Skip to main content

New report has really good news for anyone who wants to buy a Rolex

A report just announced this is the year for you to add a Rolex to your collection

Rolex Submariner.
Rolex / Rolex

Sometimes, high-end items we have dreamed of owning are just out of reach of our budget. If getting your first or adding to your Rolex collection has been on your list for a while, it’s time to sit up and take notice. A report from Morgan Stanley compiled from keeping an eye on the WatchCharts Overall Market Index, which clocks the prices of 10 brands that oversee 60 Swiss watches on the second-hand and used market, shows we are in a sweet spot to scoop up these gorgeous wristwatches.

The price drop explained

Rolex two-toned blue and silver watch.
Caramel / Unsplash

For the second quarter in a row this year and the ninth consecutively, prices for luxury watches have dropped. In the first quarter of 2024, brands encountered a 2.1% drop in prices against a 1.2% year-over-year dip.

Recommended Videos

According to experts, things are going to get better anytime soon. It has been predicted there will only be more of the same, with Morgan Stanley thinking prices will steadily decline for the rest of the year. While that is not great news for the brands, it is music to a collector’s ears.

The brands seeing the bottom

In addition to Rolex, whose prices saw a 7.2% decrease in the second quarter, heavy hitters like Omega dropped their prices by 6.9%, Tag Hauer had a 7.9% drop in prices, Tudor dropped prices by a staggering 9.3%, and Patek Philippe watched their price tags take a huge double-digit hit of 10.7%.

The brands that made it out alive

Not everyone is having a hard time out there. Jaeger-Lecoultre held steady with a 0.4% increase, but the winner was Hamilton, who was able to increase prices by 2.2% in quarter two.

Why the price drop matters

A Rolex 1016 Explorer "Full Set, Frog Foot" watch.
Bob's Watches / Rolex

When prices drop for second-hand or used watches, it does affect prices for ones freshly assembled. But Rolex has been one constant that didn’t need to worry about that, as its watch prices held it together despite the fluctuation in the market. With this turn of events, those who buy a vintage Rolex with intentions to resell and not to keep won’t see as great of a return, which drives prices down even more. This also leaves more watches on the table for the wearers and collectors to purchase.

Go get that Rolex

That spells out great news for anyone wanting to add a Rolex to their personal collection. With less demand from these resellers, lovers of the craftmanship Rolex brings to pieces like the Submariner or Explorer have a better shot at grabbing one for themselves. We aren’t saying to keep waiting and keep waiting to see how the rest of the year or 2025 goes. But having to wait well over 150 days in 2022 compared to less than 100 days now, if you see a GMT-Master II you want come up for, buy it now.

Waiting for an exclusive watch to become available is a game no collector wants to play. While we are sure Rolex and other Swiss brands didn’t want to see prices take a drop, wearers of the timepieces need to act as soon as possible when a watch they’ve been waiting for pop up anytime this year. If you are investing in a Rolex or other Swiss brand for yourself, there’s no better time and no more excuses.

Topics
Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
G-Shock celebrates Japanese art with new limited-edition watches
You'll love the Japanese art on the dial of these two watches
G-shock DW-5600KHG24-1

G-Shock often collaborates with creatives, artists, painters, and other professionals, offering a suitable platform for exhibiting art. And sometimes, it chooses to showcase artists who have been venerated for decades. These two new watches, the DW-5600KHK24-1 and DW-5600KHG24-1, were rolled out with stylish dials that dive deep into Japanese art culture, marrying one of the most iconic Japanese watch brands with iconic Japanese art.

It’s a collection that explores Katsushika Hokusai’s work—the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. As the name hints, this is a series of landscape views exhibited on Japanese woodblock prints. Katsushika Hokusai is one of the most famous artists from Japan's Edo Period.

Read more
Hamilton unveils new Jazzmaster Open Heart in two sizes — 42mm and 36mm
You'll love the new Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart
Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart

Hamilton added new timepieces to the Jazzmaster Open Heart collection, available in two sizes.

Founded in the 19th century, the brand manufactured many watches in the past few decades, from pocket and military pieces to mechanical timepieces. The latest addition creates a balance between high-quality horology and elegance.

Read more
Bulova’s new Snorkel watches bring the vibrant world of marine life to your wrist
This Bulova collection will remind you of the ocean
Bulova Snorkel collection

Bulova welcomed the new year with a new line of timepieces, the Bulova Snorkel Collection, which draws inspiration from sharks, turtles, and marine life. This new collection complements other aquatic timepieces that were launched in the past, extending Bulova’s catalog.

“It is meant to create an extremely price-competitive sport watch, utilizing innovative materials while also celebrating what makse us passionate about the oceans, the seas, and marine life, a universe which is both mysterious, vibrant, and exciting and inspiring—all values we seek to embody in Bulova,” said Jeffrey Cohen, CEO of Citizen Watch America.

Read more