The 5 Most Sought-After Rolex Models in Collection – And the Sad Reality of the Market

55 responses

1. I ll never buy a Rolex. I ll just watch others overpay for mass produced 1.5 million watches a year no heart no soul never a nice caliber watch 😂

2. In my opinion non of them is worth the premium.

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3. I will never pay over retail, and I have 5 rolex’s

4. Oh lord, won’t you buy me that Mercedes hand?
   My friends all wear Heuers, I must make amends.

5. SHAG M Save Horology Avoid Gray Market .

6. I have had a Pepsi for 33 years cost circa £1250
   Have bought second hand Omega Speedmaster and buying Tudor Woods.
   Some real bargains out there if you keep away from Rolex!

7. You can’t help but wonder – with no stock at ADs but reasonable availability (albeit at exorbitant prices) elsewhere – if some ADs aren’t playing games. Why sell at the RRP if you are able to sell at a premium in a pre-owned store? Meantime, us normal idiot watch lovers continue to wait up to 8 years for our Sky-Dweller… Either way: well played, Rolex.

8. Air King for me, not this bezel stuff.

9. @Gil haha that was truly funny!

10. Omega makes much more accurate and durable watches.

11. Blancpain FF for me.

12. 9 years ago I bought a 116610LV at list price from a German retailer. At that time I found it very expensive for what it is, but still acceptable (to me). At today’s prices I find the value proposition of this watch to be totally ludicrous. And I think that the current market value defeats its purpose as a tool watch. Since I am old enough to no longer need status symbols on my wrist, I might very well end up selling it … it might just hang in for some more time to see how much more these things will appreciate … 😉

13. What, if I may ask, is the point of this article? We all know the shape the market has been in for a few years now. I am honestly at a loss here. As you aren’t telling us anything new, what is it you’re trying to tell us?

14. @Gwai – it all depends on what you imply by « we ». If you mean seasoned watch lovers, nothing new for you. However our audience isn’t just about those. We also have newcomers, people who want to buy their first watch, people who haven’t à deep knowledge of the industry/market and so on. Explains why.

15. Fair enough, Brice, and thank your for responding in what clearly must be record speed. It is just that whenever I read about how desirable certain Rolex references are, and I get to read that a lot, ‘refueling the market’ comes to my mind. No offense.

16. Thank-you. I am new to the market. I have been looking, (very unsuccessfully) for a Batman. I purchased my ‘’fancy’’ day date 40 in rose gold, but wanted an every day wearer. Naturally, I am aware of the retail price, and the prices being asked on secondary market. There was some confusion on my part as to why. If people have the ability to acquire a watch why the need to double their money and in effect screw over a fellow collector. I would happily pay someone a $500 or $1000 bonus but will be damned to pay someone $20k for a watch they paid $9500 for. Sadly, I will buy something else. I do appreciate the occasional article highlighting some of the basics with a current market update attached.

17. @Santiago

    Heh! I should’ve made it rhyme though: “make a stand”, instead of “make amends”. D’oh.

18. This whole “steel Rolex shortage” thing is both amusing and perplexing. I would like to know:
    1) When exactly did this start?
    2) Who is buying up all these steel Rolex watches and causing the shortage? What countries are these buyers from? Is this a China phenomenon? Is this Middle East buyers? Is there any place to pinpoint as to who is sucking up all these thousands of Rolex watches every year and causing a shortage?
    3) Is there any evidence that this is all fake — so that Rolex can sell more precious metal watches?

    I’m sure there are more questions. I would like to see some real investigative journalism by some watch site. Certainly you are not going to get any from the lazy asses at places like A Blog To Watch, but maybe somebody with ambition and guts would do this. It’s almost Pulitzer material at this point…

19. It’s not just these models that are hard to find. Something very wrong is going on. Not long ago I was in two Rolex boutiques, one very large, one quite small but in a prime location. There were many watches. Only two of them were plain steel. That is, there was one steel watch in each location. Every other watch was gold and diamond-encrusted. You know, the “Vegas” watches that nobody wants? Well, STILL nobody wants them!
    I visited the smaller dealership maybe 2 years ago and it was full of watches. Three weeks ago, the same place looked like it had just been robbed; most of the cases were empty. In one case there was only one watch. A case designed for 30 watches. It had a single, sad, solitary 36mm Oyster Perpetual. There was one customer in the place when I arrived. The salesman was saying “No, we have no idea how long” and the customer walked away saying, “Well, you’ve got my number.”

    This is not going to end well for Rolex.

20. I have 2 sports Rolex but I will never pay above retail for any Rolex. C’mon, it’s just a watch. There are so many great watches like a Lange which I am willing to save up for, than pay a premium for a steel Rolex.

21. The person who buys at a high premium is the one that will be the loser when the next GFC happens , buying at an inflated premium means someone else has made the profit , all the buyer can hope for is not to sell at less than what he purchased the watch for . I wonder just how many people want a steel Rolex simply because its hard to get one ? During the last GFC I struggled to get Aud$5K for a Pepsi Bezel GMT with full set , when people are unemployed and have a mortgage to pay , these things will flood the market .

22. I bought brand new Explorer from official dealer (Helsinki) couple years ago for the price of 5400€. Waiting time was couple months and discount something like -20%. The discount of Omega like Seamasters would have been -40% on the same dealer at the same time.

    I am wearing my Explorer 16 hrs/day and it works like it should be. I am pretty sure, that I could give it away to my son, when that day will dawn.

23. Info is great insight. Just subscribed.

24. 18k Day Date All Day Long.

25. Agree that paying above retail for a new Rolex is just not worth it. The limited offerings at the retailers are a due to a combination of Rolex strategy to limit the production of the most desirable models which causes a hype/panic buying in the market and the fact that a lot of the new production ends up in the grey market. The vintage Rolex market is equally stressed. I like both new and vintage Rolex a lot, but not at these price-points. Price-quality wise Tudor and Oris to name a few are much better and more affordable propositions.

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26. Rolex make some great watches. I have had mine for over 30 years and I am confident that one of my grandsons will get it when I am gone. They have become stupidly expensive since I bought mine at normal retail price. There are loads of good watches out there without paying these huge prices. You could get 3 or 4 nice watches for the price of one of those. A Seamaster which I think is a very desirable watch is almost free by comparison.

27. just pay the premium if money is no issue, or forget about these hyped up models.
    Btw, can anyone tell me why the blue/black Rolex is called “Batman” ? I don’t see Batman has anything to do with blue colour.

28. The price one is willing to spend will depend on how much you really want its company and the tale you both will share. Enjoy what suits your own persona and embrace others!

29. Batman, Hulk…maybe Rolex should rebrand their name as Marvel 🤣

30. Even the “waiting list” is a scam of sorts. I found out that these lists cater to those repeat customers or customers who are “friends” of the AD, whatever that means. The rest of those on these waiting lists will wait, and wait, and wait, and wait…It feels like a huge scam from top (Rolex) to bottom. How does a company keep their reputation by acting so arrogantly and dismissive towards what was once a loyal customer base?

31. @Tommy the original Batman (the comic superhero) aesthetic was black and blue – blue cape, boots, gloves, etc. It was only more recently that his outfit was re-imagined all black. Hence the nickname.

32. Omega, Omega, Omega. No need for Rolex!!!

33. I have both the hulk and the batman models. They are lovely but i prefer both my omega planet ocean which has much brighter and longer lasting lume
    My next watch will be blanchpain

34. I don’t see the problem.

    If I want to buy a steel bicycle frame from a top builder, I put my name down and wait a year or so. Similarly for a 911 GT3 it requires a EUR 1mn spend, employing the dealer principal’s son, 1mn Instagram followers etc. That way, the product has huge additional value. The problem comes though when people who want to start the relationship just can’t get started. This is why Porsche will launch the next Cayman GT4 with less limited numbers than the last generation.

    I think the next moves from Rolex will be interesting. My bet is that they will be thinking that the economy can go bad at any time, and historically this means a larger drop in volumes for discretionary spend items like watches, so they will move slowly. They will increase production volumes and also slowly increase prices so that they pick up the money available on the table rather than leaving it for competitors. They will of course never admit to this, but look out for building work in Plan-les-Ouates!

    That said, they will wish to maintain a halo effect, so that items like the Daytona and Pepsi always have a multi-year “can’t get your name on the list” waiting list in order to gain free media, position the brand ahead of others and segment their market so that people who want new watches buy bicolour or gold.

    So for watches with a 20% grey premium, you’re probably better off spending the money with a grey dealer rather than waiting a year and then paying 15% more. But for watches with a 100% premium I’d recommend finding a nice dealer and joining the queue. Or spending your money on something else.

35. Ok, I’ve followed Rolex from the late 70s As a kid, loving those earlier ads in newsweek and TIME, the advertising was very purposeful. Very specific from Reinhold Messner using his oysterquartz to yehudi Menuhin. I think, and I’m certain that clever marketing has propelled Rolex to the fore, they’re too clever where marketing is concerned, lets look at Mercedes Gleitz who was given the first truly waterproof watch around her neck. You can all despise Rolex for it’s prowess, its a wristwatch. People expand this watch to invaluable levels, that’s hardly the fault of Rolex? It’s the wealthiest ‘watch only’ company on earth…. Ok, some models less appealing than the eye permits, but remember, it’s just a watch, we as humans have made it what we see it as, there’s a crown for every achievement.

36. Additionally, I’d like to integrate into the topic that the Rolex explorer could have, should have possibly been one of the more sought-after models, but, this isn’t the case because its unpretentiously tool andi feel something is amiss as regards the style of especially the fixed bezel models which look like a GMT Master but has lost its true explorer DNA from the early 70s, if, and only if Rolex are interested, i have the ultimate design solution for the aesthetics of that particular watch which i cannot reveal to anyone but Rolex.

37. A lot of people who can afford to buy have decided not to play these games. They have moved-on, spent their money elsewhere and are very happy. The appalling arrogance of some dealers and the company itself has alienated a great many people. On a side note, the only boutique which has ever given me attitude was a Rolex boutique. Oh and Chopard. Once. And I walked to another Chopard Boutique and told them of my experience and they apologised and offered me a discount to make up for it. Every other company has treated me well, right up to Lange and Patek Philippe, in their
    Cannot–Believe-This-Is-Actually-A-Watch-Shop-Palace-On-The-Bund-Shanghai.
    We are very nearly at the point where only idiots buy Rolexes.
    Hell, we’re already there.

38. So what did you buy from Chopard, Lange and Patek, JAGOTW? Kept that lot under your hat!

39. Sorry, I tend to get a little confused with which JAGOTW to show an appropriate amount of credulity to. The one who says, “We are very nearly at the point where only idiots buy Rolexes. Hell, we’re already there.” or the one who says, “Educated enthusiasts know that Rolex is not the be-all and end-all of horology. They buy a Rolex because of the timeless quality of the design, often I believe, DESPITE the hype and marketing and price-gouging.” :S

    And when someone looks down their nose at you, ruin their moment. Gently whisper in their ear, ‘fuck off and get me someone who isn’t allergic to doing business.’

40. People do buy for those reasons and refuse to buy for the reasons currently being discussed.

41. Cheap available finance, plus increased social media pressure means every Tom Dick and Harry has. steel sports watch. When the next GFC hits the market will be flooded with very cheap steel watches.

42. Los Rolex son hermosos eternos y caros y sus fabricantes bien lo saben y al igual que patek realizan pocos ejemplares para no perder valor y gente con ganas de tenerlo yo que soy un trabajador de clase media baja pude comprar cuando el tipo de cambio estuvo a mi favor y por supuesto usado con ver crono 24 puede encontrar cosas usadas muy intetesantes

43. Ese no es el problema. Hay muchos otros relojes de igual o mejor calidad. El encanto es realizado por el departamento de marketing de Rolex, no por la realidad. Hay una cafetería muy buena cerca de mí. Me gusta. Pago un poco más porque el café es bueno. Pero si se quedan sin café, o me dicen que tengo que comprar cinco tazas de té antes de comprar un café, dejaré de comprarlo. Rolex se ha vestido de fantasía. Cuando la fachada se desliza, todo se derrumba

44. El marketing lo es todo en la sociedad moderna es cual marca te gusta para usar de zapatillas de camisa de reloj lo que sea en mi país hay un cantor con mucho sentido del humor que en los años 70 se burlaba de la gaseosa más famosa y la alababa y contaba los milagros que hizo en el y hasta es una estrofa relataba que había matado a su padre por que le negó la gaseosa popular todo en tono de humor claro esta y cerraba la canción diciendo la generación de su competidora y el mundo de ya sabemos de quien hablamos eso es marketing

45. Esto suena como si aceptas la mentira y la abrazas como verdad. Esta debe ser la “etapa final” del consumismo: “Sé que es una tontería, todo el mundo sabe que es una tontería. Pero estas mentiras se han convertido en la verdad compartida de la humanidad”.
    Una vez escuché a un Gurú de Marketing hablar así. Se le preguntó sobre una marca particular de artículos de cuero que había decidido representar recientemente y por qué la gente debería comprar sus productos. NADA de lo que dijo acerca de este “marca” tenía nada que ver con los detalles del producto. Estaba perdido en su propio mundo de metalogic, hasta el punto de que la realidad ni siquiera se le había ocurrido.
    Rechazo enfáticamente este punto de vista.

46. El mundo capitalista es así quien lo puede cambiar?
    Ya lo dijo Dostohiesky la malicia esta cosida con hilo blanco,la elección siempre es personal y no en todas las ocaciones elijo la mejor

47. Casi ninguno de nosotros puede permitirse elegir el mejor y Rolex ciertamente no es el mejor. ¡Ni siquiera casi! Estoy seguro de que lo sabes. Pero más difícil, tan difícil que la mayoría de la gente ni siquiera hace el esfuerzo, es averiguar cuál es realmente. ¿Quién es el mejor zapatero de la Tierra? Si tuviera el dinero, haría algunas cosas poco ortodoxas para poder tener un reloj Daniels. ¿Para un “producto” producido en masa como un Daytona?
    No.

48. That’s NOT the Hulk, it is the Kermit!! (16610LV)

49. @Ian Spike Smith… sorry to contradict, but the watch in the article IS the Hulk, as it features a ceramic bezel and a green dial. The Kermit 16610LV has a green aluminium bezel and a black dial.

50. #stopgrayrolex

51. A Sales rep at an AD a while back mentioned he has a “bunch” in a safety deposit box. Nice.

52. Rolex bubble price will be soon explode . Because people not like being treated buying a wristwatch like buying a property. Queue with not possibility to get one that is rude way to bake the price.

53. Ah hello? The reason I buy then is :
    I’ve never lost money on buying one. Daytona paid $10k sold a week ago for $18. Sea Dweller Red paid $12200 sold for $13500. Have a yg President, Deep sea James Cameron, and Sea Dweller.

    So for me they are free to wear and a privilege.

54. I love all my Rolexes. Proud fanboy for over 30 years! Have NEVER lost a dime on any of them. Some of them have appreciated many times more than what I paid for them. A pleasure to collect and own.

55. My father purchased a ROLEX GMT Master (1675) as a pesent for me when I was first hired as a pilot for a major airline flying DC 8’s. I believe he paid $175.00 USD for the watch from a store Little Switzerland in St Thomas Virgin Islands. I have been wearing the watch every day since he gave it to me in 1968. Aside from a cleaning and adjustment (no parts replaced) every few years, the watch has been a flawless time piece