How Much is a Rolex? Cost of new and pre-owned Rolex Watches
It’s no secret that Rolex is one of the most prestigious and recognized watch brands in the world. As such, it’s also well-known that Rolex watches come with hefty price tags. But how much does a Rolex cost exactly?
Well, there are many different ways to answer that question. And frankly, the answer is quite broad. Asking how much a Rolex cost is like asking how much a Mercedes costs. You can buy an old Mercedes for just a few thousand bucks, but you can also buy a Mercedes Project One which has a sticker price of US$2.72 million.
Rolex market price VS recommended retail price
When we talk about Rolex prices, we need to distinguish between market prices and recommended retail prices. The recommended retail prices are the prices that Rolex sets and expects its official retailers to sell their watches for. Naturally, the recommended retail price only applies to watches that are in production. Older watches only exist on the secondhand market and thus follow the market price. Rolex only has control over the recommended retail prices for the watches that its official retailers sell.
It’s easier to talk about the recommended retail prices because Rolex keeps its prices relatively stable over time. In general, Rolex increases its prices once a year but only
The prices on the secondhand market, on the other hand, are driven by the power of the different market factors and as such, they tend to be much more volatile. Some models may increase dramatically in value in just a short period of time, but others may actually decrease in value for various reasons.
But to get a rough idea of how much a Rolex watch is, we can take a look at the price spans of Rolex’s recommended retail prices:
Rolex’s most affordable model is currently the Oyster Perpetual 28mm. This is Rolex’s most simple and basic timepiece, made in stainless steel and with a size of 28mm. It has a recommended retail price in EUR of €4950, approx 5000 USD. On the same token, Rolex’s most expensive timepieces are so-called “off-catalog watches” that are not part of Rolex’s standard product catalog and cannot be found on the Rolex website.
This is to make them more exclusive as they are primarily offered to very special VIP customers and are usually only made on request. The off-catalog watches are normally gem-set with lots of different gemstones and always made in precious metals such as gold or platinum. Rolex’s most expensive watches cost more than 100 thousand dollars. The most expensive recommended retail price for a Rolex watch is approximately $480,000 for the completely iced-out Rolex GMT Master II “Ice”.
So with that in mind, we can say that a Rolex watch is $5000 to about $480.000 depending on which model you buy, assuming you buy it at an official Rolex retailer. Most watches that Rolex sells cost between $7000 and $20000. This is the region where most Rolex watches are in terms of the retail price, but there are, as mentioned, both more expensive, and less expensive.
Note that the recommended retail price for Rolex watches may vary slightly in different countries due to the use of different currencies and retail price changes by Rolex in different countries at different times. Refer to this guide for a better understanding of how Rolex retail prices can differ in different countries.
The Rolex market price is not the same as the retail price
The market price for Rolex watches is a lot different from the recommended retail price. The prices on the secondhand market are driven by the basic market principles of supply and demand. And if you are familiar with the current situation of Rolex watches, you know that the demand for Rolex watches has increased dramatically in recent years. This is also combined with a production that doesn’t meet the demand for the watches.
The result is that the prices of Rolex watches have increased dramatically over the years. The scarcity of Rolex watches has resulted in long waiting lists of many models from recommended Rolex retailers and great difficulty in getting the opportunity to buy one. The result of this is that the price for many models on the secondhand market is higher than the recommended retail price that Rolex retailers are expected to follow.
Therefore, you should not just look at the price on the Rolex website or in a catalog and expect to be able to buy one for that price. You may try your luck by going to an authorized Rolex retailer, but depending on the model you are looking for, they may add you to the waiting list, or tell you that they have closed the waiting lists because the demand is simply too high to meet the supply.
If the response you are getting isn’t very positive or indicative that you’ll actually be able to buy one, you may have to look for the watch on the secondhand market. And if you do, you need to expect to pay more for the watch than the recommended retail price.
What is the cheapest Rolex watch?
Whilst you should expect to pay more for the most sought-after Rolex watches on the secondhand market than the recommended retail price (assuming that they are still in production), you can actually find more affordable Rolex watches on the secondhand market. The general rule is that Rolex watches become more expensive when they are officially discontinued, but if you look at older Rolex watches, that isn’t always the case.
There are still a number of Rolex watches that offer great value for money. In general, Rolex sports watches tend to be more expensive on the secondhand market, but if you can consider some more elegant and dressy alternatives, you can find a Rolex watch that offers great value for money.
You can find a selection of affordable vintage Rolex watches on the secondhand market in functioning condition (perhaps a bit worn and with signs of aging) at around $2000 to $4000 which is cheaper than any other Rolex watch in production.
Some of the most affordable secondhand Rolex watches include:
- Older Oyster Dates
- Vintage Oyster Perpetual watches
- Older Cellini Watches
- In general older Rolex watches in small sizes (between 20 to 34mm)
Generally speaking, older ladies’ watches are more affordable than men’s watches due to the fact that the demand for Rolex watches is higher amongst men than amongst women.
You can in fact find Rolex watches on the secondhand market that cost around $1000 but these are almost always ladies’ watches and usually in poor condition.
