Icon · Senior Rolex specialist on MostExpensiveWatches.net
Rolex
Hans Wilsdorf founded Rolex in London in 1905 before relocating the company to Geneva in 1919. Technically, the brand focuses on industrial precision and durability rather than high-complication horology. It is known for developing the Oyster waterproof case and the Perpetual self-winding rotor mechanism. Most movements are COSC-certified chronometers produced in-house with a focus on consistency and serviceability. In the current market, Rolex occupies the luxury mass-production tier, with estimated annual production exceeding one million units. Prices typically range from five thousand to over fifty thousand dollars, though secondary market values often exceed retail prices due to high demand. The Submariner dive watch serves as the defining model line for the brand, establishing the template for the modern stainless steel sports watch through its unidirectional bezel and high water resistance ratings.
Ask the Rolex AI specialist
Hi — I am the AI specialist for Rolex. Rolex is the most universally recognized luxury watch brand. I can help you find specific references in live inventory across every dealer we track, compare prices, and explain provenance, papers, and what to look for. What are you researching?
Voice mode requires microphone access. Audio streams live to Gemini and is not stored. The specialist can recommend specific listings, never complete a purchase.
Featured Rolex listings
Default selection is the highest-value live inventory across tracked dealers. Rolex can claim this store and curate the picks.
Rolex · material-good
Rolex Rolex Daytona 6263 6263
Ref. 6263 · 18k Yellow Gold
€271k
Rolex · craft-and-tailored
Rolex 1982 Rolex Day-Date 18K WG (Ref. 18039) Onyx Stone Dial 18
Ref. 18039 · Stainless Steel
€271k
Rolex · craft-and-tailored
Rolex 1978 Rolex Datejust 18K WG (Ref. 1601) Lapis Lazuli Stone
Ref. 1978 · Stainless Steel
€221k
Rolex · material-good
Rolex Rolex Daytona 126528 "Le Mans" 126528
Ref. 126528 · 18k Yellow Gold
€207k
Rolex · bulang-and-sons
Rolex Rolex GMT-Master 1675/8 Unqiue Brown Khanjar Nipple Dial w
Ref. 1675/8 · 18k Yellow Gold
€202k
Rolex · material-good
Rolex Rolex Daytona 6265 6265
Ref. 6265 · 18k Yellow Gold
€175k
3488 live Rolex listings tracked
Range €3k - €345k · median €9k · 8 tracked dealers.
material-good
Rolex Daytona 6263
Ref. 6263 · 18k Yellow Gold
€271k
craft-and-tailored
1982 Rolex Day-Date 18K WG (Ref. 18039) Onyx Stone Dial
Ref. 18039 · Stainless Steel
€271k
craft-and-tailored
1978 Rolex Datejust 18K WG (Ref. 1601) Lapis Lazuli Stone Di
Ref. 1978 · Stainless Steel
€221k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 126528 "Le Mans"
Ref. 126528 · 18k Yellow Gold
€207k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex GMT-Master 1675/8 Unqiue Brown Khanjar Nipple Dial wit
Ref. 1675/8 · 18k Yellow Gold
€202k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 6265
Ref. 6265 · 18k Yellow Gold
€175k
craft-and-tailored
1965 Rolex Submariner (Ref. 5513) Gilt Explorer Dial W/ Box
Ref. 1965 · Stainless Steel
€161k
watch-collectors-uk
Rolex Day-Date Masterpiece 39mm | REF. 18956BR | Platinum |
Ref. 18956BR · Platinum
€129k
watch-collectors-uk
Rolex Day-Date Masterpiece 39 | REF. 18956 | Platinum | Blac
Ref. 18956 · Platinum
€124k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 6263 "Big Red" Silver Dial
Ref. 6263 · Stainless Steel
€115k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex Chronograph ref. 4500 Pulsations Dial
Ref. 4500 · Stainless Steel
€109k
material-good
Rolex GMT-Master II 126715CHNR "Root Beer" Tiger Iron Dial
Ref. 56-01029 · 18k Rose Gold
€101k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 6265 "Big Red"
Ref. 6265 · Stainless Steel
€91k
craft-and-tailored
*Unpolished* 1991 Rolex 'Zenith' Daytona 18K YG (Ref. 16528)
Ref. 16528 · Stainless Steel
€90k
craft-and-tailored
1983 Rolex Daytona (Ref. 6263) Silver "Big Red" Dial
Ref. 1983 · 18k Yellow Gold
€82k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6263 Big Red Floating Silver Soleil
Ref. 6263 · Stainless Steel
€78k
craft-and-tailored
1964 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona (Ref. 6239) Silver Dial W/ Box
Ref. 1964 · 18k Yellow Gold
€77k
craft-and-tailored
1978 Rolex Daytona (Ref. 6265) Black "Floating Big Red" Dial
Ref. 1978 · 18k Yellow Gold
€71k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 16528 Black Floating Dial in 18k Ye
Ref. 16528 · 18k Yellow Gold
€64k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex Day-Date 18038 Petrol Blue Stella Dial in 18k Yellow G
Ref. 18038 · 18k Yellow Gold
€64k
craft-and-tailored
1955 Rolex Oyster Precision (Ref. 6246) Black Honeycomb “Ste
Ref. 1955 · Stainless Steel
€63k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 6239 "Cherry Red"
Ref. 6239 · Stainless Steel
€62k
watch-collectors-uk
Rolex Day-Date | REF. 1804 | Oxblood Red 'Stella' Dial | Rar
Ref. 1804 · 18k Rose Gold
€60k
material-good
Rolex Precision "Cover Watch" 4599
Ref. 4599 · 18k Yellow Gold
€59k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6265 MK2 Silver Sigma Panda Dial
Ref. 6265 · Stainless Steel
€59k
craft-and-tailored
1991 Rolex Day-Date 18K WG "Bark" (Ref. 18249) Slate Diamond
Ref. 18249 · 18k Yellow Gold
€57k
material-good
Rolex Day-Date 40 228235
Ref. 228235 · 18k Rose Gold
€55k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 116508-0004
Ref. 116508-0004 · 18k Yellow Gold
€55k
watch-collectors-uk
Rolex Day-Date | REF. 18078 | Cherry Red 'Stella' Diamond Di
Ref. 18078 · 18k Yellow Gold
€53k
material-good
Rolex Land-Dweller 127235
Ref. 127235 · 18k Rose Gold
€53k
material-good
Rolex GMT-Master II 126718GRNR
Ref. 56-01052 · 18k Yellow Gold
€52k
craft-and-tailored
1980 Rolex Datejust 18K YG (Ref. 16018) Onyx Stone Dial
Ref. 16018 · Stainless Steel
€48k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 116518LN
Ref. 56-00953 · 18k Yellow Gold
€46k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex Submariner 5512 4-liner Gilt Chapter Ring Exclamation
Ref. 5512 · Stainless Steel
€45k
material-good
Rolex Day-Date 18238 Pleiade Dial
Ref. 18238 · 18k Yellow Gold
€45k
material-good
Rolex Day-Date II 218235
Ref. 218235 · 18k Rose Gold
€44k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 116505
Ref. 116505 · 18k Rose Gold
€44k
material-good
Rolex Sky-Dweller 336238
Ref. 336238 · 18k Yellow Gold
€43k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 116519LN
Ref. 56-00857 · 18k White Gold
€43k
material-good
Rolex Sky-Dweller 336239
Ref. 336239 · 18k White Gold
€41k
material-good
Rolex Sky-Dweller 326235-0005
Ref. 326235-0005 · 18k Rose Gold
€41k
craft-and-tailored
1995 Rolex Day-Date 18K WG (Ref. 18239) Sapphire "Teardrop"
Ref. 18239 · 18k Yellow Gold
€40k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex Day-Date 18078 Green Khanjar Champagne Dial Bark Finis
Ref. 18078 · Platinum
€39k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116520 Panna dial Box and Paper Set
Ref. 116520 · Stainless Steel
€34k
craft-and-tailored
1995 Rolex Day-Date 18K YG (Ref. 18378) Factory Ruby & Diamo
Ref. 18378 · 18k Yellow Gold
€34k
watch-collectors-uk
Rolex Pearlmaster DateJust 34 | REF. 81338 | Mother of Pearl
Ref. 81338 · 18k Yellow Gold
€33k
material-good
Rolex Submariner 1680 "Red Sub"
Ref. 1680 · Stainless Steel
€31k
material-good
Rolex Lady Datejust 6917 Turquoise Stone Dial
Ref. 6917 · 18k Yellow Gold
€31k
watch-collectors-uk
Rolex Queen Midas Cellini | REF. 4341 | 18k Yellow Gold | 25
Ref. 4341 · 18k Yellow Gold
€30k
craft-and-tailored
1981 Rolex Day-Date 18K WG (Ref. 18039) Blue Vignette Diamon
Ref. 18039 · 18k Yellow Gold
€30k
craft-and-tailored
2018 Rolex Day-Date 18K RG (Ref. 118235) Pink Diamond Marker
Ref. 118235 · 18k Yellow Gold
€29k
craft-and-tailored
1991 Rolex Two-Tone Zenith Daytona (Ref. 16523) Black Mk. II
Ref. 16523 · Stainless Steel
€29k
material-good
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 1500
Ref. 1500 · 18k Yellow Gold
€27k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 16518 "Zenith Daytona"
Ref. 16518 · 18k Yellow Gold
€27k
material-good
Rolex Daytona 116500LN
Ref. 56-01067 · Stainless Steel
€27k
watch-collectors-uk
Rolex Lady DateJust 26mm | REF. 179138 | Black Diamond Dial
Ref. 179138 · 18k Yellow Gold
€27k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex Submariner 5513 MilSub with Rolex Service Card
Ref. 5513 · Stainless Steel
€27k
bulang-and-sons
Rolex Submariner 1680 Red Meters First MK2 Dial
Ref. 1680 · Stainless Steel
€26k
material-good
Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLRO "Pepsi"
Ref. 56-01025 · Stainless Steel
€26k
watch-collectors-uk
Rolex Day-Date Platinum | REF. 18346 | Silver Diamond Dial |
Ref. 18346 · Platinum
€25k
Tracked dealers carrying Rolex
| Dealer | Country | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| Hodinkee Shop | US | 1079 |
| Watch Collectors UK | UK | 830 |
| Craft + Tailored | US | 779 |
| Bulang & Sons | DE | 748 |
| Material Good | US | 32 |
| Somlo London | UK | 13 |
| A Collected Man | UK | 6 |
| Collective Horology | US | 1 |
Rolex buying policies
Public summaries. The selling dealer's posted policy is authoritative.
Authentication
All Rolex listings shown on MostExpensiveWatches are tracked from vetted secondary-market dealers. Authentication is the selling dealer's responsibility — for Rolex specifically, confirm serial-to-reference alignment, box-and-papers if claimed, original bracelet links, and movement integrity. For modern pieces, verify the original guarantee card is dated and stamped.
Shipping
Shipping, insurance, duties, and import handling vary by the selling dealer. International buyers should confirm with their local customs broker before committing — luxury watches over $5,000 often require declared insurance and may attract import VAT or duty.
Returns
Return windows vary by dealer (typically 3–14 days for inspection-only returns). Confirm directly with the listing merchant before purchase. MostExpensiveWatches does not process returns directly.
Valuation
Rolex secondary-market prices move with auction comps, production volume signals, and dealer inventory turns. The range shown reflects current live listings — historical auction hammers may sit higher.
Storico aste - Rolex
Hammer price documentati da Phillips, Christie's e Sotheby's.
| Reference | Model | Hammer | Year | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6239 | Daytona 'Paul Newman' | $17,752,500 | 2017 | Phillips New York |
| 6062 | Triple-Calendar Moonphase 'Bao Dai' | $5,066,000 | 2017 | Phillips Geneva |
| 116595RBOW | Daytona Rainbow Everose Gold | $743,000 | 2024 | Phillips New York |
| 6263 | Daytona 'Big Red' (John Mayer's) | $5,400,000 | 2024 | Phillips New York |
| 6263 'RCO' | Daytona 'RCO' Paul Newman Oysterquartz Concept Outdated | $3,724,000 | 2018 | Phillips Geneva |
| 1665 | Double Red Sea-Dweller Mk1 | $220,000 | 2024 | Phillips New York |
| 5514 | COMEX Submariner | $525,000 | 2023 | Phillips Hong Kong |
| 6062 | Stelline (Stars Markers) | $1,140,000 | 2023 | Phillips Geneva |
Frequently asked
What is the price range for Rolex watches?
Currently in stock across our partner retailers, Rolex watches range from $3k to $375k, with a median price of $10k. There are 3488 Rolex references available right now.
Which Rolex references are most available right now?
The top Rolex references currently in stock are 16570, 16613, 1601.
What case materials does Rolex use most often?
Across our live Rolex inventory, the most common case materials are Stainless Steel, 18k Yellow Gold, 18k White Gold.
What complications does Rolex offer?
Our live Rolex inventory features watches with GMT / Dual Time, Chronograph, Moon Phase. Rolex, founded 1905, is the world's most recognized luxury watch brand. Vintage and discontinued references (Daytona Paul Newman, Submariner 'Big Crown') command millions at auction.
Is Rolex a good investment?
Yes — Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, F.P. Journe, A. Lange & Söhne and vintage Rolex have historically outperformed major asset classes including the S&P 500 over 10+ year holding periods (Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index).