What are Rolex country codes?

The country code, abbreviated to LC, indicates the country to which a Rolex watch is delivered from the Swiss production facility. For older models of the brand, this code can be found on the watch's warranty card. However, warranty cards for watches manufactured from 2020 onwards no longer have an LC. Some buyers attach importance to purchasing a watch with a German country code (LC 100), for example to ensure that the documents for the watch are in German. Others consider the LC to be of secondary importance when purchasing a watch. We provide an overview of the Rolex country codes and provide watch lovers with the most important information about the LC markings.

The most important things in brief

• Identification and meaning: Country codes on the warranty card indicate in which country the watch was originally sold.

• Collector value: Certain country codes can increase the collector value of a watch, depending on its rarity and origin.

• Protection against counterfeits: By knowing the country codes, buyers can better verify the authenticity of a Rolex and protect themselves against imitations.

The meaning of country codes for collectors

The country code makes it possible to see at a glance which sales market the watch was originally intended for - be it Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Great Britain, Ireland, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Thailand or Germany. In Germany there are quite a few collectors who prefer to buy watches with a German LC. These come with German-language papers and it is relatively safe to assume that they were not imported illegally.

In comparison, watches that come from abroad (Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Cayman Islands, Caribbean Islands, Middle East, etc.) according to the LC are often somewhat cheaper in this country than timepieces with LC 100. However, in purely technical terms, the products do not differ: A Rolex that comes from the Turks and Caicos Islands is, apart from the LC, completely identical to a Rolex produced for the German market.

The country code becomes interesting, however, when the watch is taken across a border with a foreign LC. In this case, you have to be prepared to be asked about the origin of the product. It is not uncommon for expensive watches to be taken from country to country without paying customs duties and thus illegally, which is considered tax evasion.

Rolex Country Code: An Overview

Below we list the country codes alphabetically according to the corresponding countries:

• Abu Dhabi: LC 536

• Egypt: LC 612

• Alaska: LC 872

• Argentina: LC 790

• Australia, New Zealand: LC 810

• Bahamas: LC 741

• Bahrain: LC 526

• Bangladesh: LC 514

• Belgium, Luxembourg: LC 130

• Bermuda: LC 742

• Bolivia: LC 786

• Brazil: LC 780

• Bulgaria: LC 317

• Cayman Islands: LC 767

• Chile: LC 781

• China: LC 838

• Costa Rica: LC 737

• Denmark: LC 226, 228, 231, 233

• Germany: LC 100

• Dominican Republic: LC 756

• Dubai: LC 537

• Finland: LC 283, 286, 291, 298

• French Antilles: LC 766

• Greece: LC 200, 208

• Great Britain, Ireland: LC 160

• Guam: LC 873

• Hawaii: LC 871

• Honduras: LC 733

• Hong Kong: LC 400, 874, 888

• India: LC 500, 573

• Iran: LC 542

• Iceland: LC 237

• Israel: LC 548

• Italy: LC 170,181, 204

• Jamaica: LC 752

• Japan: LC 410, 900

• Virgin Islands: LC 758

• Canada: LC 700

• Caribbean Islands: LC 757

• Qatar: LC 535

• Kathmandu: LC 513

• Kenya: LC 668

• Lesser Antilles: LC 765

• Congo: LC 634

• Korea: LC 413

• Corfu: LC 207

• Cuba: LC 754

• Kuwait: LC 533

• Liechtenstein: LC 036

• Malaysia, Thailand: LC 431

• Malta: LC 201

• Mexico: LC 720, 722

• Middle East: LC 527

• Natex Retail (NATO Airbase): LC 906

• NATO Headquarters (Rheindahlen): LC 907

• New Zealand: LC 842

• Netherlands: LC 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138

• Netherlands Antilles (former), Aruba: LC 761, 762

• Norway: LC 241, 242, 246, 253, 284

• Oman: LC 538, 539

• Austria: LC 120,121, 122, 123, 124, 125,126, 127, 128

• Pakistan: LC 505

• Panama: LC 768

• Philippines: LC 818

• Poland: LC 311, 312

• Portugal: LC 210, 213, 215, 216, 217, 218

• Russia: LC 330

• Saudi Arabia: LC 529, 532

• Sweden: LC 265, 267, 270, 271

• Switzerland: LC 010, 012, 013, 014, 015,017, 021, 022, 023, 025, 026,028, 033, 037, 044, 045, 061

• Serbia, Montenegro: LC 325

• Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia: LC 430

• Slovakia: LC 318

• Slovenia: LC 323

• Spain: LC 150

• South Africa: LC 680

• Taiwan: LC 440, 828

• Czech Republic: LC 320, 321

• Tunisia: LC 605

• Türkiye: LC 202, 381, 385

• Turks and Caicos Islands: LC 759

• Hungary: LC 322

• Venezuela: LC 770

country codes and counterfeits

It is common knowledge that watches are often counterfeited. The country code is one of the features that can be used to authenticate a watch. For example, if the watch has the coveted LC 100 according to the warranty card, but comes with documents in a language other than German, alarm bells should ring. However, since a warranty card can of course potentially be counterfeited, the fact that the country code and the document language match is no guarantee that you are dealing with an original luxury watch.

Where can I find the country code?

The country code is printed on the front of the warranty card for older generation watches, and on the back of newer models. Watches produced from 2020 onwards no longer have a country code.

Why are there multiple codes for some countries?

As the list above shows, some countries are assigned several country codes. In this case, there are several distribution customers in this country to whom the watches are delivered from the production facility in Switzerland.

How does the country code change the value of a watch?

Some country codes increase the value of a watch on the German secondary market. This is of course especially true for the LC 100, but models from Switzerland (LC 010, 012, 013, 014, 015,017, 021, 022, 023, 025, 026, 028, 033, 037, 044, 045, 061) are also more popular than average. Other codes tend to be a deterrent for some German buyers and can therefore reduce the value of the watch somewhat, for example the LC 514 (Bangladesh), the LC 765 (Lesser Antilles) or the LC 838 (China).

conclusion

The Rolex country codes, which were printed on the warranty certificates of all watches that left the Swiss manufacturer until 2020, indicate the country to which the respective watch was delivered from the factory. In conjunction with the watch's papers, the country code can provide information about the authenticity of a timepiece, and the codes also partially influence the value of a Rolex on the global market.