mechanism in a wristwatch on its introduction in 1945.

The Rolex 1030 was the company's first in-house complete calibre design. It was chronometer certified and was used in Rolex chronometers even after the introduction of the first-generation 15xx series.

18,000 A/h

The Rolex 1036 used in the Rolex GMT-Master was the first watch to show the time in two locations simultaneously on its introduction in 1954. Since then, Rolex has specialized in this complication.

• Rolex 1000 - Deep Sea Special
• Rolex 1030 - 1950- - Oyster Perpetual, Submariner, Explorer (6500, 6502, 6532, 6536, 6538, 6540, 6552, 6564, 6565, 6566, 6567, 6569, 6580, 6581, 6582, 6583, 6584, 6585, 6586, 6587, 6590, 6592, 6593, 6594, 6598, 6599, 6610, 6614, 6634)
  • Rolex 1035 - date - 1957- - Oyster Perpetual Date (6518, 6530, 6534)
  • Rolex 1036 - date, GMT - 1954-1959 - Oyster Perpetual Date, GMT (6534, 6535, 6537, 6542, 6646)
  • Rolex 1040 - dead beat - 1954- - Tru-Beat (1020, 6556, 6558)
  • Rolex 1055 - day/date - 1954- - Oyster Perpetual Date (6510, 6511, 6611, 6612, 6613)
  • Rolex 1065 - date - 1965- - Oyster Perpetual Date (6602, 6604, 6605, 6609)
  • Rolex 1080 - antimagnetic - 1955- - Milgauss (6541, 6543)
• Rolex 1060
• Rolex 1066

19,800 A/h

• Rolex 1120 - 1953- - Oyster Perpetual (6503, 6504, 6505, 6506, 6507, 6509, 6515, 6526, 6546)
  • Rolex 1130 - 1955- - Oyster Perpetual (6508, 6528, 6547, 6548, 6549, 6551, 6553, 6554, 6555, 6557, 6559, 6615, 6616, 6617, 6618, 6619, 6620, 6621, 6622, 6623, 6800, 6801, 6802)
  • Rolex 1135 - date - 1955- - Oyster Perpetual Date (6513, 6514, 6516, 6517, 6519, 6520, 6521, 6527, 6529, 6531, 6533, 6624, 6625, 6626, 6627, 6628, 6629, 6630, 6631, 6636, 6638, 6639, 6701, 6702)

19,800 A/h

• Rolex 1160 - 1964- - Oyster Perpetual (6547, 6555, 6557, 6559, 6571, 6616, 6622, 6800, 6801, 6803)
  • Rolex 1161 - 1964- - Oyster Perpetual (6544, 6545, 6548, 6549, 6551, 6553, 6554, 6571, 6615, 6617, 6618, 6619, 6620, 6621, 6623, 6802, 6803, 6804, 6806, 6807)
  • Rolex 1165 - date - 1965- - Oyster Perpetual Date (6513, 6514, 6638, 6700, 6703)
  • Rolex 1166 - date - 1967- - Oyster Perpetual Date (6516, 6517, 6519, 6520, 6521, 6524, 6527, 6529, 6531, 6533, 6624, 6625, 6627, 6629, 6660, 6631, 6632, 6633, 6635, 6639, 6701, 6702, 6703, 6704, 6705)

18,000 A/h, sweep seconds, automatic, Breguet hairspring, 12.5

• Rolex 1530 - 1957-1960 - Air-King, Submariner (5500, 5501, 5502, 5504, 5505, 5506, 5508, 5510, 5512, 5513, 5516, 5518, 5552, 5590)
  • Rolex 1535 - date - 1957-1960 - Air-King-Date, Explorer Date (5700, 5701)
  • Rolex 1555 - day/date - 1959- - Day-Date (1802, 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1812)

sweep seconds, automatic, free-spung Breguet hairspring with regulating screws, 18,000 A/h - 12.5

• Rolex 1560 - no-date - 1959-1965 - Oyster Perpetual, Explorer, Submariner (1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009, 1010, 1011, 1012, 1013, 1014, 1016, 1018, 1022, 1023, 1024, 1025, 1026, 1027, 1028, 1029, 1030, 1035, 1036, 1039)
  • Rolex 1565 - date - 1959-1965 - Oyster Perpetual Date (1500, 1501, 1502, 1503, 1504, 1505, 1506, 1507, 1508, 1509, 1510, 1600, 1601, 1602, 1603, 1604, 1605, 1607, 1610, 1611, 1625, 1675)
  • Rolex 1565GMT - date, GMT - 1959-1965 - GMT
• Rolex 1556 - day/date - 1965- - Day-Date (1802, 1803, 1804, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1813, 1814, 1815, 1831, 6611)

• Rolex 1520 - 19,800 A/h - 1963 - Air-King, Submariner (5500, 5501, 5504, 5513, 5520, 5552, 5590)
  • Rolex 1525 - 19,800 A/h, date - 1965 - Air-King-Date, Explorer Date (5700, 5701)

sweep seconds, automatic, hacking, free-spung Breguet hairspring with regulating screws, 19,800 A/h - 12.5

The main difference between the Rolex 1570 family and previous generations is the implementation of a hacking or stop-seconds feature.

• Rolex 1570 - no-date - 1965-1974 - Oyster Perpetual, Submariner, Explorer (1002, 1003, 1005, 1007, 1008, 1009, 1010, 1011, 1012, 1013, 1016, 1018, 1022, 1023, 1024, 1025, 1027, 1029, 1030, 1031, 1035, 1036, 1038, 1039, 5512)
  • Rolex 1575 - date - 1965-1974 - Oyster Perpetual Date, Datejust, Sea-Dweller, GMT, Explorer II, Submariner (1500, 1501, 1502, 1503, 1504, 1505, 1506, 1507, 1508, 1509, 1510, 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514, 1530, 1550, 1600, 1601, 1602, 1603, 1604, 1607, 1610, 1611, 1625, 1630, 1655, 1665, 1675, 1680)
  • Rolex 1575GMT - date, GMT - 1965-1974 - 1655, 1675
  • Rolex 1580 - no-date, anti-magnetic - Milgauss (1019)

The 2000 Series is a family of smaller calibres for ladies watches and other specialty applications introduced in 1970.

• Rolex 2030 - no-date - introduced in 1970 - Used In 6706, 6707, 6710, 6711, 6712, 6713, 6715, 6717, 6718, 6719, 6720, 6721, 6723, 6724, 6744, 6745, 6747, 6748, 6749, 6751, 6753, 6754, 6757, 6771
  • Rolex 2035 - date - introduced in 1970 - 6824, 6825, 6827, 6828, 6829, 6830, 6831, 6832, 6833, 6835, 6838, 6839, 6900, 6901, 6902, 6903, 6904, 6905, 6906, 6907, 6913, 6914, 6916, 6917, 6919, 6920, 6921, 6924, 6927, 6929, 6933

• Rolex 2130 - no-date - introduced in 1983 - Used In 67180, 67480, 76030, 76080, 76094, 77014, 77080
  • Rolex 2135 - date - introduced in 1983 - 68240, 68273, 69160, 69163, 69173, 69178, 69190, 69174, 69178, 69623, 69240

• Rolex 2230 - no-date - introduced in 1999
  • Rolex 2235 - date - introduced in 1999 - 76188, 76198, 76243, 77080, 77014, 77483, 77518, 78158, 78159, 78238, 78240, 78248, 78266, 78268, 78273, 78274, 78278, 78279, 78286, 78288, 79068, 79078, 79079, 79089, 79126, 79136, 79138, 79158, 79159, 79160, 79163, 79166, 79173, 79174, 79178, 79179, 79190, 79238, 79240, 79288, 80298, 80299, 80318, 80319, 80328, 80329, 80359, 81209, 81339, 168622, 168623, 168628, 169622, 169623, 169628, 178238, 178288, 178158, 178279, 178239, 178159, 178243, 178246, 178296, 178286, 178245, 178274, 178275, 179136, 179138, 179158, 179175, 179178, 179179, 179239, 179160, 179165, 179166, 179168, 179173, 179298, 179368, 17945
  • Rolex 2236 - introduced 2015

Rolex introduced the 3000 series of movements in 1977. This family quickly replaced most of the earlier movements, with only a few remaining in production.

Second-generation 3000 calibres feature a balance bridge for robustness. The Rolex 3135 remains the company's standard watch movement more than 20 years after its introduction.

The third-generation calibres in the 3000 family add Parachrom anti-magnetic hairsprings (later upgraded to Parachrom Blue).

The fourth generation Calibre 3000 family, introduced in 2015, includes the Chronergy escapement and has a optimized gears and lubricants and a larger mainspring inside a thinner barrel for 70 hour power reserve. Rolex claims that 90% of the components are changed from the previous generation calibres.

Rolex used chronograph calibres from other manufacturers until the 1989 introduction of the Rolex 4030 for the Rolex Daytona. The 4000 series is a modern design with 28,800 A/h speed, a vertical clutch, and a column wheel.

The newest movement from Rolex is the Rolex 9001, introduced in 2012 for the Rolex Sky-Dweller.

• A Discussion of Rolex Movements Going Back to 1950
• Rolex Movements and Calibers