Rolex Vintage Chronometer Red Hang Seal Tag CERTIFIED OFFICIAL CHRONOMETER

Rolex has always strived for perfection, and we're proud to display a number of testimonials to its expertise.

Some of these are immortalized today in the form of Rolex logos or accessories, goodies, such as the little Rolex hang tags wax seals included for different models: it's interesting to see how they have evolved, especially for the older pre-2010 versions characterized by their dark red or purple color. 

If you’ve bought a watch made after 2015, you’ve got a green tag, assuming you bought the watch new or with the same accoutrements included when the watch was first sold.

Is there a difference between the tags? Yes.

The red tag is a Rolex warranty seal that indicates certification by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres, the COSC, which is the governing body for Swiss movements and accuracy. In English, the organization is called the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. Watches with the red Rolex seal are certified accurate in a ten second range per day from between 4 seconds slow to 6 seconds fast. The red seal was also part of the indication of a two-year factory warranty. (Since all red seal watches were made in 2015 or before, all of those warranties have expired).

In 2015, Rolex innovated some of their movement technology and began switching red tags for green. These Superlative Chronometer tags also indicated the guarantee for the watch was now set at five years. Many people believe the change had nothing to do with the more durable movements and more from pressure from competitors, like Omega, who offered five-year guarantees.