Rolex Watch Time Setting Crown Direction

Rolex Watch Time Setting Crown Direction

Guides
·41 Comments·

Rolex Watch Time Setting Crown Direction

Some watch collectors think one surefire way to spot a fake Rolex movement is to wind the crown clockwise to set the time of the hands (aka advance the hands forward). This is a replica watch myth. Anyone who says Rolex watches only set the time by turning the crown clockwise hasn’t handled many Rolex watches. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for time-setting on every Rolex watch. Like many fake watch tests, the information is only as good as the knowledge of the collector.  If you’re one of those people who trolls the internet claiming a watch is fake without knowing which Rolex model should wind in which direction, the chart below will help you avoid looking inexperienced.

Here is a list of Rolex calibers and which direction to wind the crown to set the time (advance the hands forward):

Caliber/Movement Number
 Models Crown Direction to Move Hands Forward
651 Cellini Clockwise
727 Daytona Clockwise
750 Cellini Clockwise
1225 Oysterdate Counterclockwise
1240 Cellini Counterclockwise
1400 Cellini Counterclockwise
1520 Submariner Counterclockwise
1530 Submariner Counterclockwise
1560 Submariner/Explorer Counterclockwise
1565 Datejust Counterclockwise
1569 calibercorner.com calibercorner.com
1570 Oyster Perpetual Counterclockwise
1575 Submariner/Datejust/GMT-Master Counterclockwise
1580 Milgauss Counterclockwise
1600 Cellini/Vintage Clockwise
1601 Cellini Clockwise
1602 Cellini Clockwise
1800 Lady Counterclockwise
2030 Oyster Perpetual Counterclockwise
2035 Datejust Counterclockwise
2130 Oyster Perpetual Counterclockwise
2135 Datejust Counterclockwise
2230 Oyster Perpetual Counterclockwise
2237 calibercorner.com calibercorner.com
2231 Oyster Perpetual Counterclockwise
2235 Datejust/Yachtmaster Counterclockwise
3000 Submariner/Explorer 1/Air King Counterclockwise
3035 Submariner/Sea-Dweller/Datejust/Date Counterclockwise
3055 Day-Date Counterclockwise
3075 GMT-Master Counterclockwise
3085 GMT-Master II Clockwise
3130 Submariner/Explorer 1 Clockwise
3131 Milgauss Clockwise
3132 Explorer 1 Clockwise
3169 calibercorner.com calibercorner.com
3135 Submariner/Deepsea/Sea-Dweller/Datejust/Date/Turn-O-Graph Clockwise
3136 Datejust II Clockwise
3155 Day-Date Clockwise
3156 Day-Date II Clockwise
3175 GMT-Master Clockwise
3185 GMT-Master II/Explorer II Clockwise
3186 GMT-Master II/Explorer II Clockwise
3187 Explorer II Clockwise
3235 Sea-Dweller 126600/Datejust 41 Counterclockwise
3255 Day-Date 40 Unknown, please add to comments.
4030 Daytona Counterclockwise
4130 Daytona Clockwise
4131 Daytona Unconfirmed
4132 Daytona Unconfirmed
4188 calibercorner.com calibercorner.com
4160 Yachtmaster II Clockwise
4161 Yachtmaster II Clockwise
5035 Datejust (Oysterquartz) Counterclockwise
5055 Day-Date (Oysterquartz) Counterclockwise
6220 Cellini Clockwise
6621 Cellini Clockwise
7040 Cellini (Prince) Clockwise
9001 Sky-Dweller Counterclockwise

This clockwise/counter-clockwise list might be missing some Rolex calibers and may contains errors. It should be used for informational purposes only. If you catch a mistake in the table, please let us know in the comments below so we can update the information!

More watch stuff to check out:

Welcome to the world's most popular resource for watch movement pics, specs and opinions. Check out the member's forum and follow @calibercorner on X, Instagram and YouTube (not Facebook).

Join our mission to spread movement awareness!
Join / Login

Caliber Comments:

Rules: Keep comments respectful and on the topic of Rolex Watch Time Setting Crown Direction. For off-topic or general watch questions, post in the forum. Comments should be in English (or include an English translation) so that other members can understand and join the discussion.

guest

41 Comments
oldest
newest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Austin Daniels
Austin Daniels
7 years ago

I don’t understand what this article is saying. You can set the watch by turning the crown clockwise or counterclockwise, the only difference being whether the hands move clockwise or counterclockwise.
Above it says a Sub sets counterclockwise, but turning the crown clockwise turns the hands clockwise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olj2p1YEgmY&t=2m09s

My 3185 GMT, which is listed above as setting clockwise operates just like the Sub.

So, what is this article saying?

-6
Reply
admin
Author
calibercorner
7 years ago
Reply to  Austin Daniels

Hello Austin, everything you commented here matches exactly with the chart above. When using the chart, it’s best to start with finding the correct caliber in the far left column, then use that row to see the winding direction. If you used the chart to find your model type (center column) then there’s bound to be confusion because some models have different calibers.

In the example of a Submariner:

  • To advance the hands forward on a Sub with a 3135, you would wind Clockwise.
  • To advance the hands forward on a Sub with a 3035, you would wind Counterclockwise.
10
Reply
Dan Marks
Dan Marks
10 months ago
Reply to  Austin Daniels

Ive had 20 submariners and i ensure you an early 16800 sub with 3035 movement will advance time by turn crown counterclockwise. Before that watch i would have told anybody the watch was a fake.

0
Reply
Dave
Dave
7 years ago

Excellent info, while winding my wife’s 79178 President ( 2235) I noticed the hands moved forward when crow was turned counter clockwise,unlike my President 118238,my TT Sub(3135) or her 67193 (2130).This chart confirms that is indeed correct-thank you !

1
Reply
admin
Author
calibercorner
7 years ago
Reply to  Dave

Thank you for testing the info on your watches and confirming the accuracy of this information! Glad someone found it to be useful 🙂

1
Reply
Chad
Chad
6 years ago

How do I find the correct Caliber/movement number for my watch?

0
Reply
admin
Author
calibercorner
6 years ago
Reply to  Chad

Hi Chad, which watch do you have?

1
Reply
Chad
Chad
6 years ago

Submariner Date Model #116610
Serial #M520116. Thank you for the help!

-4
Reply
Johann
Johann
5 years ago
Reply to  Chad

Hi Chad, your watch is powered by the caliber Mingzhu 2813
Hope you didn’t pay the price of a real sub..
Serial M520116 is actually for a 16610 and is used on a lot of cheap sub-c knockoffs

5
Reply
Craig
Craig
6 years ago

Very helpful post, I’ve been searching all over, but finally found the answer here! All my Rolexes advance by turning clockwise, so I was concerned when I found the opposite when setting my wife’s watch.

1
Reply
admin
Author
calibercorner
6 years ago
Reply to  Craig

It’s nice to hear that this post was helpful, Craig. Glad you found the site, welcome to the Caliber Corner Community!

0
Reply
Edwin
Edwin
5 years ago

Very useful article. I was confused when finding 2 Rolex watches advance in different direction. Now i got the answer. Thank you for the article!

2
Reply
Dave Rankin
Dave Rankin
5 years ago

Hi This is a excellent post thanks! I have a GMT master II Reference 126711CHNR 3285 movement. And it counterclockwise I found the very Weird as my other two Rolexes wound clockwise.
I went into my local AD and they didn’t know why and found it also weird goes to show there is a lot more to a Rolex and meets the eye!

3
Reply
Scott
Scott
5 years ago

Thank you for a very informative post!
Anyone who knows in which direction an authentic Oysterdate Precision (6694) is supposed to be set?
Thank you in advance.

1
Reply
Marc Murphy
Marc Murphy
5 years ago

I just got a seadweller 126600 with the 3235 movement and I was getting a bit worried as always set my time by turning the clown clockwise, couldn’t even get an answer from a rolex shop why I was having to turn anti clockwise so this article has settled me down a bit so thank you very much.

1
Reply
admin
Author
calibercorner
5 years ago
Reply to  Marc Murphy

Thank you very much for the comment. Glad we could help when a Rolex AD couldn’t 😉

1
Reply
John
John
4 years ago

What moment is the new rolex deep sea sea dweller James Cameron

0
Reply
keepthetime
Admin
KeepTheTime.com
4 years ago
Reply to  John

Rolex caliber 3235

2
Reply
Nicholas Foster
Nicholas Foster
4 years ago

The day date 40 is counter clockwise!

1
Reply
William
William
4 years ago

Awkward article. As pointed out, either direction sets the time either forward or backward. What I want to know is how many turns of the crown will fully wind the 3235 movement. Apparently 25 is only the starting point. I wound my new 3235, 40 crown turns from the box. And give a rewind every 4 weeks. My Otto Frei timegrapher indicates 0, +1, 0, 0, +1, 0, 0 every time I put my Datejust on the machine. Any thoughts on my 40 turns?

-7
Reply
Sub41
Sub41
4 years ago
Reply to  William

Awkward comment. As pointed out, the article isn’t telling you how many times to fully wind your Datejust, it’s telling you the useful information of which direction the crown turns the hands. Useful for spotting fakes, e.t.c.

3
Reply
Rochester_Rollie
Rochester_Rollie
4 years ago
Reply to  William

He got a new 3235 Datejust and it wasn’t running when he opened the box? How did he achieve this when it doesn’t take much to get a Rolex running? The AD would have wound it up and should have set it. If it was bought grey market it would have been shaken up in transit. Only if the package sat there a couple days then opened it carefully enough to not make the rotor wind it, because there’s no way to tell how much power reserve was already wound up before starting winding.

1
Reply
Paulo Angotti
Paulo Angotti
4 years ago

Great info. That was a new learning from Rolex movements.

0
Reply
raffaele corvino
raffaele corvino
4 years ago

what about the deep sea sea dweller jacques piccard edition

1
Reply
Mel
Mel
4 years ago
Reply to  raffaele corvino

lol

1
Reply
Fred Kats
Fred Kats
4 years ago

3255 Crown clockwise, hands anti clock wise

0
Reply
ed
ed
4 years ago

For OP41, 3230 movement, crown clockwise, hands movement anti-clockwise.

2
Reply
Fred
Fred
3 years ago

Wich way would the rolex 124060 set its time? clockwise or counter clockwise?

0
Reply
Ned Flanders
Ned Flanders
3 years ago

Hi. I have an OP 41 ref 124300 (3230 movement) and you turn the crown counter clockwise to advance the hands.

0
Reply
Jan
Jan
3 years ago

very good

0
Reply
Sri
Sri
2 years ago

I just bought a brand new Submarine 126613LB, 3235 from a third party, card date March 2022, if crown winding clockwise the hour and minute moves counter clockwise, found it a bit weird, searched online, some of the videos with the same model says if the hour and minutes turn counter clockwise for this submarine, they claim it’s fake, can please share your thoughts.

0
Reply
trackback
Rolex Caliber 3255 Watch Movement | Caliber Corner
2 years ago

[…] Rolex crown time setting directions […]

0
Reply
trackback
Rolex Caliber 3230 Watch Movement | Caliber Corner
2 years ago

[…] For a full list of Rolex crown time setting directions click here. […]

0
Reply
Ramy garcia
Ramy garcia
2 years ago

how would one know what model or why is one a 611090 or whatever that number is to identify your Rolex?

0
Reply
KAROUSIS DIMOSTHENIS
KAROUSIS DIMOSTHENIS
2 years ago

Hi.
I want to know the positions for my watch’s rest into the night.
For example what is this position for loosing seconds and what is the position for gain seconds?
Thank you.

0
Reply
Jeff Farkas
Jeff Farkas
1 year ago

For the Rolex Submariner no date, 124060 their website says it uses a 3230 caliber and I don’t see that on your list of Rolex calibers. The Sub with date 126610 uses the 3235 caliber also as the Sea Dweller.

0
Reply
Adam
Adam
1 year ago

3255 goes anti clockwise

1
Reply
Adam
Adam
1 year ago

And this is excellent info. Great job.
3255 goes anti clockwise

1
Reply
Adam
Adam
1 year ago

Ps. Pretty sure all 32XX go anti clockwise

1
Reply
SOGDIVER
Member
SOGDIVER
6 months ago

This is valuable Rolex horology, not seen or appreciated in every venue.
Having 3 Submariners including a 1960 gilt PCG 5512, it becomes important with the 1560 caliber. Thanks, Caliber Corner.

0
Reply
Keep Learning:
Tags
Seagull Caliber St19

Join our mission to spread movement awareness!

Recent Forum Posts


Full caliber listing here

Your compare list

Compare
REMOVE ALL
COMPARE
0
41
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x