Bill
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Rolex Punched Papers Through the Decades (1960-1990) Full report
This is a visual exploration of a very complex matter. I will not draw any conclusions but give the reader the ability to try and draw his or her own conclusion to which you will find there are no conclusions.
Rolex Punched papers a prized by collectors as they offer "usually" a level of confidence as to the authenticity and date sale and or certification date. Punched papers have always held more validity over hand written Rolex Guarantees as falsification is much more difficult.
There are a styles of punched holes mostly 4x6 and 4x5 hole pattern meaning that each number is composed of a series of holes four wide by five or six tall. You can see the evolution of these patterns with no specific transition period when Rolex added Flat green English guarantee paper in the mid to late 70's .
So my conclusion is there are no absolutes we can depend on or specific transition periods. Please feel free to add more examples of papers you have, which can help us build an archive of examples.
Bureaux Suisses Chronometer Certificates (Punched 576,xxx ? 596,xxx) (added as example 1961 paper not punch style this case not punched)
Bureaux Suisses Chronometer Certificates (Punched ~1,2xx,xxx ? ~1,8xx,xxx)
Punch style 4x6 Only
“Rolex Superlative Chronometer” Booklet (~1,3xx,xxx ? ~1,5xx,xxx)
Punch style 4x6 only
Punch style 4x6 only
“Your Rolex Oyster” 1967 Booklet (~1,33x,xxx ? ~1,87x,xxx)
Punch style 4x6 Only
Punch style 4x6 Only
“Your Rolex Oyster” 1968 Booklet (~1,83x,xxx ? ~2,24x,xxx)
Punch style 4x6 only
Punch style 4x6 only
“Your Rolex Oyster” 1970 Booklet (~1,88x,xxx ? ~3,13x,xxx)
“Your Rolex Oyster” 1970 Booklet (~1,88x,xxx ? ~3,13x,xxx) two punch styles
Punch style 4x5 - sometimes 4x6
Punch style 4x5
Punch style 4x6
“Chronometre” Certificate (~1,88x,xxx ? ~3,13x,xxx)
Punch style 4x6 French certificates
Punch style 4x6 French certificates and second English 4x5 pattern
Punch style 4x6 French certificates
“Garantie” Certificate (~2,62x,xxx ? ~4,xxx,xxx)
Garantie Certificate (~2,62x,xxx ? ~4,xxx,xxx) 4x5 and 4x6
Garantie Certificate (~2,62x,xxx ? ~4,xxx,xxx) 4x5 and 4x6
Garantie Certificate (~2,62x,xxx ? ~4,xxx,xxx) Punch style embossed rare
Punch style 4x5
“Chronometre & Garantie” Certificate (~2,xxx,xxx ? ~5,21x,xxx)
Punch style 4x5 and 4x6
Punch style 4x5 and 4x6
Punch style 4x5 and 4x6
Embossed style
Embossed stlye rare
Larger 4x6
Punch style larger 4x6
“Garantie” Certificate (~4,xxx,xxx ? ~9,xxx,xxx)
English 4x5 punch pattern
Larger French 4x6 punch style pattern
Larger French 4x6 punch style pattern
English 4x5 punch style pattern
English 4x5 punch style pattern
English 4x5 punch style pattern
“Chronometre & Garantie” Certificate (~4,2xx,xxx ? ~Kxxxxxx)
English 4x5 punch style
English 4x5 punch style
French larger 4x6 punch style
French 4x6 punch style
French 4x6 punch style
French 4x6 punch style
French 4x6 punch style
French 4x6 punch style
French 4x6 punch style
This last segment is not specifically punched hole but falls with the above period and is good to have as reference.
“Guarantee” Booklets (~1,2xx,xxx ? ~3,xxx,xxx)
This is also another interesting article by our Dear Rolex moderator DrStrong.
Follow this link The Rolex paperwork through the ages
Rolex Punched Papers Through the Decades (1960-1990) Full report
This is a visual exploration of a very complex matter. I will not draw any conclusions but give the reader the ability to try and draw his or her own conclusion to which you will find there are no conclusions. Rolex Punched papers a prized by collectors a...
Bookmarked- Eternally!
Thank you for this incredible compendium of correlated dates, documents styles, and serial numbers. Original scholarship like this is the bedrock of collector education; take a bow! Best, Tim
Lots of work and effort into this very important research
Thanks bill Much appreciated. That is what makes this site so good Julian
Bill, thanks a lot!
Fantastic work on something the layman may regard as a minor issue but an issue that can cost you thousands of USD in cash! My compliments!
I wish I had some clear conclusions
I did set out to figure out if there was a clear transition. Thinking mostly french paper then transitioning to english paper each with distinct hole patterns but then I found the English papers had a hole patern I thought was French and visa versa. So no...
What a pictorial & seminal post !.. Thx for this herculean & meticulous work !.. Just was reading in awe & will re-read ! :))
Thx so much for this write-up, here to stay. Have bookmarked it, of course.. Again, we need to be grateful fur such a reference ! Cheers & Best, hs
I think there are many great contribution by members
I hope this one will also help a few with some ideas as what to look for. HAGWE Bill
At least i feel in can be appreciated by the members here.
I can't ask for much more. I am sure it will build from here when you include DrStrong's report. Bill
Excellent writeup
It would be good and really helpful to see a reference type library of punched papers, from this period. It is very instructional for both the novice and expert alike Whilst not relating directly to the article It should also be borne in mind that during ...
Absolute some papers were hand written and others typed
So they can be valid also. However I was trying to narrow it down to hole punched papers which we assume hold a slightly higher value over hand written. I think in the period before the hole punch it was more common ti find typed and hand written but much...
I think you are quite right to be circumspect about later hand written guarantee papers
in general. However, there are certain German and Swiss dealers such as Bucherer who were issuing non punched papers into the late 70's. Which is why when I had a valuable watch with such papers I did some further research with Rolex and Bucherer. I have ...
I agree typed and written are also valid but not the subject of this study.
However, if you have a few examples you can include of Buchere papers it would be nice to include them here. Also hand written with a corresponding receipt is just as valid as hole punched papers. The goal of the report is not to put down typed or hand wr...
Thank you, and bravo!
This is by far the most comprehensive compendium of Rolex paperwork for those eras, and a true asset!
3x6 punched certificate
Great report! very complete and a true help - thank you Question: I have a 3x6 dots punched chrono warranty from 1971 I don't have it here for the moment but the punching looks as attached Is this rare or fake or? ...
Question: does 3x6 punch exist for rolex
Great report! very complete and a true help - thank you Question: I have a 3x6 dots punched chrono warranty from 1971 I don't have it here for the moment but the punching looks as attached Is this rare or fake or? ...
Fascinating history, much kudos to you for sharing
Great job assembling this level of detail.
A detailed and excellently presented research - one of the best documentations about Rolex at all.
I know and like this post since long - but often, one consumes and forgets to appreciate the work on public, what I do now: thanks, Bill - many hours have been put in such a result... and the writing is even the smaller part.
Excellent work Bill.
This must have taken hours to put together not to mention the hours to get here. This is so interesting to me and I have to admit this knowledge has always been lacking to me and Rolex paper work has always been a tricky area for me. I will spend more tim...