The Rolex Waiting List Explained: 2024 Edition
As the popularity of luxury watches surged in the past few years, demand for many Rolex models far outstripped supply. Many customers were quoted years-long wait times on the infamous Rolex waiting list. Some authorized Rolex dealers wouldn’t even add any more names to the list–if they kept one at all. But in 2024, the Rolex waiting list is becoming a bit less crazy. Below in this guide we cover everything you know need to know about how to get on a Rolex waiting list.
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Rolex AD Waiting Time Calculator
We manually scrape the “AD Wait Time Megathread” on Reddit to make our Rolex AD Wait Time Calculator. We’ve done this to make it easier for you to search by reference. Get started below to find estimated wait times for specific Rolex references, based on real-time customers reports. Last updated 10/14/2024.
Average Rolex Waiting List Times at a Glance
Rolex Collection | Reported Wait Time |
Submariner | 3 months to 3 years |
Daytona | One to 5 years |
Datejust | 3 months to one year |
GMT Master II | 6 months to 5 years |
What is the Rolex Waiting List?
The Rolex waiting list is really just an “interest list,” not a true first-come-first-served wait list. Further, any Rolex wait list only exists at the store level. In other words, Rolex has no company-wide waiting list at all. That said, because of supply, some models have longer wait times than others.
How to Get on the Rolex Waiting List in 2024
Getting on a waiting list isn’t tough, but there are no guarantees if and when your desired watch will ever come in. Authorized Rolex dealers don’t generally do business on the phone (unless you’re an established customer and they know you) so it all starts with simply walking into the store and asking for what you want. Rolex encourages all of their dealers to prioritize local customers, so start with the AD closest to your home.
Try to give your salesperson one specific watch that you want–maybe two. “I’ll take any steel sports model!” is unlikely to get you anywhere. But if you’re persistent about the Rolex you want, for most models it’s just a question of how long you’ll wait.
Rolex Wait Times for Popular Models
In addition to our Rolex Wait Time Calculator, we’ll break down some estimates by model below as well. Nowadays, there are only a few models that are truly “impossible” for a non-VIP client of an authorized dealer to get. And as you can see, long expected wait times directly correlate to increased secondhand premiums.
Rolex Submariner Wait Time
Rolex Model | Expected Wait Time | Market Premium Above MSRP |
Stainless steel Submariner (black bezel) | 3 months – 2 years | 30% |
Stainless steel Submariner “Starbucks” | 6 months – 3 years | 36% |
Two-tone Submariner (Rolesor) | 2 months – 1 year | 3% |
Solid gold Submariner | 0 – 10 months | 0% |
The expected stainless steel Rolex Submariner wait time has significantly decreased since 2021. Two years is probably the longest you would wait for a standard black Submariner or Submariner Date from a typical authorized dealer. An increasing number of collectors seem to be getting them within weeks or months.
The 126610LV “Starbucks” Submariner is a particularly popular variant. Some call it a “Kermit,” while others refer to this reference as a “Cermit” because of its ceramic bezel insert, insisting that the original 16610 LV is the one true “Kermit.” No matter what you call it, ref. 126610LV is far more attainable now than it was upon its release in 2020. You can still expect to wait a long time–maybe up to three years–but this is far from an “impossible” watch to get from an authorized dealer.
Solid gold Submariners can often be found available for sale on the shelf, and if you have to request one, your AD should be able to get one for you in short order. Two-tone Submariner wait times are also fairly short, now that their market price has fallen back near its MSRP. Still, the “Bluesy” (ref. 126613LB) remains one of the hottest two-tone watches on the market.
We’ll help you keep these silly names straight: Your Go-to Guide to Rolex Nicknames
Rolex Daytona Wait List
Rolex Model | Expected Wait Time | Market Premium Above MSRP |
Stainless steel Daytona (“Panda”) | VIP-only, 2 – 8 years | 132% |
Stainless steel Daytona (Black dial) | VIP-only, 1 – 5 years | 92% |
Two-tone Daytona (Rolesor) | 6 months – 2 years | 10% |
Solid gold Daytona | 6 months – 2 years | 20% |
Daytona “LeMans” | VVIP-only, 3+ years | 325% |
The Rolex Daytona is one of the most notoriously hard-to-get watches at retail price. This iconic watch became even more legendary when Paul Newman’s own Daytona sold at auction for $17 million. Stainless steel Daytonas have been particularly hard to get ever since the steel Daytona got a ceramic bezel in 2016. In 2023, a whole new Daytona lineup was unveiled with new movements and slightly tweaked aesthetics. The steel Rolex Daytona waiting lists are so long that an authorized dealer probably won’t even add you to it unless you have established spend history there. And even if they do, expect to wait years for one.
Rolex generally releases all of their new and updated models predictably at the Watches & Wonders fair in March/April of each year. But the Rolex with the longest waitlist of all was an unexpected surprise from June 2023: The exotic LeMans Daytona ref. 126529LN. Due to its low production volume, only well-established big spenders will even be considered for an allocation of a LeMans. If you must have a Daytona at retail price, consider another gold model, or a two-tone–those should be doable if you’re patient.
Rolex Datejust Wait Time
Rolex Model | Expected Wait Time | Market Premium Above MSRP |
Stainless steel Datejust 41 (Fluted bezel) | 2 months – 3 years | 10-40% |
Stainless steel Datejust 41 (Smooth bezel) | 2 months – 2 years | 10-28% |
Stainless steel Datejust 36 (Fluted bezel) | 2 months – 1 year | 5-38% |
Stainless steel Datejust 36 (Smooth bezel) | 0 – 10 months | 0-38% |
Two-tone and ladies’ Datejust models | 0 – 10 months | 0% |
Rolex Datejust wait times are now quite reasonable, and many AD’s seem to be able to order Datejusts to spec. The 41mm size, Jubilee bracelet, fluted bezel, mint dial, and blue dial are all traits that make Datejusts more desirable and generally tougher to pick up at retail. Mint green dials, and the “fluted motif” versions of both the blue and mint dials, are quite desirable and sell for bigger premiums. Two-tone Datejusts and ladies’ Datejusts should be attainable at retail price in under a year.
Rolex GMT Wait Time
Model | Est. Wait Time | Market Premium Above MSRP |
GMT-Master II “Pepsi” | VIP-only, 3-5 years | 110% |
GMT-Master II GRNR (Steel) | 2-5 years | 90% |
GMT-Master II “Batman” | 1-4 years | 59% |
GMT-Master II “Root Beer” | 6 months – 3 years | 18% |
GMT-Master II GRNR (Two-tone) | 6 months – 3 years | 16% |
Solid gold GMT-Master II | 0-10 months | 0-8% |
The GMT-Master II is one of the most well-known Rolex models. The version with a blue and red bezel insert, known as a “Pepsi” to collectors, has always been particularly popular. Pepsis are extremely hard to get from an authorized Rolex deale. The supply of Pepsis, relative to demand, is so low that many people believe there are some Rolex Pepsi production issues. The current Pepsi was launched in 2018 and has been scorching hot ever since. Don’t be offended if your local Rolex salesperson quotes you “ten years” wait for this model, or declines to add your name to the list altogether. If you’re a valued customer of that AD, though, you should be able to get one in under five years.
Rolex GMT’s with Shorter Wait Times
And fortunately, there are other GMT-Master II models with shorter wait times. The Rolex Batman GMT, with its distinctive blue and black bezel insert, sells for a significant premium on the secondhand market. Although it’s not as hard to acquire as a Pepsi, multi-year wait times should be expected. Even the two-tone GMT models–both the Root Beer GMT and the grey-and-black version–sell for above MSRP on the open market and have wait times almost as long as the Batman. As with Submariners, though, solid gold models should be attainable at MSRP in fairly short order.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Wait Time
Model | Est. Wait Time | Market Premium Above MSRP |
Oyster Perpetual 36 Turquoise dial | VIP-only, 2-5 years | 146% |
Oyster Perpetual 36 Candy Pink dial | 2-5 years | 100% |
Oyster Perpetual 36 Celebration dial | VIP-only, 1-5 years | 129% |
Oyster Perpetual 41 Celebration dial | VIP-only, 3-5 years | 205% |
Oyster Perpetual 36 or 41, Green dial | 2 months – 3 years | 43% |
Oyster Perpetual 36 or 41, Silver or Black dial | 2 months – 3 years | 10-35% |
Another star of the Rolex line is the Oyster Perpetual. While it is technically Rolex’s entry-level lineup and historically one of the easier Rolex styles to obtain, that all changed with the revamped 2020 Oyster Perpetual lineup featuring bright colors like red, yellow, turquoise, green, and pink. Red and yellow dials are already discontinued, and the turquoise dial is now only available in 31mm and 36mm. The most difficult dials to obtain new nowadays are the “Celebration” and turquoise dials. Don’t be offended if a salesperson doesn’t even bother writing your name down for one of those. For the other colors, expect a wait time between 2 months and 3 years. The Oyster Perpetual lineup has very strong demand.
Rolex Explorer Wait Time
Model | Est. Wait Time | Grey Market Premium Above MSRP |
Explorer 36 | 1 month – 1 year | 10% |
Explorer 40 | 2 months – 2 years | 13% |
Explorer II | 5 months – 3 years | 20% |
The Rolex Explorer, despite its popularity, is actually the easiest sports model Rolex to acquire from an authorized dealer. They seem to make a healthy supply of both the classic 36mm version, and the 40mm version that was released in 2023. The Explorer II, with its 24-hour bezel and second-time-zone functionality, has slightly longer wait times, but it’s also attainable for new customers.
Rolex Sky-Dweller Wait Time
Model | Est. Wait Time | Market Premium Above MSRP |
Steel Sky-Dweller with Mint Green dial | VIP-only, 2-5 years | 73% |
Steel Sky-Dweller with Blue dial | VIP-only, 2-5 years | 54% |
Steel Sky-Dweller with White or Black dial | 1 – 5 years | 38% |
Rose Gold Sky-Dweller with Blue-Green dial | VIP-only, 2-5 years | 38% |
Gold or Two-Tone Sky-Dweller | 2 months – 2 years | 0-6% |
Out of all variations of the Sky-Dweller, the plain stainless steel versions get the most attention from collectors–the blue dials and mint green dials in particular. Ref. 336934 debuted in 2023 with a movement update, and long waitlists–but not as long as Sky-Dweller lists used to be. The popular dials are in the “multiple years, if ever” category for non-VIP shoppers, but the other colors should be attainable with some patience. Gold and two-tone models, as expected, are far easier to find at retail price.
A Deeper Look at the Supply Side: The Rolex Supply Chain: Does Demand Really Exceed Supply?
Can I Avoid the Rolex Waitlist?
There are really only two ways to shorten the waitlist; it’s not complicated:
- Be a highly-valued customer of the store. Namely, establish a “purchase history.” Of course, we don’t recommend buying jewelry you don’t want. But if you were a jewelry store owner, and you got one Rolex LeMans Daytona per year, well, you’d probably want it to go to one of your most valued clients too.
- Be persistent. As we mentioned, waitlists are not strictly first-come-first-served, so each time you visit the authorized dealer is a chance for a salesperson to tell you “We just got this in; the person waiting for it declined. It’s yours if you want it.” And that is happening increasingly frequently.
Plenty of people have had bad Rolex AD experiences and may just decide it’s not worth the hassle, wait or uncertainty. Buying a watch for current market price from a trusted grey market dealer is a decision that we fully support.
Was There Always a Rolex Waiting List?
No. In fact, in the 1990s, anyone off the street could have walked into a Rolex dealer and bought a steel Datejust or Rolex Submariner No Date at list price, likely even with a discount. In fact, aside from steel Daytonas, and the ceramic Pepsi released in 2018, most Rolexes were basically readily available until 2019. Around then, demand simply began to exceed supply.
An AD Took Down My Info. Now What?
Assuming the salesperson did in fact write down your info, it will go into that store’s database. If Watches of Switzerland took down your info, then they’re the only ones that have it. No other Rolex dealer–aside from other WoS locations–will know you requested anything.
As discussed above, an Authorized Dealer has full discretion in deciding its watch allocation to customers, so it benefits Authorized Dealers to keep lists of customers interested in particular models so they can be quickly sold once they are delivered to the store.
Whether an AD keeps a written waiting list, a waiting list in their mind, or chooses not to keep one at all is entirely up to them. If they do keep a list, they definitely don’t have to follow it. In Japan, some shoppers report that stores have abandoned lists altogether in favor of a daily first-come-first-served policy that has resulted in some huge lines. A more MoonSwatch-like approach, if you will.
In short, “getting on a Rolex waiting list” usually just means that you’ve expressed interest in a particular model to an Authorized Dealer, and hopefully they will remember that if and when they receive it. Oh, and if they like you, that helps too, but we’ll get into that in a bit below.
I’m Traveling Soon. Will an Overseas AD Put Me on their Waitlist?
No, probably not. Rolex encourages its customers to patronize an authorized dealer near their home, and dealers naturally prefer to sell to repeat customers. Don’t be too offended if a store won’t put you on their list because you’re from out of town–chances are, it’s really not personal. You could get lucky, of course, but Rolex purchases when traveling typically require an extra big dose of luck. And no, Rolex dealers in Switzerland are not any more likely to have stock than your local AD.
Are There Any Rolex Watches With No Waitlist?
Well, yes–in 2024, you can expect to find some watches available for sale at most authorized Rolex dealers. Walk-in purchases of desirable steel models are still almost nonexistent. But solid gold models, random two-tone Datejusts, and various ladies’ models can often be found sitting on shelves now. Versions with diamonds are particularly slow sellers, too. You could even possibly get a Yacht-Master. Deepsea or Explorer with no wait, although that would require some luck.
What’s the Best Day to Try to Buy a Rolex?
Friday. Anecdotally, Friday seems to be the most common day for Rolex shipments to reach AD showrooms. You’ll still need a lot of luck to get a Rolex you want on a walk-in basis, but Friday is the most likely day to hear “actually, we just got one in!” Just don’t get your hopes up.
Skip the Line and Buy it from a Grey Market Dealer
Rolex market prices compared to Rolex retail prices aren’t as sky-high as they once were. Some clients are finding that purchasing from a good grey market dealer makes more sense than “playing the AD game” as some enthusiasts call it. Especially now that market premiums for some models are small or nonexistent. Although Rolex wait times have decreased, some people would rather not wait at all.
More Rolex Guides:
Rare Rolex Watches: A Collector’s Guide
Collector’s Guide to Special Rolex Dials
How to Spot a Fake Rolex: The Ultimate Guide
Understanding the Rolex Rehaut
Collector’s Guide to Rolex Bezels