How to find and read TAG Heuer serial and reference numbers

Turn a TAG Heuer 2000 over and you'll find two codes on the caseback. People often call both of them "the serial number", but they do different jobs. Once you know which is which, and have a couple of mnemonics to hand, you can work out a surprising amount about a watch in a few seconds.

Serial number or reference number?

• The reference number tells you the model: which line it belongs to, the movement, the size, the case material and so on. Every watch of that model shares it.
• The serial number is unique to your individual watch, like a fingerprint.

	Reference number	Serial number
What it identifies	The model	Your individual watch
Shared with other watches?	Yes	No
Example format	962.006 or WK1110	A short mix of letters and digits
Needed for an offer from us?	Yes	Not usually

When we ask for "the reference" on our sell form, this is the one we mean, because it's the one that tells us what you have.

Where to find them

On the caseback

Turn the watch over. On TAG Heuer watches the reference is normally engraved on the caseback, with the serial number directly beneath it, often below the TAG Heuer logo and the water-resistance marking. Look for one of two formats:

• Six digits with a full stop, such as 962.006. These are the original references, used until the early 1990s.
• Letters followed by digits, such as WE1110, WK1110 or WN1112. TAG Heuer switched to this system around 1992.

On the box, papers or receipt

If you still have the original box, warranty card or receipt, the reference is usually printed there too. Watches made around the changeover in the early 1990s often have an old-style number on the paperwork and a new-style number on the caseback. That's normal.

If the engraving is worn

Thirty or forty years of wear can leave caseback engraving faint. Clean the caseback with a soft, dry cloth, then photograph it at an angle with a single light source, such as a desk lamp or a window, coming from the side. Raking light makes shallow engraving much easier to read. Take several photos, turning the watch slightly between each, and zoom in on your phone rather than holding the camera very close. If you still can't make it out, send us clear photos of the dial, caseback and bracelet and we can usually identify the model from those.

Old numerical references: "My Dog Sleeps"

Until the early 1990s, Heuer and TAG Heuer used purely numerical references, written as three digits, a full stop and three more digits. The first 2000 series watches from 1982 carry these, for example 962.006.

The mnemonic is My Dog Sleeps:

Word	Stands for	Where it is	Example: 962.006
My	Model	The first three digits	962 identifies the model
Dog	Dial (or variant)	The digit after the full stop	0
Sleeps	Size	The last two digits	06 is the largest men's size

The size codes are the most consistent part of the system, and collectors agree on them:

Last two digits	Size
06	Largest men's size
13	Mid-size (standard)
15	Boy's size or large ladies'
08	Ladies' size

So a 962.013 is the same family as a 962.006, in the mid-size case.

A word of caution on the "Dog". The middle digit often relates to the dial or variant, but it isn't a hard rule. Dial colour sometimes changes the first three digits instead: collectors list 962.006 with a black dial and 972.006 with a grey dial, for example. Use "My Dog Sleeps" to get your bearings, then check the full reference against the reference list in our complete TAG Heuer 2000 guide.

You'll sometimes see a suffix after the six digits, such as 962.006-2 or a letter R. These appear on genuine watches, but there's no published key to what they mean.

New alphanumeric references: "Tom's Shark Makes Swimmers Move Down Below"

From around 1992, TAG Heuer switched to the letter-and-number references it still uses today, such as WK1110 or WN1112, usually followed by a bracelet code like .BA0337. The 2000 series references from this era use a single series letter after the W or C.

The mnemonic is Tom's Shark Makes Swimmers Move Down Below:

Word	Stands for	What it tells you
Tom's	Type	First letter. W is a watch, C is a chronograph.
Shark	Series	Second letter. In the 2000 family, E, K and N are the ones you'll see most.
Makes	Movement	First digit. 1 is quartz, 2 is automatic, 5 is an automatic chronometer.
Swimmers	Size	Second digit. 0 large men's, 1 men's, 2 medium, 3 ladies', 4 small ladies'.
Move	Material	Third digit. 1 is steel, 2 is steel and gold plated. Other codes vary.
Down	Dial	Fourth digit. Identifies the dial, but there's no fixed pattern.
Below	Bracelet	The code after the full stop. BA is a steel bracelet.

The series letters you'll meet on 2000 series watches, according to collector and dealer records:

• WE for the first generation once the new references arrived (from 1992)
• WK and CK for the second generation from 1995, and the later 2000 Classic
• WN and CN for the 2000 Exclusive

A worked example: WN1112

• W: a watch rather than a chronograph
• N: the 2000 Exclusive
• 1: quartz
• 1: men's size
• 1: steel case
• 2: the dial variant (collectors record the WN1112 with a blue dial)

A worked example: CN2112

• C: a chronograph
• N: the 2000 Exclusive
• 2: automatic
• 1: men's size
• 1: steel
• 2: the dial variant

The bracelet code

The part after the full stop identifies the strap or bracelet the watch was sold on. BA means a steel bracelet, and two-tone steel and gold bracelets often start BD. The four digits after the letters don't follow a consistent rule, and the same bracelet code was used on several different watches, so don't read too much into them.

Dashes on the caseback

Some casebacks show a dash and a number after the reference, such as WE1110-2. This usually marks a running change to the same model rather than a year of production.

What the serial number can and can't tell you

TAG Heuer serial numbers are usually a short mix of letters and digits, engraved on the caseback beneath the reference. There's no public chart that converts a TAG Heuer serial number into a production year, whatever some websites claim. Only TAG Heuer can check a serial against its own records, so if you need a confirmed date, contact a TAG Heuer boutique or service centre with the serial and reference.

What a serial is useful for:

• Matching paperwork. The serial on the caseback should match any warranty card or receipt that comes with the watch.
• Spotting copies. Counterfeiters often reuse the same serial on many watches, so it's worth searching the serial online before you buy.
• Not panicking if there isn't one. Some older Heuer and TAG Heuer watches were made without a serial on the caseback. A missing serial on its own isn't proof of a problem, but combined with other doubts it's a reason to ask more questions.

If you want to narrow down when a quartz 2000 was made, the movement can help. Many quartz movements carry a date stamp on the coil, for example "4.88" for April 1988, which a watchmaker can check when the caseback is off.

Transition watches with two numbers

Because the change happened in the early 1990s, it's normal to find a watch from that period with an old-style number on the box or papers and a new-style number on the caseback. Collectors pair 962.006 with WE1110, for example. That isn't a sign of a fake, just a watch from the changeover.

Put it to use

Next time you pick up a 2000 series watch, read the caseback and run through the mnemonic. Then look it up in the full reference list in our complete TAG Heuer 2000 guide, which also gives typical price ranges, or if you're thinking of selling, send us the reference and a few photos and we'll make you an offer within 24 to 48 hours.