How Much Is a Rolex? A Price Guide by Collection
Updated: October 2026.
In 1926, Rolex patented the Oyster, a case with a screw-down back, bezel, and crown that kept out water and dust. In 1931 it added the Perpetual rotor, a free-swinging weight that winds the movement as the wrist moves. Nearly every Rolex since is built on those two ideas, which is why most still say Oyster Perpetual on the dial.
The collections differ in what Rolex added on top. The Submariner brought a rotating dive bezel, the Datejust a date window, the GMT-Master a second time zone, and the Day-Date a case made only in gold or platinum. Those features, and how hard each watch is to get from a boutique, decide its price on the pre-owned Rolex market.
At a Glance
A pre-owned Rolex costs from under US$ 10,000 to more than US$ 60,000. The average steel sports model sits between roughly US$ 10,000 and US$ 20,000, the Explorer 36 and the smaller Oyster Perpetuals start below that, and the Daytona, the discontinued GMT-Master II "Pepsi," and the yellow gold Day-Date 40 sit well above it.
- The original idea, at its original size – Rolex Explorer 36
- The diver's diver – Rolex Sea-Dweller
- The new movement – Rolex Land-Dweller 40
- The one that left the catalog – Rolex GMT-Master II "Pepsi"
- The gold flagship – Rolex Day-Date 40
Browse by collection: Oyster Perpetual, Submariner, Datejust, Day-Date, GMT-Master II, Explorer, Milgauss, Yacht-Master, Sky-Dweller, Daytona
Full comparison
Model Case Movement Price Year Rolex Explorer 36 36 mm × 11.5 mm, Oystersteel Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h US$ 8,500 2021–present Rolex Air-King 40 mm × 11.6 mm, Oystersteel Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h US$ 10,000 2022–present Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 41 mm, Oystersteel Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h US$ 10,800 2025–present Rolex Sea-Dweller 43 mm, Oystersteel Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h US$ 11,600 2017–present Rolex Explorer II 42 mm × 12.5 mm, Oystersteel Cal. 3285, automatic, 70 h US$ 12,500 2021–present Rolex Submariner No-Date 41 mm × 12.5 mm, Oystersteel Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h US$ 12,800 2020–present Rolex Yacht-Master 40 40 mm, Oystersteel with 950 platinum bezel Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h US$ 14,500 2019–present Rolex Milgauss 40 mm × 13.5 mm, Oystersteel Cal. 3131, automatic, 48 h US$ 15,900 2014–2023 (discontinued) Rolex Datejust 41 41 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h US$ 18,100 2017–present Rolex Sky-Dweller 42 mm × 13.8 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel Cal. 9002, automatic, annual calendar and second time zone, 72 h US$ 20,100 2023–present Rolex Land-Dweller 40 40 mm × 9.7 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel Cal. 7135, automatic, 5 Hz, 66 h US$ 23,000 2025–present Rolex 1908 39 mm × 9.5 mm, 18k yellow gold Cal. 7140, automatic, 66 h US$ 26,900 2023–present Rolex GMT-Master II "Pepsi" 40 mm, Oystersteel Cal. 3285, automatic, GMT, 70 h US$ 27,600 2018–2026 (discontinued) Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 40 mm × 11.9 mm, Oystersteel Cal. 4131, automatic chronograph, 72 h US$ 38,500 2023–present Rolex Day-Date 40 40 mm, 18k yellow gold Cal. 3255, automatic, 70 h US$ 61,300 2015–present
A pre-owned Rolex costs from under US$ 10,000 to more than US$ 60,000. The average steel sports model sits between roughly US$ 10,000 and US$ 20,000, the Explorer 36 and the smaller Oyster Perpetuals start below that, and the Daytona, the discontinued GMT-Master II "Pepsi," and the yellow gold Day-Date 40 sit well above it.
- The original idea, at its original size – Rolex Explorer 36
- The diver's diver – Rolex Sea-Dweller
- The new movement – Rolex Land-Dweller 40
- The one that left the catalog – Rolex GMT-Master II "Pepsi"
- The gold flagship – Rolex Day-Date 40
Browse by collection: Oyster Perpetual, Submariner, Datejust, Day-Date, GMT-Master II, Explorer, Milgauss, Yacht-Master, Sky-Dweller, Daytona
Full comparison
| Model | Case | Movement | Price | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolex Explorer 36 | 36 mm × 11.5 mm, Oystersteel | Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h | US$ 8,500 | 2021–present |
| Rolex Air-King | 40 mm × 11.6 mm, Oystersteel | Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h | US$ 10,000 | 2022–present |
| Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 | 41 mm, Oystersteel | Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h | US$ 10,800 | 2025–present |
| Rolex Sea-Dweller | 43 mm, Oystersteel | Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h | US$ 11,600 | 2017–present |
| Rolex Explorer II | 42 mm × 12.5 mm, Oystersteel | Cal. 3285, automatic, 70 h | US$ 12,500 | 2021–present |
| Rolex Submariner No-Date | 41 mm × 12.5 mm, Oystersteel | Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h | US$ 12,800 | 2020–present |
| Rolex Yacht-Master 40 | 40 mm, Oystersteel with 950 platinum bezel | Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h | US$ 14,500 | 2019–present |
| Rolex Milgauss | 40 mm × 13.5 mm, Oystersteel | Cal. 3131, automatic, 48 h | US$ 15,900 | 2014–2023 (discontinued) |
| Rolex Datejust 41 | 41 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel | Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h | US$ 18,100 | 2017–present |
| Rolex Sky-Dweller | 42 mm × 13.8 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel | Cal. 9002, automatic, annual calendar and second time zone, 72 h | US$ 20,100 | 2023–present |
| Rolex Land-Dweller 40 | 40 mm × 9.7 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel | Cal. 7135, automatic, 5 Hz, 66 h | US$ 23,000 | 2025–present |
| Rolex 1908 | 39 mm × 9.5 mm, 18k yellow gold | Cal. 7140, automatic, 66 h | US$ 26,900 | 2023–present |
| Rolex GMT-Master II "Pepsi" | 40 mm, Oystersteel | Cal. 3285, automatic, GMT, 70 h | US$ 27,600 | 2018–2026 (discontinued) |
| Rolex Cosmograph Daytona | 40 mm × 11.9 mm, Oystersteel | Cal. 4131, automatic chronograph, 72 h | US$ 38,500 | 2023–present |
| Rolex Day-Date 40 | 40 mm, 18k yellow gold | Cal. 3255, automatic, 70 h | US$ 61,300 | 2015–present |
1. Rolex Explorer 36
The 1953 recipe at the size it started
The Everest connection – Rolex registered the name Explorer in January 1953, a few months before the British expedition it had helped equip made the first ascent of Everest. Whether a Rolex actually reached the summit is less certain than the legend suggests: in a 1954 advertisement for Smiths, Edmund Hillary said he had carried a Smiths watch to the top.
The dial – What isn't in doubt is the design that came out of that era, a black dial with big numerals at 3, 6, and 9 and an hour hand with a three-bar "Mercedes" frame that holds its luminous paint in place. It remains one of the clearest dials Rolex makes.
The size – After a decade at 39 mm, the Explorer returned to its original 36 mm in 2021, and the Rolex Explorer 36 wears even smaller than that number suggests, thanks to narrow lugs and an 11.5 mm case that slips under a shirt cuff. Rolex added a 40 mm version in 2023, so check which size a listing is before you buy.
Specs
Case: 36 mm × 11.5 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h
Signature: Mercedes hour hand and applied 3, 6, and 9 numerals
Reference: 124270-0001
Year: 2021–present
Approx. price: US$ 8,500
The 1953 recipe at the size it started
The Everest connection – Rolex registered the name Explorer in January 1953, a few months before the British expedition it had helped equip made the first ascent of Everest. Whether a Rolex actually reached the summit is less certain than the legend suggests: in a 1954 advertisement for Smiths, Edmund Hillary said he had carried a Smiths watch to the top.
The dial – What isn't in doubt is the design that came out of that era, a black dial with big numerals at 3, 6, and 9 and an hour hand with a three-bar "Mercedes" frame that holds its luminous paint in place. It remains one of the clearest dials Rolex makes.
The size – After a decade at 39 mm, the Explorer returned to its original 36 mm in 2021, and the Rolex Explorer 36 wears even smaller than that number suggests, thanks to narrow lugs and an 11.5 mm case that slips under a shirt cuff. Rolex added a 40 mm version in 2023, so check which size a listing is before you buy.
Specs
Case: 36 mm × 11.5 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h
Signature: Mercedes hour hand and applied 3, 6, and 9 numerals
Reference: 124270-0001
Year: 2021–present
Approx. price: US$ 8,500
2. Rolex Air-King
A pilot's name on a dial drawn from a land-speed car
The land-speed dial – The Air-King's name dates to 1945, but its dial comes from a car. In 2011 Rolex became timing partner to Bloodhound SSC, a British project to build a car designed to reach 1,000 mph, and created two of its cockpit instruments. When the Air-King was relaunched in 2016, it borrowed their look, with large numerals marking every five minutes around the edge of the dial.
The 2022 update – The current Rolex Air-King tidied the dial by turning the lone 5 into 05, and it gained crown guards and a clasp with a safety catch, both firsts for the model. Inside, it keeps the soft-iron shield it inherited from the Milgauss to protect the movement from magnets, which makes it a tougher watch than its simple face suggests.
Specs
Case: 40 mm × 11.6 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h
Signature: five-minute scale drawn from the Bloodhound SSC gauges
Reference: 126900-0001
Year: 2022–present
Approx. price: US$ 10,000
A pilot's name on a dial drawn from a land-speed car
The land-speed dial – The Air-King's name dates to 1945, but its dial comes from a car. In 2011 Rolex became timing partner to Bloodhound SSC, a British project to build a car designed to reach 1,000 mph, and created two of its cockpit instruments. When the Air-King was relaunched in 2016, it borrowed their look, with large numerals marking every five minutes around the edge of the dial.
The 2022 update – The current Rolex Air-King tidied the dial by turning the lone 5 into 05, and it gained crown guards and a clasp with a safety catch, both firsts for the model. Inside, it keeps the soft-iron shield it inherited from the Milgauss to protect the movement from magnets, which makes it a tougher watch than its simple face suggests.
Specs
Case: 40 mm × 11.6 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h
Signature: five-minute scale drawn from the Bloodhound SSC gauges
Reference: 126900-0001
Year: 2022–present
Approx. price: US$ 10,000
3. Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41
Rolex's plainest watch, quietly re-engineered in 2025
The colors – The Oyster Perpetual is the simplest watch Rolex makes, a steel case and a self-winding movement without a date or a rotating bezel. In 2020 Rolex gave the 41 mm version some personality with glossy lacquered dials in green, coral red, yellow, and turquoise, inspired by the colorful "Stella" dials of the 1970s.
The 2025 update – At Watches and Wonders in April 2025, Rolex quietly replaced the 124300 with the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 ref. 134300. It looks almost the same, but the crown is larger and the lugs and clasp are slimmer. Of the 2020 lacquer colors only the green carried over, now with a darker, matte finish, so the reference on the papers is the surest way to know which generation you're looking at.
The accuracy – Like most current Rolex watches, it runs for about three days once you take it off, and Rolex tests each one after it's cased to keep time within two seconds a day.
Specs
Case: 41 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h
Signature: polished domed bezel and no date
Reference: 134300-0004
Year: 2025–present
Approx. price: US$ 10,800
Rolex's plainest watch, quietly re-engineered in 2025
The colors – The Oyster Perpetual is the simplest watch Rolex makes, a steel case and a self-winding movement without a date or a rotating bezel. In 2020 Rolex gave the 41 mm version some personality with glossy lacquered dials in green, coral red, yellow, and turquoise, inspired by the colorful "Stella" dials of the 1970s.
The 2025 update – At Watches and Wonders in April 2025, Rolex quietly replaced the 124300 with the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 ref. 134300. It looks almost the same, but the crown is larger and the lugs and clasp are slimmer. Of the 2020 lacquer colors only the green carried over, now with a darker, matte finish, so the reference on the papers is the surest way to know which generation you're looking at.
The accuracy – Like most current Rolex watches, it runs for about three days once you take it off, and Rolex tests each one after it's cased to keep time within two seconds a day.
Specs
Case: 41 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h
Signature: polished domed bezel and no date
Reference: 134300-0004
Year: 2025–present
Approx. price: US$ 10,800
4. Rolex Sea-Dweller
The valve that exists because of helium
The helium valve – In the 1960s, commercial divers began living for days in pressurized chambers, breathing a helium mix so they could work at great depth. Helium is small enough to seep into a watch, and when the divers decompressed, the trapped gas could pop the crystal off. Rolex worked with the French diving company Comex on a fix, a small one-way valve on the side of the case that lets the gas out, and filed the patent in 1967, the year the Sea-Dweller appeared.
The 2017 model – The current Rolex Sea-Dweller, introduced in 2017 for the line's 50th year, is a 43 mm steel watch rated to 1,220 m (122 bar), far deeper than any recreational diver will go. A single line of red text on the dial nods to the first model, and it was the first Sea-Dweller with a magnifying lens over the date, a change some purists still dislike on a tool watch.
Specs
Case: 43 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h
Signature: helium escape valve and a single red "Sea-Dweller" line
Reference: 126600-0001
Year: 2017–present
Approx. price: US$ 11,600
The valve that exists because of helium
The helium valve – In the 1960s, commercial divers began living for days in pressurized chambers, breathing a helium mix so they could work at great depth. Helium is small enough to seep into a watch, and when the divers decompressed, the trapped gas could pop the crystal off. Rolex worked with the French diving company Comex on a fix, a small one-way valve on the side of the case that lets the gas out, and filed the patent in 1967, the year the Sea-Dweller appeared.
The 2017 model – The current Rolex Sea-Dweller, introduced in 2017 for the line's 50th year, is a 43 mm steel watch rated to 1,220 m (122 bar), far deeper than any recreational diver will go. A single line of red text on the dial nods to the first model, and it was the first Sea-Dweller with a magnifying lens over the date, a change some purists still dislike on a tool watch.
Specs
Case: 43 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h
Signature: helium escape valve and a single red "Sea-Dweller" line
Reference: 126600-0001
Year: 2017–present
Approx. price: US$ 11,600
5. Rolex Explorer II
Built for caves, where noon and midnight look the same
The caver's hand – The first Explorer II, from 1971, was designed for cave explorers, who can spend long stretches underground with no daylight to tell morning from evening. Its orange hand goes around the dial once every 24 hours and points to a fixed 24-hour scale on the bezel, so a caver could see at a glance whether it was 3 a.m. or 3 p.m.
The second time zone – Since 1985 that orange hand can be set on its own, which turns it into a second time zone: set it to home time and read it off the bezel while the main hands show local time. The current Explorer II, launched in 2021, is a 42 mm steel watch with a date, and it shares its movement with the GMT-Master II.
The McQueen myth – Collectors call the original the "Steve McQueen," but there's no evidence McQueen ever wore one; the Rolex he wore was a Submariner.
Specs
Case: 42 mm × 12.5 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3285, automatic, 70 h
Signature: orange 24-hour hand against a fixed 24-hour bezel
Reference: 226570-0002
Year: 2021–present
Approx. price: US$ 12,500
Built for caves, where noon and midnight look the same
The caver's hand – The first Explorer II, from 1971, was designed for cave explorers, who can spend long stretches underground with no daylight to tell morning from evening. Its orange hand goes around the dial once every 24 hours and points to a fixed 24-hour scale on the bezel, so a caver could see at a glance whether it was 3 a.m. or 3 p.m.
The second time zone – Since 1985 that orange hand can be set on its own, which turns it into a second time zone: set it to home time and read it off the bezel while the main hands show local time. The current Explorer II, launched in 2021, is a 42 mm steel watch with a date, and it shares its movement with the GMT-Master II.
The McQueen myth – Collectors call the original the "Steve McQueen," but there's no evidence McQueen ever wore one; the Rolex he wore was a Submariner.
Specs
Case: 42 mm × 12.5 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3285, automatic, 70 h
Signature: orange 24-hour hand against a fixed 24-hour bezel
Reference: 226570-0002
Year: 2021–present
Approx. price: US$ 12,500
6. Rolex Submariner No-Date
The 1950s layout in a case that wears slimmer than it measures
The original layout – The no-date Rolex Submariner is the closest thing Rolex makes to the 1950s original, with a clean dial and no magnifying lens on the crystal. Its 2020 update grew the case from 40 to 41 mm, yet slimmer, more tapered lugs make it wear smaller than the bulkier version it replaced.
The one-way bezel – The rotating bezel is a diver's timer. You line its zero up with the minute hand at the start of a dive and read the elapsed time against it. It only turns one way, so if it gets knocked it can only show more time gone by, never less, which errs on the side of surfacing early. With 300 m (30 bar) of water resistance, it's a genuine dive watch.
Specs
Case: 41 mm × 12.5 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h
Signature: 120-click unidirectional Cerachrom bezel
Reference: 124060-0001
Year: 2020–present
Approx. price: US$ 12,800
The 1950s layout in a case that wears slimmer than it measures
The original layout – The no-date Rolex Submariner is the closest thing Rolex makes to the 1950s original, with a clean dial and no magnifying lens on the crystal. Its 2020 update grew the case from 40 to 41 mm, yet slimmer, more tapered lugs make it wear smaller than the bulkier version it replaced.
The one-way bezel – The rotating bezel is a diver's timer. You line its zero up with the minute hand at the start of a dive and read the elapsed time against it. It only turns one way, so if it gets knocked it can only show more time gone by, never less, which errs on the side of surfacing early. With 300 m (30 bar) of water resistance, it's a genuine dive watch.
Specs
Case: 41 mm × 12.5 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3230, automatic, 70 h
Signature: 120-click unidirectional Cerachrom bezel
Reference: 124060-0001
Year: 2020–present
Approx. price: US$ 12,800
7. Rolex Yacht-Master 40
A sailing watch with a solid platinum bezel
The gold debut – When Rolex launched the Yacht-Master in 1992, it came only in solid yellow gold, a sports watch pitched as a luxury piece from day one. The steel version arrived in 1999 with a twist that is still exclusive to the line, a bezel and dial made of platinum, a combination Rolex calls Rolesium.
The platinum bezel – On the Yacht-Master 40, the whole rotating bezel is solid platinum, with polished raised numbers against a matte background. It turns in both directions, because a sailor timing the start of a race wants to set it quickly either way, and that's the easiest way to tell it apart from a dive watch. Water resistance is 100 m (10 bar).
Specs
Case: 40 mm, Oystersteel with 950 platinum bezel
Movement: Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h
Signature: solid platinum bidirectional bezel with raised polished numerals
Reference: 126622-0002
Year: 2019–present
Approx. price: US$ 14,500
A sailing watch with a solid platinum bezel
The gold debut – When Rolex launched the Yacht-Master in 1992, it came only in solid yellow gold, a sports watch pitched as a luxury piece from day one. The steel version arrived in 1999 with a twist that is still exclusive to the line, a bezel and dial made of platinum, a combination Rolex calls Rolesium.
The platinum bezel – On the Yacht-Master 40, the whole rotating bezel is solid platinum, with polished raised numbers against a matte background. It turns in both directions, because a sailor timing the start of a race wants to set it quickly either way, and that's the easiest way to tell it apart from a dive watch. Water resistance is 100 m (10 bar).
Specs
Case: 40 mm, Oystersteel with 950 platinum bezel
Movement: Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h
Signature: solid platinum bidirectional bezel with raised polished numerals
Reference: 126622-0002
Year: 2019–present
Approx. price: US$ 14,500
8. Rolex Milgauss
Discontinued in 2023, and still the Rolex with the green crystal
The magnetic shield – In 1956 Rolex built the Milgauss for scientists and engineers who worked around strong magnetic fields, which can make a watch run fast or slow. It was rated to resist 1,000 gauss, and the name joins mille, French for thousand, with gauss. A soft-iron cage around the movement steers the magnetism around it. You'll often read that it was made for CERN's physicists, a story repeated far more often than it's documented.
The green crystal – The modern version, ref. 116400GV, brought the model back in 2007 with an orange lightning-bolt seconds hand, first used in 1957, and a green-tinted crystal (GV stands for glace verte) that no other Rolex has had. The Z-Blue dial followed in 2014. Then, at Watches and Wonders in March 2023, the Milgauss quietly left the catalog, so every one for sale now is pre-owned.
Specs
Case: 40 mm × 13.5 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3131, automatic, 48 h
Signature: green-tinted sapphire crystal and orange lightning-bolt seconds hand
Reference: 116400GV-0002
Year: 2014–2023 (discontinued)
Approx. price: US$ 15,900
Discontinued in 2023, and still the Rolex with the green crystal
The magnetic shield – In 1956 Rolex built the Milgauss for scientists and engineers who worked around strong magnetic fields, which can make a watch run fast or slow. It was rated to resist 1,000 gauss, and the name joins mille, French for thousand, with gauss. A soft-iron cage around the movement steers the magnetism around it. You'll often read that it was made for CERN's physicists, a story repeated far more often than it's documented.
The green crystal – The modern version, ref. 116400GV, brought the model back in 2007 with an orange lightning-bolt seconds hand, first used in 1957, and a green-tinted crystal (GV stands for glace verte) that no other Rolex has had. The Z-Blue dial followed in 2014. Then, at Watches and Wonders in March 2023, the Milgauss quietly left the catalog, so every one for sale now is pre-owned.
Specs
Case: 40 mm × 13.5 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3131, automatic, 48 h
Signature: green-tinted sapphire crystal and orange lightning-bolt seconds hand
Reference: 116400GV-0002
Year: 2014–2023 (discontinued)
Approx. price: US$ 15,900
9. Rolex Datejust 41
Where Rolex's date window, Jubilee bracelet, and Cyclops began
The 1945 original – Rolex introduced the Datejust in 1945 to mark its 40th anniversary, describing it as the first self-winding wrist chronometer to show the date in a window on the dial. It came on a new bracelet named for the occasion, the Jubilee, and in 1953 it gained the Cyclops, the small magnifying bubble over the date that Rolex's date models still wear.
The fluted bezel – The ridged, or fluted, bezel began as something practical: Rolex says the grooves gave grip to the tool that screwed the bezel down to seal the case. Today it's purely decorative, and Rolex makes it only in gold or platinum, which is why the Rolex Datejust 41 here pairs a steel case with a white gold bezel.
The "Wimbledon" dial – This one has the slate dial with green Roman numerals that collectors nicknamed the "Wimbledon," after the tennis tournament Rolex has timed since 1978. It first appeared on the older Datejust II in 2009, and the two models are often mixed up in listings: the Datejust 41's reference starts with 1263, the Datejust II's with 1163.
Specs
Case: 41 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel
Movement: Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h
Signature: slate dial with green Roman numerals
Reference: 126334-0022
Year: 2017–present
Approx. price: US$ 18,100
Where Rolex's date window, Jubilee bracelet, and Cyclops began
The 1945 original – Rolex introduced the Datejust in 1945 to mark its 40th anniversary, describing it as the first self-winding wrist chronometer to show the date in a window on the dial. It came on a new bracelet named for the occasion, the Jubilee, and in 1953 it gained the Cyclops, the small magnifying bubble over the date that Rolex's date models still wear.
The fluted bezel – The ridged, or fluted, bezel began as something practical: Rolex says the grooves gave grip to the tool that screwed the bezel down to seal the case. Today it's purely decorative, and Rolex makes it only in gold or platinum, which is why the Rolex Datejust 41 here pairs a steel case with a white gold bezel.
The "Wimbledon" dial – This one has the slate dial with green Roman numerals that collectors nicknamed the "Wimbledon," after the tennis tournament Rolex has timed since 1978. It first appeared on the older Datejust II in 2009, and the two models are often mixed up in listings: the Datejust 41's reference starts with 1263, the Datejust II's with 1163.
Specs
Case: 41 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel
Movement: Cal. 3235, automatic, 70 h
Signature: slate dial with green Roman numerals
Reference: 126334-0022
Year: 2017–present
Approx. price: US$ 18,100
10. Rolex Sky-Dweller
An annual calendar you set by turning the bezel
The annual calendar – The Rolex Sky-Dweller, launched in 2012, was Rolex's first watch with an annual calendar, which knows the difference between 30- and 31-day months and only needs adjusting once a year, on March 1. Rolex did it with just four extra gear wheels and named the system Saros, after an ancient astronomers' cycle of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The current month shows in one of 12 small windows around the dial, highlighted in red.
The turning bezel – The fluted bezel turns, and each position changes what the crown sets: the date, the local time, or the home time. That's how a watch with a calendar and a second time zone needs no extra buttons. The first Sky-Dwellers were made only in gold; this one is the 2023 version in steel with a white gold bezel.
Specs
Case: 42 mm × 13.8 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel
Movement: Cal. 9002, automatic, annual calendar and second time zone, 72 h
Signature: Ring Command rotating bezel
Reference: 336934-0007
Year: 2023–present
Approx. price: US$ 20,100
An annual calendar you set by turning the bezel
The annual calendar – The Rolex Sky-Dweller, launched in 2012, was Rolex's first watch with an annual calendar, which knows the difference between 30- and 31-day months and only needs adjusting once a year, on March 1. Rolex did it with just four extra gear wheels and named the system Saros, after an ancient astronomers' cycle of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The current month shows in one of 12 small windows around the dial, highlighted in red.
The turning bezel – The fluted bezel turns, and each position changes what the crown sets: the date, the local time, or the home time. That's how a watch with a calendar and a second time zone needs no extra buttons. The first Sky-Dwellers were made only in gold; this one is the 2023 version in steel with a white gold bezel.
Specs
Case: 42 mm × 13.8 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel
Movement: Cal. 9002, automatic, annual calendar and second time zone, 72 h
Signature: Ring Command rotating bezel
Reference: 336934-0007
Year: 2023–present
Approx. price: US$ 20,100
11. Rolex Land-Dweller 40
Rolex's first 5 Hz movement, in a case drawn from the 1970s
The 1970s look – Launched at Watches and Wonders in April 2025, the Land-Dweller looks back to the slim, integrated-bracelet watches Rolex made in the 1970s. The case flows straight into a flat-linked version of the Jubilee bracelet, and the white dial is cut with a fine honeycomb pattern that shows when it catches the light.
The new escapement – Most mechanical watches, Rolex's included, release their energy through metal parts that slide against each other, which wastes some of it as friction. The Land-Dweller's new Dynapulse escapement passes the energy along by rolling contact between silicon wheels instead, and Rolex says it's about 30 percent more efficient. That lets the movement beat at 5 Hz, faster than a typical Rolex, while still running for almost three days.
The slim case – The case is steel with a white gold bezel, and at 9.7 mm thick the Land-Dweller 40 is one of the slimmest Rolex watches you can buy. A 36 mm version shares the same movement.
Specs
Case: 40 mm × 9.7 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel
Movement: Cal. 7135, automatic, 5 Hz, 66 h
Signature: Dynapulse escapement and Flat Jubilee bracelet
Reference: 127334-0001
Year: 2025–present
Approx. price: US$ 23,000
Rolex's first 5 Hz movement, in a case drawn from the 1970s
The 1970s look – Launched at Watches and Wonders in April 2025, the Land-Dweller looks back to the slim, integrated-bracelet watches Rolex made in the 1970s. The case flows straight into a flat-linked version of the Jubilee bracelet, and the white dial is cut with a fine honeycomb pattern that shows when it catches the light.
The new escapement – Most mechanical watches, Rolex's included, release their energy through metal parts that slide against each other, which wastes some of it as friction. The Land-Dweller's new Dynapulse escapement passes the energy along by rolling contact between silicon wheels instead, and Rolex says it's about 30 percent more efficient. That lets the movement beat at 5 Hz, faster than a typical Rolex, while still running for almost three days.
The slim case – The case is steel with a white gold bezel, and at 9.7 mm thick the Land-Dweller 40 is one of the slimmest Rolex watches you can buy. A 36 mm version shares the same movement.
Specs
Case: 40 mm × 9.7 mm, Oystersteel with 18k white gold fluted bezel
Movement: Cal. 7135, automatic, 5 Hz, 66 h
Signature: Dynapulse escapement and Flat Jubilee bracelet
Reference: 127334-0001
Year: 2025–present
Approx. price: US$ 23,000
12. Rolex 1908
A dress watch that shows off its movement
The glass back – Named for the year the Rolex name was registered in Switzerland, the Rolex 1908 arrived in April 2023 as Rolex's new dress watch, taking over the role of the Cellini, which had already left the catalog. It's a slim gold watch on an alligator strap, and unusually for Rolex, it has a glass back so you can see the movement inside.
The strap or the bracelet – At 39 mm wide and 9.5 mm thick it sits flat on the wrist, but its water resistance is 50 m (5 bar), half the usual Rolex figure, so it belongs at the office rather than the pool. The yellow gold version comes on a strap as standard, and since 2025 it has also been offered on a gold bracelet that costs considerably more, so check which one a listing includes. The black dial is matte and often looks dark gray in photos.
Specs
Case: 39 mm × 9.5 mm, 18k yellow gold
Movement: Cal. 7140, automatic, 66 h
Signature: sapphire display back inside a fluted ring
Reference: 52508-0002
Year: 2023–present
Approx. price: US$ 26,900
A dress watch that shows off its movement
The glass back – Named for the year the Rolex name was registered in Switzerland, the Rolex 1908 arrived in April 2023 as Rolex's new dress watch, taking over the role of the Cellini, which had already left the catalog. It's a slim gold watch on an alligator strap, and unusually for Rolex, it has a glass back so you can see the movement inside.
The strap or the bracelet – At 39 mm wide and 9.5 mm thick it sits flat on the wrist, but its water resistance is 50 m (5 bar), half the usual Rolex figure, so it belongs at the office rather than the pool. The yellow gold version comes on a strap as standard, and since 2025 it has also been offered on a gold bracelet that costs considerably more, so check which one a listing includes. The black dial is matte and often looks dark gray in photos.
Specs
Case: 39 mm × 9.5 mm, 18k yellow gold
Movement: Cal. 7140, automatic, 66 h
Signature: sapphire display back inside a fluted ring
Reference: 52508-0002
Year: 2023–present
Approx. price: US$ 26,900
13. Rolex GMT-Master II "Pepsi"
A Pan Am pilot's bezel, retired from the catalog in 2026
The Pan Am colors – In the mid-1950s, as Pan Am's pilots began crossing several time zones in a single flight, Rolex built them the GMT-Master. An extra hand goes around the dial once every 24 hours, read against a rotating 24-hour bezel, and the bezel's two colors did a job: red for the daytime hours and blue for the night. Collectors later named the color scheme "Pepsi."
The jumping hour – Since 1983 the GMT-Master II has let you jump the main hour hand to local time when you land, while the 24-hour hand stays on home time, and turning the bezel tracks a third zone. Making the red-and-blue bezel in ceramic, which doesn't scratch or fade, took Rolex years: the first came in white gold in 2014, and the steel Rolex GMT-Master II "Pepsi" followed on a Jubilee bracelet in 2018.
The departure – Rolex told retailers in February 2026 that no more were coming, and on the opening day of Watches and Wonders that April the Pepsi disappeared from its website without a press release. Other GMT-Master II models are still made, but for the red-and-blue one, pre-owned is now the only option.
Specs
Case: 40 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3285, automatic, GMT, 70 h
Signature: two-color red and blue Cerachrom 24-hour bezel insert
Reference: 126710BLRO-0001
Year: 2018–2026 (discontinued)
Approx. price: US$ 27,600
A Pan Am pilot's bezel, retired from the catalog in 2026
The Pan Am colors – In the mid-1950s, as Pan Am's pilots began crossing several time zones in a single flight, Rolex built them the GMT-Master. An extra hand goes around the dial once every 24 hours, read against a rotating 24-hour bezel, and the bezel's two colors did a job: red for the daytime hours and blue for the night. Collectors later named the color scheme "Pepsi."
The jumping hour – Since 1983 the GMT-Master II has let you jump the main hour hand to local time when you land, while the 24-hour hand stays on home time, and turning the bezel tracks a third zone. Making the red-and-blue bezel in ceramic, which doesn't scratch or fade, took Rolex years: the first came in white gold in 2014, and the steel Rolex GMT-Master II "Pepsi" followed on a Jubilee bracelet in 2018.
The departure – Rolex told retailers in February 2026 that no more were coming, and on the opening day of Watches and Wonders that April the Pepsi disappeared from its website without a press release. Other GMT-Master II models are still made, but for the red-and-blue one, pre-owned is now the only option.
Specs
Case: 40 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 3285, automatic, GMT, 70 h
Signature: two-color red and blue Cerachrom 24-hour bezel insert
Reference: 126710BLRO-0001
Year: 2018–2026 (discontinued)
Approx. price: US$ 27,600
14. Rolex Cosmograph Daytona
One small crown at 6 o'clock tells the generations apart
The 2023 update – Rolex's racing chronograph was updated in March 2023, and the changes are subtle enough that old and new are easy to confuse. The new Cosmograph Daytona has a slightly slimmer case, a more efficient movement, and a thin polished steel ring around its black ceramic bezel, which makes it look brighter. The quickest way to spot it is a tiny Rolex crown on the dial at 6 o'clock.
The caseback – A steel Daytona of this generation should have a solid caseback, so one shown with a glass back deserves a closer look. The exception is the steel-and-platinum version Rolex added in 2026, which does have a glass back. Every Daytona reference is covered in our Rolex Daytona price guide.
Specs
Case: 40 mm × 11.9 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 4131, automatic chronograph, 72 h
Signature: Cerachrom bezel insert framed by a polished steel ring
Reference: 126500LN-0001
Year: 2023–present
Approx. price: US$ 38,500
One small crown at 6 o'clock tells the generations apart
The 2023 update – Rolex's racing chronograph was updated in March 2023, and the changes are subtle enough that old and new are easy to confuse. The new Cosmograph Daytona has a slightly slimmer case, a more efficient movement, and a thin polished steel ring around its black ceramic bezel, which makes it look brighter. The quickest way to spot it is a tiny Rolex crown on the dial at 6 o'clock.
The caseback – A steel Daytona of this generation should have a solid caseback, so one shown with a glass back deserves a closer look. The exception is the steel-and-platinum version Rolex added in 2026, which does have a glass back. Every Daytona reference is covered in our Rolex Daytona price guide.
Specs
Case: 40 mm × 11.9 mm, Oystersteel
Movement: Cal. 4131, automatic chronograph, 72 h
Signature: Cerachrom bezel insert framed by a polished steel ring
Reference: 126500LN-0001
Year: 2023–present
Approx. price: US$ 38,500
15. Rolex Day-Date 40
The first watch to spell out the day
The day in full – When the Rolex Day-Date appeared in 1956, it was the first wristwatch to spell out the day of the week in full, in a window at 12 o'clock. Rolex has only ever offered it in gold or platinum, on its own bracelet of rounded three-piece links, and from the start it marketed the watch to the "men who guide the destinies of the world." The bracelet became known as the President, and the name stuck to the whole watch.
The presidents – The best-known story, that Dwight Eisenhower wore a Day-Date, isn't true: his Rolex was a gold Datejust, given to him in 1951. Lyndon Johnson is the president most often credited with wearing one in office. The current Day-Date 40, from 2015, still flips both the day and the date at midnight.
Specs
Case: 40 mm, 18k yellow gold
Movement: Cal. 3255, automatic, 70 h
Signature: day of the week spelled out in full at 12 o'clock
Reference: 228238-0005
Year: 2015–present
Approx. price: US$ 61,300
The first watch to spell out the day
The day in full – When the Rolex Day-Date appeared in 1956, it was the first wristwatch to spell out the day of the week in full, in a window at 12 o'clock. Rolex has only ever offered it in gold or platinum, on its own bracelet of rounded three-piece links, and from the start it marketed the watch to the "men who guide the destinies of the world." The bracelet became known as the President, and the name stuck to the whole watch.
The presidents – The best-known story, that Dwight Eisenhower wore a Day-Date, isn't true: his Rolex was a gold Datejust, given to him in 1951. Lyndon Johnson is the president most often credited with wearing one in office. The current Day-Date 40, from 2015, still flips both the day and the date at midnight.
Specs
Case: 40 mm, 18k yellow gold
Movement: Cal. 3255, automatic, 70 h
Signature: day of the week spelled out in full at 12 o'clock
Reference: 228238-0005
Year: 2015–present
Approx. price: US$ 61,300
Final Thoughts
If we were buying one Rolex from this list, it would be the Explorer 36. It's the closest Rolex's lineup comes to the watch it built its 1953 expedition story around: a 36 mm Oyster case, a black dial with three big numerals, narrow lugs, and nothing that needs explaining. Every other collection in this guide is that same watch with something added: a date, a bezel, gold, or a complication.
Every watch listed on Wristcheck is fully authenticated, transparently priced, and curated with collectors in mind. Whether you're searching for your first Rolex or need a second opinion before making the leap, our team is here to help.
Start browsing, or reach out if you’re ready to lock in the right piece.
If we were buying one Rolex from this list, it would be the Explorer 36. It's the closest Rolex's lineup comes to the watch it built its 1953 expedition story around: a 36 mm Oyster case, a black dial with three big numerals, narrow lugs, and nothing that needs explaining. Every other collection in this guide is that same watch with something added: a date, a bezel, gold, or a complication.
Every watch listed on Wristcheck is fully authenticated, transparently priced, and curated with collectors in mind. Whether you're searching for your first Rolex or need a second opinion before making the leap, our team is here to help.
Start browsing, or reach out if you’re ready to lock in the right piece.