How to Buy a Rolex: A First-Time Buyer’s Guide

There are plenty of hot takes online about how hard it is to buy a Rolex, and all the “games” that Rolex authorized dealers supposedly play, and indeed the luxury watch market was pretty wild from 2021-2022. But nowadays, buying a Rolex really isn’t that hard–only a handful of models are truly “impossible” for non-VIP shoppers to buy at an authorized dealer. Most references are obtainable with a bit of a wait, and if you’d like to skip that wait–or get one of those hard-to-get models–there are plenty of trusted online grey market dealers to buy from as well. We’ll quickly explain how to buy a Rolex in 2024.

Know the Model You Want

The first step in shopping for a Rolex is narrowing down the model you want. The Rolex Datejust, Submariner and Oyster Perpetual are their biggest sellers. The Day-Date, GMT-Master II and Daytona are all iconic as well.

Then there are more niche models such as the Yacht-Master, Deepsea, Air-King and Sky-Dweller as well as discontinued models like the Milgauss, Cellini Prince, and Yacht-Master II.

Just go to Rolex.com, or browse some photos above, and see what strikes your fancy. If you’re wondering how to decide which Rolex is good to buy, well, don’t think about resale value too much. As long as you’re paying appropriate market prices to begin with, you’ll be OK.

It’s true that Rolex watches are great at retaining their value compared to other brands, but very few of them actually gain significant value over time–especially when you account for things like inflation, maintenance and insurance. So first, just go with your gut–decide what you think is coolest.

Determine Your Budget

The next step is determining your budget. When you’re choosing where and how to buy a Rolex, you’ll need to decide if you’re open to pre-owned watches or not. As a general rule, aside from modern steel sports models, pre-owned Rolex watches are cheaper than the new retail price. Let’s start with an overview of how to set your expectations when you buy a Rolex with various budgets:

Price Range	What Rolex Can You Get?
$1,000	Something old and tiny. Any Rolex under $1,000 will be in rough shape, too.
$2,000	Some old random ladies’ dress watch or perhaps a repainted men’s Bubbleback, but not much worthwhile.
$3,000	50-year-old basic men’s 34mm model (which is pretty small by modern standards) like an Air-King ref. 5500 or an Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 1500.
$4,000	4-digit Datejusts (like ref. 1601) from the 1960’s-1970’s are doable at this price range, but keep in mind that they don’t have quickset date functionality.
$5,000	5-digit Datejusts like ref. 16014, or possibly even 16234 (which has a sapphire crystal).
$6,500	Something 36mm-39mm that’s pre-owned, but fairly new (i.e. 6-digit models with modern bracelets) like an Oyster Perpetual 39 ref. 114300 or a Datejust 36 ref. 116200.
$7,500	A brand new Datejust 36 from an authorized dealer (with a domed bezel), or an average-condition Explorer II (ref. 16570) or Submariner Date (ref. 16610) from the 1990’s. This is basically the bare minimum for a used Rolex sports model, or any Rolex at least 40mm in diameter for that matter.
$9,000	Datejust 41 models with smooth bezels, slightly better examples of popular 5-digit steel sports models, or relatively un-hyped 6-digit sports models like the Air-King ref. 116900 or Explorer II 216570.
$10,000	A new Submariner Date (ref. 126610) from an authorized dealer, or a previous-generation one (ref. 116610) from the secondhand market.
$12,500	Some nice modern two-tone Datejust options, like the Datejust 41 ref. 126333, or the very underrated Cellini Prince (ref. 5440, 5441, 5442, and 5443).
$15,000	A steel GMT-Master II like a Rolex Batman, a two-tone sports model like a Daytona ref. 116523 or Yacht-Master ref. 116621, or perhaps a nice neo-vintage Day-Date like ref. 18238.
$20,000	The stainless steel Rolex world is pretty much your oyster unless you’re looking for a Daytona. A Hulk Submariner or even a modern Rolex Pepsi GMT might be doable at this range.
$25,000	More solid gold options open up like Daytonas on leather straps (ref. 116518), 6-digit 36mm Day-Dates (ref. 118238, 118205 etc.) and pre-owned rose gold Yacht-Masters on Oysterflex bracelets (ref. 116655).
$30,000	More pre-owned Day-Date 36 options, like previous-generation platinum models (ref. 118206), or perhaps a white gold Yacht-Master II (ref. 116689).
$35,000	Brand new Day-Date 36, or a pre-owned Day-Date 40 or Day-Date II. Or previous-generation solid gold sports models like the Rolex “Smurf” Submariner (ref. 116619), Yacht-Master II (ref. 116688), or Daytona on Oysterflex (ref. 116518LN).
$40,000	Brand new Day-Date 40 (without diamonds) or Daytona on Oysterflex (ref. 126518LN), or vintage heavy-hitters like the Double-Red Sea-Dweller (ref. 1665).
$50,000	Basically any modern solid gold Rolex sports model you want (aside from rare iced-out versions), or perhaps a platinum Day-Date II (ref. 218206).
$75,000	At this level you’re probably paying for rarity/collectibility, or lots of gems–like the very collectible green-dial John Mayer Daytona, or a classic vintage “Big Red” Daytona.
$100,000	Platinum Daytona, more heavily gem-set models, or maybe even a grail-level vintage Submariner like a Comex or a Milsub.
Over $200,000	Gem-covered off-catalog rarities like the Icy Coke GMT and yellow gold Le Mans Daytona, or a vintage Paul Newman Daytona.

Narrow Your Search to a Specific Reference Number

One important tip when buying a Rolex is to always know the specific reference number of the watch you’re shopping for. There are many generations of stainless steel Submariner Date models, for instance, so if you want the newest model you’re looking for a 126610. The 116610 that preceded it will be cheaper and the neo-vintage 16610 Submariner Date will be cheaper still. If you spend some time researching those models, you’ll learn that the 116610 was the first model with the beloved quick-adjust Glidelock clasp, etc.

Know the Market Value

It’s always a good idea to have a general feel for market price, and you can get that by going on marketplaces like Chrono24 or listing aggregators like Watchrecon. Search using that reference number to get the most relevant results. Ebay can be worth a look, too.

Where and How to Buy a Rolex: Authorized Dealer or Secondhand?

If you want a Datejust or a Day-Date, or even one of the less popular sports models like a Sea-Dweller (particularly if it’s two-tone), just walk into an authorized dealer, ask for one, and wait a few months. You should have it before too long, unless you’re asking for a particular configuration with very high demand (like a mint green Datejust, or a Day-Date with a stone dial).

If you want a Pepsi GMT, steel Daytona, titanium Yacht-Master or turquoise Oyster Perpetual, however, you have almost no chance at getting one from an authorized dealer unless you’re a valued client there already. It’s worth noting that the Rolex waitlist tends to be longer in some places (UK, Australia) than others (USA).

When people are wondering how to buy a Rolex, they often ask if they should put their name down at multiple authorized dealers, and the answer is: sure, as long as they’re not owned by the same conglomerate and they’re fairly close to your home. Rolex AD’s generally prioritize local customers and will often encourage you to patronize your own local store if you visit one while traveling, but not always.

If the market value of the watch you want is a lot higher than the MSRP at a Rolex store, that means it’s very hard to actually get at a Rolex store. Oyster Perpetual models are surprisingly hard to get at retail, despite overtly being the entry-level Rolex model, but their secondhand premium isn’t too terrible–so that’s a good one to buy online from a trusted dealer. And if you want a steel Daytona or GMT without waiting forever, I’d recommend buying secondhand for that too.

How to Find a Trusted Dealer to Buy a Rolex From

Established luxury watch dealers will have numerous online references that you can see on places like Rolex Forums, Watchuseek, Reddit etc. Some forums even have trusted seller lists with the most-recommended sellers. Basically, if you see someone’s name recommended over and over and over again–like Takuya, Chase from Nashville Watch, DavidSW, Lunar Oyster, OC Watch Guy or hopefully Luxury Bazaar–you can feel confident buying a Rolex from them. These grey market dealers’ reputations are worth far more than they would make by scamming you out of a Rolex.

Chrono24 and Ebay: Are They Legit?

Chrono24 is indeed a legitimate watch marketplace, as is Ebay. There is a lot of aftermarket/custom garbage on Ebay (and even some fake stuff listed below the price threshold where authentication kicks in), but there’s plenty of legitimate and rare stuff too. In fact, Luxury Bazaar got started by selling on Ebay! And personally I found my rare “Abercrombie & Fitch”-stamped Oyster on Ebay.

Ebay has its place, as does Chrono24, but keep in mind that there are fantastic sellers and subpar ones alike on there–they’re just marketplaces. So, focus on the specific seller you’re buying a Rolex from. Avoid new sellers and stock photos!

If you work directly with a seller and pay by wire you can expect the best possible prices, but make sure you truly “buy the seller” before doing that. It’s not unusual for a well-established watch dealer to ask for a wire, but again, only do it if it’s a dealer you’re 100% confident about. If you truly found a watch through a Chrono24 or Ebay listing, and it’s your first transaction with that dealer, it’s generally best not to try to “circumvent” the listing fees. Unless it’s a really rare specific watch, though, it’s often easiest to start by simply emailing or calling a well-known dealer.

How to Know if the Rolex You Buy is Real

“Buy the seller” is a permanent mantra on watch forums for a reason. Often, first-time Rolex buyers will consider buying a watch from a random private party because they think they can “meet up at an authorized dealer to have it authenticated.” This is a surprisingly pervasive myth, but Rolex authorized dealers generally do not authenticate watches. They’re there to sell new Rolexes, not help people on Facebook Marketplace sell old ones. And honestly, ideally you should be buying from sellers whose opinions on authenticity you trust more than a random guy you would bring it to.

There are several tips on spotting a fake Rolex that you can learn, but if you’re still unsure about a watch you bought, you can have your watch fully serviced–any decent watchmaker will tell you if something is amiss. If you’re buying a Rolex that’s more than about seven years old, and you don’t know the service history, it’s a good idea to get it serviced anyway.

That’s really everything you need to know about how to buy a Rolex. Just walk into your local authorized dealer and ask for the one you like (seriously, asking about one watch is generally much more successful than a vague interest in several watches). If you want a steel Daytona or Pepsi, it’s true that you won’t get those without major spending history at an authorized retailer, but plenty of trusted dealers can overnight you one to your door for the current market price. And fortunately for consumers, the market price of a growing number of models is falling below MSRP.