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About Serial-Number-Decoder.co.uk
Welcome to Serial-Number-Decoder.co.uk, a collection of serial number date decoders and tools. This project started back in 2012 when I wrote a basic tool to cross reference the serial numbers and the movements on my personal vintage Seiko watch collection. Since then it has expanded to cover my other interests and collectible vintage equipment in general.It is now one of the most comprehensive sets of serial number decoders on the internet. Aimed at collectors, sellers, dealers and eBayers, it now covers vintage or antique Rolex, Tissot, Timex, Elgin, Casio, Citizen and Omega watches as well as Gibson, Fender and CF Martin guitars, Roland and Boss (which includes all the old analogue gear and Boss pedals), Kawai and Yamaha pianos, DOD and Ibanez guitar pedals, Hot Wheels diecast models and some electronic component dating tools useful for dating vintage guitars, pedals and synthesizers. Recent additions have been tools to date and identify Apple devices as well as Samsung Galaxy and Sony Xperia mobile phones.
Having a date for a collectible can help you check its authenticity and spot a fake, it can help you with a valuation and can also help you fetch more when selling items on eBay.
This site is continually evolving with new manufacturers added and updates to existing model databases .
Latest additions:-
- Fixed a recently introduced bug in the Hot Wheels decoder. [11/12/2023]
- Fixed the manufacture end date for the Roland JP-4 on the Roland serial number decoder. Thanks to Matt from “Matt's Keyboard Repair” for finding this issue.[06/09/2023]
- Fixed a capitalisation bug in Roland serial number decoder that caused some links to user manuals to fail. [06/09/2023]
- Fixed a capitalisation bug in Boss serial number decoder that caused some links to user manuals to fail. [06/09/2023]
- Fixed a typo causing the TR-909 results to fail on the Roland serial number decoder. [19/06/2023]
- Fixed a bug due to capitalisation when viewing a few items in the Roland manufacture date database. [24/02/2023]
- Fixed a bug relating to the manufacture location of serial numbers starting with F on the Singer sewing machine serial number decoder.. [23/02/2023]
- Fixed a bug affecting the Laptops, Samsung and Sony EAN/SKU decoders. A huge thank you to SomeOfAllParts for pointing this out to me. [31/01/2023]
- Updated the HP calculator serial number decoder to reflect the fact that they seem to have continued using the same format beyond 2020.
- Added over 1800 new items into the Roland manufacture date database, mainly single modules from the System 100 / 700 modular synths, cables, expanders, sound libraries and software products.
- Updated Yamaha Piano decoder to better resolve user input errors such as spaces and punctuation.
- A few minor fixes to the Singer sewing machine serial number database.
- Added a few new battery details on the Seiko serial number decoder.
- Streamlined code on the Apple serial number decoder to cope with a recent massive increase in traffic.
- Added a few movements into Seiko serial number decoder based on user input.
- Updated Naim Audio decoder to cover new years.
- Minor tweaks to the Kawai Piano decoder to better identify incorrectly typed serial numbers
- Added more accurate dates for some movements in the Seiko serial number decoder.
- Updated Kawai Piano decoder to better identify Canadian pianos
- Corrected a few dates in the Boss database.
- Updated the Gibson decoder to include the 1994 specific serial number format.
- Added new GPO telephone base code decoder
- Updated Kawai Piano decoder with new ranges up to 2020
- Bugfix on the Gibson decoder where some codes where returned with an incorrect date, thanks to Jenna for bringing this to my attention.
- Added new Motorola decoder. It should work with most things made my Motorola.
- Added new Pioneer decoder to the hi-fi section. Should work with all types of Pioneer equipment from the 1950s to current day.
- Significant bug fix across many pages. eBay stopped supporting its older link format so my apologies to anybody who followed a link and was presented with a blank eBay main page instead of useful search results, this is now resolved.
- Added new Garrard 301 and 401 decoder to hi-fi section.
- Added over 500 new PIC codes to the Omega model number decoder, mainly new models.
- Added new Linn Sondek LP12 decoder to hi-fi section.
- Added new Naim Audio decoder to hi-fi section.
- Added new Sansui decoder to hi-fi section.
- Added new "Vintage Hi-Fi" section.
- Added note for modern (2020) Apple devices on the Apple serial number decoder, Apple seem to be reusing 2010 codes so more than one date may be returned
- Added new serial number decoder for vintage Oberheim synths and drum machines (should work on all 80s 6 digit serials)
- Added new date code decoder for Behringer equipment including studio gear, guitar pedals and synths
- Added Memphis factory for semi-hollow Gibson guitars
- Added several new EIA code formats to Pots and speaker datecode decoder.
- Added 434 more component manufacturer EIA codes to the Pots and speaker datecode decoder.
- Made general improvements to Seiko birth year watch tool, it is now faster, less likely to fail and should return more movements.
- Added hundreds of relatively modern movements into the Seiko serial number decoder.
- Added Waltham watch and pocket watch serial number decoder.
- Added Epiphone guitar serial number decoder.
- Added Rickenbacker guitar serial number decoder.
- Added Bulova watch date code decoder.
- Added Singer sewing machine serial number decoder.
- Added DOD serial number decoder to go along with the old DOD Model number dater.
- Added new "CNA" format to the HP calculator serial number decoder
- Upgrade to the Omega model number decoder. It can now find similar models, either where dots, dashes and spaces are switched or when the case material doesn't match but the rest does.
- Fix for incorrectly typed Fender guitar serial numbers showing dates in the future when they should fail.
- Fixed a hard coded date that meant Casio, Citizen and Seiko serial number decoders didn't work on watches made after 2019. I never expected this to be of use for very modern watches, but it seems it is.
- Significant addition of 383 "no longer in production by 2012" dates on the Seiko serial number decoder.
- Minor bugfix for the Seiko serial number decoder where "Quartz" was sometimes shortened to just Q.
- Bugfix for Casio decoder. Better handling of codes entered in the wrong boxes.
- Fix for modern Indonesian Fender guitars
- Added a Certina movement specification tool.
- Added a Certina serial number and reference number decoder, thanks to Karl for suggesting this.
- Added some more modern serial number formats for HP calculators, Casio watches and more. This site was originally developed for vintage items but it has grown beyond that and clearly there is a need to check dates of more modern items.
- Huge improvement in the ability to pinpoint a single date for Technics SL1200/1210 serial number decoder, a massive thank you to Chris for all his help. If you are still getting more than one date returned hold down CTRL and press F5 while on the page to get it to clear the cache and use the new code.
- Bugfix for Technics SL1200/1210 serial number decoder
- Significant bugfix for Speedmaster watches on the Omega serial number decoder
- Bugfix for Citizen watch serial number decoder relating to movement revision letters
- Added database page for Apple model numbers.
- Added Casio watch strap finder
- Many new iPhone and iPad devices added to the Apple serial number decoder
- Site is now available on both .co.uk and .com domains.
- Bugfix for Technics SL1200/1210 serial number decoder
- Significant upgrade to the Fender guitars decoder. Added Custom shop, Reissue, CBS era and some serial number quirks. More to come.
- Integrated a T-shirt shop of my designs based on some of the items and brands my site covers.
- Added a Rolex clasp date decoder
- Added a Rolex model/movement database to show which movements should be in each model and its earliest date of manufacture based on the movement.
- Bugfix for certain "Made in USA" Fender guitars
- Added a Samsung EAN/Barcode decoder to decode product details and spec of Samsung products including Galaxy phones and tablets.
- Added a Sony EAN/Barcode decoder to decode product details and spec of Sony products including Xperia phones and Bravia TVs.
- Added a new Apple serial number decoder. Decoding all Apple Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and Macboook devices from the 1980s to present day.
- Significant upgrades to the Casio decoder. It can now automatically identify and deal with the wrong codes entered in the wrong boxes.
- Added new laptop SKU/Part number decoder
- Added new Technics SL1200/1210 serial number decoder
- Added new HP calculator serial number decoder
- Added new Longines serial number decoder
- Added new Breitling serial number decoder
- Added new Sinclair C5 serial number decoder
- Added new Kawai Piano serial number decoder
- Upgrade to boring geeky server stuff. Pages should load faster and be more resilient.
- Significant upgrade to Boss database, now contains over Boss 380 devices.
- Significant changes to the language translation function which has also been rolled out across more pages. The rest will come in time.
- Bugfix on the Ibanez model dater relating to the use of duplicate model numbers on reissue pedals
- Added Omega movement/caliber database lookup.
- Significant upgrade to the Omega model number decoder. It now contains over 1200 specific model codes.
- Added new Citizen watch serial number decoder
- Added 32 missing calibers to the Seiko serial number decoder and pinned down a further 43 end of production dates.
- Added new Seiko birth year watch tool.
- Added protection to stop people downloading and distributing the code, please only use these tools online from serial-number-decoder.co.uk.
- Added new watch battery finder to find the replacement battery type for various watch brands.
- Added "show workings" diagnostics along with significantly improved incorrect format correction of model numbers on Roland
- Bugfix in Yamaha Piano (for pre 1986 Thomaston made Yamaha pianos.
- Bugfix in Roland and Boss decoders so it doesn't attempt to decode invalid serials.
- Added Pots and speaker datecodes (for dating guitars and pedals)
- Localised "value" links so its the correct country and correct currency.
- Removed eBay ads and added affiliate links.
- Added SSL, the site now runs over HTPS and HTTP
- Added in Boss pedals batch codes decoding (1977-1981)
- Added Jazz chorus production dates to the Roland database.
- The pot and speaker dater is now universal and allows multiple entry
- Improved recognition of incorrectly entered models (Roland and Boss)
- Added pot and speaker dater (for amps, synths and guitars)
- Narrow down Seiko results further using case construction mark style
- Significant improvements to the Seiko decoder's ability to decode movements entered in incorrect formats.
- Added date info relating to the waterproof/resist markings on Seikos
- Added Casio watch serial, batch, and module number dater
- Expanded Seiko movement database and added battery details
- Added Ibanez guitar pedal dater
- Added Omega model number decoder
- Added the 1967/68 serial length change to Seiko decoder
- Added C.F. Martin Mandolin decoder
- Added Tudor watch decoder
- Added Sigma-Martin guitar exceptions to the C.F. Martin decoder
- Extended C.F. Martin decoder to present day
- Added links to Rolex PDF manuals
- Added Fender acoustic guitar model decoder
- Added mobile version
- Fixed "Made in Korea" Fenders
- Added translation options to some pages (feedback welcome)
- Added Omega Speedmaster specific option
- All Boss 6/7 digit formats plus model number cross referencing
- Workings now shown for Boss
- All Roland serial number formats plus model number cross referencing
- Seiko watches added
- Elgin watches added
- Fender guitars now covers more countries
- Encorporate more known DOD serials to the DOD decoder.
- Fill in some of the larger gaps in the Linn decoder.
- Significant upgrade to the Casio watch decoder with over 7000 model numbers and battery info
- B&O Vintage hi-fi
- Gold and silver hallmark decoder
- Vintage typewriters
- Comic books
- Gillette razors
- Panerai watches
- Older Gibson guitars via graphical logo and detail identification
