Everything you want to know of the Rolex crown

First, the Rolex symbol (logo) is called the crown to avoid confusion.

Even very old Rolex watches have markings on the sides of their crowns. On very old Rolex crowns - Rolex before 1960, you will find a Rolex crown, and under it, there is a cross symbol.

If your Rolex has a cross on the crown, it means it is an old enough Rolex. But the real meaning of the mark is "Brevet". This means "made in" and the cross symbol is actually a patent cross. The crucifix on the crown actually has an interesting history. First, people confuse the cross as the swiss cross, but it's not. The Swiss government has expressed concern about Rolex's use of the cross on the crown, as it would be perceived by the average consumer that the government might recognize Rolex in some way. Rolex has since discontinued the use of cross marks.

You may have noticed that different Rolex watches have different symbols on the crown. Some have a point, some have a point, and some have a line.

First, all modern Rolex watches have a crown on the crown. This is common to all models, but the symbol below it is particularly interesting because it actually gives us information about the watch.

A common misconception about crown symbols is that three dots represent a triple-lock crown, two dots represent a double-lock crown, and one dot represents a single-lock crown. This makes sense, but the truth is it's not that simple. Also, Rolex does not use a single locking crown.

Simply put, the Rolex crown marking indicates the material used in the watch. In addition, the symbol indicates the type of screw-down crown of the watch.

As you probably know, Rolex uses two different types of crown systems/structures for its watches.

The crown structures they use are: double lock and triple lock

As you might guess, when you see three dots on the Rolex winding crown, it symbolizes the travel lock crown. You know it's a double-locking crown when you see the two dots on the winding crown of a Rolex.

However, Rolex also uses straight lines on some of its watches. When you see a straight line on the crown, it symbolizes a double lock.

But at the same time, the symbols also indicate the materials used, to help us better understand the Rolex winding crown symbols, here is a diagram of the different winding crowns and their symbols.

Now this diagram may be a little hard to understand, but it really illustrates what types of crowns there are. Let's break it down.

Each picture of the watch on the chart represents the last digit of the reference number. The last digit of the reference number indicates which material the watch is made of.

• 0 : 904L stainless steel case
• 1: Rose gold two-color (Rolesor)
• 2: Platinum and Steel (Rolesium)
• 3: Steel and Gold (Rolesor)
• 4: Steel and Platinum (Rolesor)
• 5: rose gold
• 6: Platinum
• 8: Gold
• 9: Platinum

Now that you know what the last digit represents, you can view the chart and crown associated with your exact model. For example, if I wanted to know what markings a gold Rolex should have, I would simply look at the third-to-last row, determine my crown size, and decide which markings are correct.

To make it easier for you to understand, here are some common Rolex models and the crown markings they should have

Crown markings on common Rolex models

Rolex Submariner: triple locks, marked with three dots. From 16610/14060, all modern and semi-modern Submariners have triple-lock crowns.

Rolex Explorer II: The Explorer II has a Twinlock crown. This is marked with a straight line on the crown. This applies to references 16570 and 216570.

Rolex Explorer I: The modern Rolex Explorer 214270 has a double-lock crown marked with a straight line. This also includes 1016, 114270 and 14270.

Rolex GMT-Master II 11671x: The GMT-Masters (before reference 12) have a Triplock crown and are a solid sports watch. The new model 12671X also features a triple-lock crown. This is marked by three dots on the crown of the two references.

Rolex Daytona 1165XX: The Rolex Daytona has a Triplock crown and is a Rolex sports watch. Marked with three dots.

Rolex crown system

The construction of the Rolex double-lock and double-lock crowns is slightly different.

Here is a picture of the Rolex crown and its gaskets, which help ensure the watch is sealed. Different crowns (and models) can have different numbers of washers depending on their area of use.

Pictured is a typical Rolex diver's watch, in other words, with a stroke-lock crown. The crown only has a washer located deep in the crown. The shell tube has two inner gaskets, one is the outer gasket and the other is installed between the shell tube and the outer wall of the machined housing. A typical gasket arrangement is shown in red.

Below are some pictures showing the positions of the different Rolex crowns and their washers. On the side, you'll also find the Rolex case tube. The case tube is very important and is where the crown is screwed, so it plays a huge role in waterproofing.

• Acero is the steel of Spain
• Oro amarillo means gold
• Oro blanco means platinum
• Platino means platinum
• Coronas means crown

Rolex triple lock crown

Rolex improved the mechanism in 1953 by developing the Twinlock winding crown and introduced a dual water-resistance system on its first diving watch, the Submariner. The metal washer at the bottom of the crown is replaced by two O-rings made of synthetic material. The first is inside the crown, pressed against the top of the tube as before to lock the case when the crown is screwed on. The second is located in the tube, around the winding stem, providing protection even when the crown is unscrewed. It offers another advantage in that it stabilizes and provides a safe support for the pole when it moves. The Twinlock crown is now fitted to most Rolex watches and ensures water resistance to 100 meters.

Rolex triple lock crown

The third-generation waterproof winding crown is named Triplock and is equipped with a triple waterproof system. It was introduced in 1970 to equip the Sea-Dweller, a model designed for professional deep sea divers. To further enhance water resistance, even if the crown remains unscrewed underwater, Rolex engineers added a second O-ring inside the tube. It's like a kind of airlock that safely blocks the tiniest of particles. The triple lock system has been installed in the Submariner since 1977. Today it comes with all the diver's watches of the brand as well as many other professional models.

More Rolex crown crown descriptions: