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Question Time: What Are The Best Pre-Owned Rolex Watches To Buy Right Now?

What kind of purchaser are you? Are you simply in it for pleasure or looking to buy a Rolex as a potential investment? Do you want to develop your collection, or, are you the man who’s been salivating like a cartoon dog over a beautiful Datejust or a delicious Daytona?

Either way, we can only assume you adore Rolex and want a tasty piece of the horological action to ensure you look the part in and out of the office. The burning question we are going to examine this time, is what are the best pre-owned Rolex watches to purchase right now?

Firstly, we recommend finding what kind of style or look you wish to go for. Oh yes, there are a number of styles that will make your friends and colleagues go green with envy. From the sporty Submariner, deep diving Deepsea Sea-Dweller and the legendary Yacht-Master.

If you’ve found a piece that tickles you pink or colour you blue, the next course of action is to decide whether or not the piece will competently hold its value. After all, you will want to choose a piece that provides you enough confidence to be deemed as valuable after you’ve bought it. Again this will boil down to several determining factors such as;

Condition of the timepiece
Current market conditions and whether you buy at the top or bottom.
Provenance
Supply and demand
Rarity or exclusivity

So, without further ado, let's get into the best pre-owned Rolex watches to purchase right now.

Rolex Submariner

History

Like Bonfire Night, trust Chrono Hunter to start with a bang. And this one is a real firecracker that is sure to light your horological flame. The Submariner was first introduced into the brand’s catalogue in 1953.

At the time, it represented one of the first dive watches with the capability to reach 100 metres of water resistance. The general design codes have not changed too much. Crafted with a durable stainless steel case, the watches feature a sleek black bezel and face.

Typically fitted with a 60 minute rotating bezel, they were instantly adopted by divers who wished to efficiently track decompression phases to ensure safety when underwater. Highly luminescent, the watches grew to 200 metres water resistance in 1954 with ref. 6200.

In 1962, The Submariner would be utilised by none other than Mr James Bond, played by Sean Connery, in the 1962 film, Dr No. Alternating from a gilt to a matte finish in 1967, the Submariner Date was introduced in 1969 as the first model to feature a calendar function with a Cyclops magnification lens. This has remained a true staple of the collection with the Submariner Date and oh so hot no date version which remains highly coveted by horophiles.

Red face versions were released until 1975
1975 - Water resistant to 300 metres/ New Sapphire Crystal/ Unidirectional bezel
The first two-tone Submariner was released in 1984
Oyster steel introduced in the 1980s within all Submariner models.
First Submariner with a green bezel ref 16610LV launched in 2003
Cerachrom adopted onto the watches bezel from 2010

Best References To Invest In

Submariner 116610LV

Released in 2010, the model followed on from the highly lauded 16610V in 2003, marking 50 years of the brand.

Source - Sotheby’s

Discontinued in 2010, this was the model that took over the green streak of the brand, subsequently earning the nickname, “The Hulk”. Featuring a green ceramic unidirectional bezel and a green face, this is the ultimate piece for timepiece connoisseurs.

While you can no longer buy a Rolex Submariner 116610LV at retail as it has been discontinued, you can source it on the secondary market for around £17,000 at the time of writing.

Submariner 126613LB

As a new Submariner, this beauty comes in two tone Oyster steel and yellow gold.

Source - Brand’s Site

Nicknamed “The Bluesy'', it features a blue Cerachrom outer ring and a blue face. The combination of yellow gold across the markers, counters the blue beautifully. Featuring a precious metal on a diving watch is unusual, and serves to be a solid selling point for potential buyers, especially since it still offers maximum durability and great 300 metre water resistance.

You can buy a Rolex Submariner 126613LB at retail for £13,150 at the time of writing.

Submariner 116619LB

In 2008, The Submariner 116619LB was released to celebrate a century of the brand's rich heritage.

Source - Sotheby’s

As expected, the Swiss brand celebrated in style, releasing the beautiful ref. 126619LB that's crafted out of white gold and features a blue face with a bright blue outer ring. Nicknamed The Smurf due to the bright blue face and Cerachrom outer ring, this super-case model is a tremendously hot horological property.

You can no longer buy a Rolex Submariner 116619LB as it was discontinued. You can however source it on the secondary market for around £35,000 at the time of writing.

Latest Submariner Watches - Retail vs Secondary

Model	Retail Price	Secondary Market (As of November 2023)
Submariner 124060	£7,700	Around £10,000
Submariner 126610LN	£8,650	Around £12,000
Submariner 126618LB	£32,900	Around £33,000

Rolex Datejust

History

Released in 1945, the Datejust was released to celebrate 40 years of the brand.

Representing the first ever waterproof timepiece with a date on its dial, this piece came into the world in an 18K gold case. In 1954, the watches were fitted with a signature Cyclops lens to enhance the readability of the date function.

In 1977, they then introduced the Quickset date function that allows the wearer to change the date quickly without impacting the timekeeping. The Datejust II was introduced in 2009 and represented a funky fresh design.

Given a larger 41mm size compared to its predecessor’s 36mm case diameter, the watches became bolder and would set the groundwork for the Datejust 41mm that combined the aesthetics of the Datejust II and the classic Datejust in 2016.

Best References To Invest In

Datejust 16234

The Datejust 16234 clicked into action in 1988 and represented a turning point for the collection.

Source - Sotheby’s

Boasting a sapphire crystal while still keeping the classic Datejust allure, this reference kept the sleek design of the watches as opposed to the thicker design of the future editions. Coming in at 36mm, the model is crafted out of both steel and white gold.

You can no longer buy a Rolex Datejust 16234 at retail as it is discontinued. You can source a used model on the secondary market for around £6,000 at the time of writing.

Datejust 16013

The Datejust 16013 epitomises the iconic styling of the Datejust.

Source - Christie’s

Crafted out of both steel and gold, the timepiece comes in at 36mm and features a fluted outer ring with a Jubilee bracelet. If you really want to hammer home the luxury of the piece, we recommend you choose the champagne dial version.

You can no longer buy a Rolex Datejust 16013 at retail as it has been discontinued. You can source it on the secondary market for around £5,000 at the time of writing.

Datejust 126234

A brand new link up with the collection, The Datejust 126234 is perfect for the luxury lovers who still wish to have the latest tech.

Source - Brand’s Site

Available in the classic 36mm case size, the watch is crafted out of Oyster steel and white gold together with a highly lauded mint green dial, as well as the beautiful Jubilee bracelet and fluted outer ring. Powered by the Superlative Chronometer certified 3235 movement, expect a precision of -2/+2 seconds per day and a weekend-proof 70 hour power reserve.

You can buy a Rolex Datejust 126234 at retail for £7,500 at the time of writing.

Latest Datejust Watches - Retail vs Secondary

Model	Retail Price	Secondary Market
Datejust 126201	£10,850	Around £11,500
Datejust 126284RBR	£15,900	Around £18,000
Datejust 126233	£10,700	Around £12,000

Rolex Day-Date

History

A stalwart in their back catalogue, you might consider this the Sergeant Pepper of the watchmaking world.

The Day-Date was released in 1956 and swiftly became the first model to display both the date and the date, all of which are spelt out in full. Not enough? The calendar display is also spelt out in full!

Closely linked with the nickname “The President”, the watches have been adorned on the wrists of Presidents like Lyndon B.Johnson, Richard Nixon and Donald Trump. And that’s huuuge in anyone’s horological book. How's that for an investment promoter!

In fact, this is one of the very few collections that is made entirely out of solid gold materials such as 18K white gold, yellow gold and Everose gold.

Featuring a variety of versions named the Stella dials as released during the 1970s, the dial colours were bright shades of red, orange turquoise and many more!

Best References To Invest In

Day-Date 1803

Measuring 36mm, this 1960s timepiece is crafted out of the highly lusted after platinum.

Source - Artisans of Time

Featuring the iconic month and date indicators with a cyclops eye to capture the date aperture. The legendary pie-pan dial style has long gone for modern variations, but remains on these early references, allowing more depth within the dial. These are incredibly unique and make phenomenal investment pieces. Changing from radium to tritium lume, the model featured a calibre 1565 movement which increased to 19,600 from 18,000 VpH.

In our view, this is certainly a wrist worthy contender. You can no longer buy a Rolex Day-Date 1803 at retail, you can source it on the secondary market for around £8,500 at the time of writing.

Day-Date 228236

Fresh to The Day-Date collection, the 228236, offers a timekeeping upgrade to the line.

Source - Luxury of Watches

Crafted entirely out of platinum, the timepiece is given an ice-blue dial to keep with the icy precious metal. Featuring an iconic fluted outer ring and president bracelet, the hour markers are made out of Roman numerals.

This looks mighty similar to The Arabic variation of the Day-Date 40 with its ice blue Arabic dial. Worn by none other than Tom Brady, the unique dial style is a piece every budding collector should be dreaming of!

Powered by the Superlative Chronometer movement, the 3255 calibre, the model offers -2/+2 seconds precision per day and an impressive 70 hour power reserve. After all, don’t you need time to hot foot it to that overseas business trip or romantic weekend getaway? On the face of it, this again is one of the best variations to invest in.

You can buy a Rolex Day-Date 228236 at retail for £53,300 at the time of writing.

Day-Date 6611B

In production from the 1950s, this is the ultimate vintage piece for those who wish they could hop back to the future. Look out Bill & Ted, there’s a new time traveller in town.

Source - Sotheby’s

Featuring the classic day and date apertures with applied hour markers on a champagne dial, they even feature an acrylic crystal as opposed to the modernised sapphire crystal. Crafted out of yellow gold, this chronometer timepiece screams luxury and investment potential with its black leather strap and is capable of running at a good rate.

While you can no longer buy a Rolex Day-Date at retail, you can source it on the secondary market for around £10,000 at the time of writing.

Latest Day-Date Watches - Retail vs Secondary

Model	Retail Price	Secondary Market (As of November 2023)	Release Date
Day-Date 128345RBR	£53,050	Around £60,000	2020
Day-Date 228235	£35,000	Around £44,000	2019
Day-Date 228236	£53,300	Around £70,000	2022
Day-Date 228239	£35,000	Around £38,000	2015

Rolex Oyster Perpetual

History

The Oyster Perpetual didn’t originate in 1926, but this would be the background to the iconic collection.

They released its famed Oyster case that was capable of enjoying water and dust proof properties. In 1931, they would make history yet again by releasing the first automatic ‘Perpetual’ movement. The Oyster Perpetual combined both of these innovations, making it an unstoppable force in the horological world.

In 1986, the collection decided to adopt the sapphire crystal, but throughout its entire history, the watches are all in steel with smooth outer rings and Oyster bracelets…aside from a few solid gold and two-tone variations.

Available in a variety of sizes, including 24mm up to 41mm, the bezels are typically smooth, but can be engine turned or fluted.

Best References To Invest In

Oyster Perpetual 6565

This particular reference is associated with the start of the collection's journey.

Source - Benjamin Marecello

Originating around the 1950s, the watches are very small at 34mm and are crafted out of the highly luxurious yellow gold material with an engine turned outer ring that incorporates a champagne dial. Down to the intricacies like the hour markers and the hands, they are as old school as Iggy Pop. Its arrow shaped, tapered hands alongside the vintage tritium hands and markers is what does it for us.

You can no longer buy an Oyster Perpetual 6565 at retail as it has been discontinued. You can buy it on the secondary market for around £4,000 at the time of writing.

Oyster Perpetual 124300

Crafted out of Oyster Steel, the 124300 is one of the latest Oyster Perpetuals models out of the catalogue.

Source - Brand’s Site

Featuring a silver dial face with a sunray finish, the similarly silver hour markers are enhanced. Combining an Oyster bracelet, the smooth edging is highly reminiscent of the past as the predecessor models also kept the same minimalist aesthetic. Powered by the 3230 movement, the model has a precision of -2/+2 seconds per day and is classified as a Superlative Chronometer.

You can buy an Oyster Perpetual 124300 for £5,400 at retail at the time of writing.

Oyster Perpetual 116000

Produced around 2010, this variation could easily be pulled off as a dress watch.

Source - Phillips

This is due to the deviation from baton indices to a combination of baton and Arabic numerals situated at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. Crafted entirely out of Oyster Steel, the timepiece features lume on the hour markers and a sapphire crystal.

Sleek, elegant and just a smattering of luxury for any special occasion, it is supported with a 3-link bracelet and given an accessible 36mm case.

You can no longer buy a Rolex Oyster Perpetual 116000 at retail as it’s been discontinued. You can source it on the secondary market for around £5,500 at the time of writing.

Latest Oyster Perpetual Watches - Retail vs Secondary

Model	Retail Price	Secondary Market
Oyster Perpetual 124200	£4,850	Around £6,300
Oyster Perpetual 277200	£4,750	Around £5,500
Oyster Perpetual 276200	£4,650	Around £5,300

Rolex Daytona

History

Now it’s time for the biggie.

The Daytona is a mechanical chronograph that would lay down the blueprints of a true racing watch. Even if the watches do have a 12 to 36 month waiting list!

Taking inspiration from the Daytona racetrack in Florida, the collection saw its start in 1963 under the 6239 reference. If we were to be specific, however, we could say that The Daytona originally started in 1965 as that's when the “Daytona” term was fixed onto the dial.

The 6239 featured the tachymetric scale engraved on the outer ring rather than on the dial itself. Originally utilising pump style pushers as opposed to screw down pushers for enhanced water resistance, the 6239 also featured exotic dial styles as provided by dial maker “Singer”.

You may know one of these exotic dials as it was worn by none other than Paul Newman! His model was given to him by his wife Joanne Woodward as a gift for his role in the film “Winning”. It sold for around £15 million in 2017 which enhanced the reputation of the Daytona greatly. And it was this association that has made the Daytona one of the most iconic watches on the planet.

In 1988, this timepiece developed further with a self-winding movement as opposed to the classic mechanical movements of its predecessor. Having to make the change following the misery of the Quartz Crisis, the ref. 16520 saw the model grow to 40mm and feature sapphire crystals as opposed to acrylic.

Taking inspiration from the Zenith El Primero movement in their Calibre 400, they knocked the frequency down from 5Hz to 4Hz in order to preserve the power reserve. In the year 2000, The Daytona took hold of their own destiny with the release of the ref. 116520 as it housed their own in-house automatic calibre, known as the calibre 4130.

Best References To Invest In

Daytona 126506

With a case diameter of 40mm, this reference is as fresh as a daisy in March 2023 when it touched The Daytona portfolio.

Source - Brand’s Site

Crafted out of platinum, the timepiece is highly precious and it utilises an ice blue face to keep with the fresh theme of the watch. Featuring a chestnut brown Cerachrom outer ring with an engraved tachymetric scale, the sporty aesthetic is bolstered with a luxury precious metal design.

You can buy a Rolex Daytona 126506 at retail for £65,500 at the time of writing.

Daytona 16520

If you feel like modernity doesn't cut it for you, why not cast your eyes over to the vintage appeal of a Zenith inspired ref. 16520.

Source - Sotheby’s

Nicknamed the “Zenith” Daytona, the timepiece is the start of the self-winding journey for the collection. They opted to use The El Primero calibre as released by Zenith, following the fresh threat of the Quartz Crisis during the 1970s against the mechanical horological industry. However, they made their own adaptations to the movement, in order to create something that didn’t run as fast, but still benefited from a solid power reserve.

You can no longer buy a Rolex Daytona 16520 at retail as it has been discontinued. You can source a used edition on the secondary market for around £24,000 at the time of writing.

Daytona 116508 “John Mayer”

The Ref. 116508 is nicknamed “John Mayer” due to the famed musician boasting the timepiece on a horological show.

Source - Sotheby’s

His laudatory comments of the timepiece propelled the piece to exorbitant fame and eventually cult status as it was later discontinued in 2023, enhancing its rarity. Made out of gold across the case, bracelet and outer ring, the watches are given a rich, British Racing Green face and the calibre 4130, offering 72 hours of power reserve.

You can buy a Rolex Daytona 116508 at retail for around £65,000 at the time of writing.

Latest Daytona Watches - Retail vs Secondary

Model	Retail Price	Secondary Market
Daytona 126509	£35,800	Around £55,000
Daytona 126505	£37,500	Around £50,000
Daytona 126519LN	£27,050	Around £44,00

Rolex GMT-Master II

History

Originally released in 1955, The GMT-Master is the ultimate timepiece for horological lovers who love nothing more than a little aviation heritage. Released in collaboration with PAN AM Airways, it was specially made for crews on long haul flights.

The outer ring boasts red and blue colourings in order to distinguish daylight and night-time hours. Crafted out of plexiglass and then anodized aluminium in 1959, ceramic would eventually take over in 2005.

The design followers a conventional hour hand and a minute hand, as well as a 24-hour hand that was synchronised with them both. In 1982, a new movement was brought in to allow an hour hand to be set independently away from the other hands. This was the dawn of the new “GMT-Master II”.

In 2013, they introduced the single piece, two colour ceramic insert that was crafted with both blue and black, and another variation with a red and blue ceramic insert was released in 18K white gold in 2014.

That same year, they introduced Cerachrom onto the GMT-Master in the classic red and blue combination. In 2019, they opted to use a meteorite dial (as preferred by 2023 Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz) that was crafted out of 18K white gold. This year, they refreshed the collection with an 18K yellow gold and a dual material, 18K yellow gold and Oyster steel combination with grey and black bezel combinations.

Nowadays you will be lucky to land a GMT-Master II at retail due to its 12 to 24 month waiting list depending on the model.

Best References To Invest In

GMT-Master II 126718GRNR

Released in 2023, this new model gives a fresh sheen to the GMT-Master II.

Source - Brand’s Site

Crafted entirely out of 18K yellow gold, the watch is given a black face and a beautiful Jubilee bracelet. Fitted with a 24 hour rotatable bezel, it is made up of grey and black Cerachrom, and it works in tandem with the arrow tipped hands that circles the face once every 24 hours.

Powered by the 3285 calibre, the watches offer a precision of -2/+2 seconds per day and a Superlative Chronometer certification. You can buy a Rolex GMT-Master II 126718GRNR at retail for £32,700 at the time of writing.

GMT-Master II 16750

As a transitional piece that was produced between 1981 and 1988, this is a very rare piece for GMT-Master II lovers.

Source - Sotheby’s

Fitted with the now iconic red and blue “Pepsi” ring alongside a pitch black, matte dial, the model is a nice 40mm on the wrist and features printed indices. Fitted with the vintage plexiglass crystal and a Cyclops eye over the date, the watch is powered by the Calibre 3075…the movement that brought along the quickset feature to the GMT piece.

While you can no longer buy a Rolex GMT-Master II 16750 at retail as it’s discontinued, you can source it on the secondary market for around £13,000 at the time of writing.

GMT-Master II 116710LN

Released in 2007, the ref. 116710LN represented a huge shift in the design of the GMT-Master II.

Source - Sotheby’s

Featuring a 40mm Maxi case in stainless steel, the watch has an entirely black Cerachrom insert. Changing the GMT hand from red to a neon green, this is the first reference to feature an engraved inner rehaut with a serial number based at 6 o’clock.

Powered by the Calibre 3186 movement, it runs at 28,800VpH and has a power reserve of 48 hours. While you can no longer buy a Rolex GMT-Master II 116710LN at retail as it’s been discontinued, you can source a second-hand edition on the secondary market for around £10,000 at the time of writing.

Latest GMT-Master II Watches - Retail vs Secondary

Model	Retail Price	Secondary Market
GMT-Master II 126720VTNR	£9,600	Around £18,000
GMT-Master 126711CHNR	£13,600	Around £16,500
GMT-Master 126710BLNR	£9,150	Around £14,000

Rolex Sky-Dweller

History

The Sky-Dweller saw its introduction in 2012.

Representing the first new model that had left their ranks for around 20 years, it was The Yacht-Master which was the last collection to be fresh off the horological platter, as it was released in 2007.

The Sky-Dweller doesn’t hide behind minimalism, instead opting for a bulky 42mm case with a luxurious je ne sais quoi. This is particularly enhanced when taking into account the stunning visuals.

The Sky-Dweller has the ability to differentiate between months with 30 and 31 days, and can automatically adjust between them, without any intervention from the user. The only times the user needs to touch it is to account for daylight savings and leap years.

With the ability to read two time zones, the user can utilise the 24 hour disc to show a reference time, while the main hands show the local time. Controlled by a Ring Command, the wearer can change the date, reference time and local time through the winding crown, as powered by the Calibre 9001 movement.

In 2012, the watches were originally released in precious metals like white and yellow gold. In 2017, they opted to release steel and dual material models in steel and yellow gold and now they have a waiting list of around 8 to 24 months. Best get in the queue.

Best References To Invest In

Sky-Dweller 336239

New to the Sky-Dweller collection, the Ref. 336239 comes in at 42mm and is crafted entirely out of white gold.

Source - Brand’s Site

Fitted with the Oysterflex bracelet that offers a sportier alternative to metal bracelets, the watch is fitted with a black dial with an off centre 24-hour display disc. Fitted with a red rectangle along each of the 12 windows, when filled, they represent the current month as displayed via the SAROS annual calendar.

Flexed by none other than Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2023, took a few style lessons out of his book as he pulled the fantastic white gold case with consummate ease.

Powered by the 9002 calibre, the watch has a 72 hour power reserve and Superlative Chronometer certification. You can buy a Rolex Sky-Dweller 336239 at retail for £36,000 at the time of writing.

Sky-Dweller 326135

At 42mm, this now discontinued Sky-Dweller is crafted entirely out of their proprietary alloy, Everose Gold.

Source - Sotheby’s

Boasting a similarly golden brown face, this flagship model boasts the same technical prowess as its predecessors including The SAROS annual calendar and GMT functionality, as navigated through the stunning, fluted Ring Command.

Released around 2013, you can no longer buy a Rolex Sky-Dweller 326135 at retail as it’s been discontinued. You can source a used edition on the secondary market for around £30,000 at the time of writing.

Sky-Dweller 326939

If Everose gold wasn't good enough for you, you may find that the 42mm Ref. 326939 similarly takes your fancy. And with it being a potential buyers market at present due to UK uncertainty, cost of living and continual inflation, you may want to snag one of these for your timekeeping drawer.

Source - Sotheby’s

Crafted out of 18K white gold, the watch features a white dial and has all the technical goods of its predecessors. Powered by the Calibre 9001, the watch offers a 72 hour power reserve and a solid 100 metre water resistance. Dressed up for a business meeting or down while sipping cocktails by your private pool, this model has without doubt the “it” factor.

You can no longer buy a Rolex Sky-Dweller 326939 as it has been discontinued. You can source it on the secondary market for around £30,000 at the time of writing.

Latest Sky-Dweller Watches - Retail vs Secondary

Model	Retail Price	Secondary Market
Sky Dweller 336938	£40,400	Around £42,000
Sky Dweller 336935	£42,800	Around £48,000
Sky Dweller 336934	£13,300	Around £18,000

Rolex Yacht-Master

History

The Yacht-Master is the ultimate piece for the discerning gentleman who likes his style, but also loves the intricacies of a great timepiece!

Originally released in 1992, this is one of the more modern collections in comparison with the Submariner that touched the brand’s catalogue in 1953. However, this also isn’t some new hotshot with no prestige either…

First coming out in yellow gold, the watches soon broke new ground in 1994, where a mid sized Yacht-Master was released, representing the first time a piece from the professional collection was available in a smaller casing than the standard variation.

The models continued to develop in terms of materials, resulting in a two tone steel and yellow gold version in 1996 and a steel and platinum version in 1997. In 1999, the steel and yellow gold combo which came under the reference 68623 was replaced with the new 168623. Built with the same materials, the watches featured a new movement and solid 18K gold links that run through the centre of the bracelet.

In 2007, the collection earnt its “II” after being updated with a Regatta chronograph update. This swiftly became the world's first watch to boast a programmable countdown that ran from 1 to 10 minutes using a mechanical memory.

The piece turned to Everose gold in 2015 and also the first edition to feature a rubberized bracelet, The Oysterflex. All previous models had been sizing up at 40mm or lower before the 2019, when The 42mm variation was launched with a date complication.

Best References To Invest In

Yacht-Master 6239

Hold on, isn’t the 6239 Paul Newman’s Daytona?

You’d be absolutely right in that assessment, however, The Yacht-Master was one of the lucky few that featured a prototype design. Following a number of features that very closely mirrored the Daytona’s design, we implore you to take a look at this 1965 edition with an engraved steel bezel and the iconic sub dials.

The Yacht-Master name was coined in the 1950s but wasn’t put on the dial until the 1990s, meaning that throughout this period, experimentation was rife in terms of design and incorporating other collections.

Crafted out of steel and featuring a nautical scale in green, red and white between the sub dials, this piece is perfect for the investor as it closely mirrors the awesome Paul Newman Daytona. Yet its prototype design as a Yacht-Master means this is prime for being worn in the sea too!

You can buy a Rolex Yacht-Master 6239 at retail for around £118,000 at the time of writing.

Yacht-Master 116695SATS

If diamonds are what win your heart around, take a moment to look at the Yacht-Master 116696SATS.

Nicknamed “Candy” due to its enigmatic bezel design, it is made up of 38 sapphires within the bi-directional rotating bezel, ranging from deep blues to red hot oranges and pinks. There are also 8 green tsavorites and one large triangular diamond at above 12 o’clock.

Coming in at 40mm, the watch is crafted out of pink gold and the dial is pitch black, allowing the classic baton and dot indices to clearly stand out.

Released around 2010, you can buy a Rolex Yacht-Master 116695SATS on the secondary market for around £120,000 at the time of writing.

Rolex Yacht-Master 16622

The Yacht-Master 16622 is another one of those elusive prototype pieces!

Released around 1999, this watch was instrumental in leading to the final dial design of the Yacht-Master we have today. Crafted out of platinum and sandblasted, the watch boasts a red seconds hand against a white gloss dial and black indexes.

This dial was later resurfaced in 2005 upon the release of the two-tone 16623, except this one offered gold edging on the hour markers and yellow gold hands. Combining both steel and platinum throughout the case, the 16622 is the ultimate watch for investors and horological collectors alike.

You can buy a Rolex Yacht-Master 16622 on the secondary market for around £70,000 at the time of writing.

Model	Retail Price	Secondary Market
Yacht-Master 226627	£11,800	Around £40,000
Yacht-Master 126655	£24,250	Around £25,000
Yacht-Master 126622	£10,350	Around £12,500

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Best Pre-Owned Rolex For Investment?

It could be argued that the best pre-owned Rolex for investment is the Daytona, even if it does have a long waiting list that can stretch to a number of years.

In terms of the features of the watch, the Daytona is extremely innovative, as well as technically great. As a phenomenal sports timepiece, the watches are waterproof, capable of dealing with incredible levels of pressure as they are racing watches, and are exceptionally accurate due to their chronograph functionality.

In fact, the collection is so lauded that Paul Newman’s version sold for £15 million in 2017! As a highly collectable line, the watches have a low supply and a very high demand, prompting it to be a possibility outstanding investment piece…especially vintage references such as ref. 6239

Is It Worth Buying A Second Hand Rolex?

Yes. For brands like Rolex, they tend to hold their value exceptionally well. Whether or not you source a pre-owned model, there is one thing we need to make clear.

If you opt to buy a Rolex second-hand, you may find prices to be higher than that compared with retail…but you won’t lose as much money straight off the bat and you may end up tracking down the timepiece of your dreams for the fairest price.

It’s found that you can save a great amount of money if you opt to buy pre-owned. This is because depreciation will likely take a certain amount of value off the watch when it is put up for sale. Statistically, you could save around 20% if you opted to buy pre-owned as opposed to retail. Suddenly that impossible model looks a lot more affordable…

This is because you are paying for the luxury of either sourced watches that have been discontinued, or skipping the extensive waiting times. But it's all for the greater good. For example, A Rolex Daytona may have a 5 year waiting list while for the Sky-Dweller, you may find that you are waiting for around 8 to 24 months. This is why the pre-owned market has been gaining in traction as many don’t want to hold on that long.

Do Pre-Owned Rolex Hold Value?

In our view it’s another resounding yes, pre-owned watches from the brand do hold their value very well. In fact, they are one of the few brands, alongside Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe capable of not only maintaining their value, but increasing past their retail figures.

This is especially true if you are willing to play the long game with your timepiece, hold on to it and don’t sell for a significant amount of time. Again this does come down to a myriad of factors including;

Condition of the watch
Provenance
Supply and demand
Exclusivity or rarity of the model or reference

Let’s take a look at a few examples through a handy grid, showcasing the retail figures alongside the secondary market figures:

Model	Retail Price	Secondary Market
Sky Dweller 336933	£16,300	Around £19,000
GMT-Master 126719BLRO	£36,150	Around £45,000
Oyster Perpetual 36 126000	£5,100	Around £8,500
Daytona 126518LN	£25,800	Around £38,000
Yacht-Master 42 226627	£11,800	Around £40,000

As you can see, their watches perform exceptionally well when it comes to the pre-owned market.

Are Pre-Owned Rolex Prices Dropping?

Well, let’s take a look at the economics behind the brand.

The aftermath of Covid-19 was a huge boom for the watchmaking industry in general. As many cash rich clients flooded to the watchmaking markets with their saved cash, there was an incredible surge, however, there has since been a comedown as normality returns. In March 2022, a lot of the brand's best pre-owned models began to slump due to high interest rates and slowly declining economies.

Add into this at the time of writing the cost of living, rising inflation and fiscal instability and you have a plateau in prices. We only foresee this short term. During September this year, they declined by 2.2% according to general market prices. However, rivals Cartier remained relatively stable as they only declined by 0.4%.

That being said, pre-owned watches from the Swiss brand continue to perform very well in terms of getting you your retail value back. As shown above, pre-owned prices, while they are plateauing at the time of writing, are still worthy enough of being considered suitable investments and have outperformed stocks and the S&P 500 over the last decade.

Conclusion

So what have we learnt, Timelords? Well, trying to choose the right pre-owned model is not as plain sailing as a Yacht-Master.

For example, the sheer amount of options and variations between models can be overwhelming. Being able to properly decipher the differences is not an easy task, but once you get that nailed down, you are on the way to horological freedom!

In our humble opinion, we believe that if you want to source a high quality, second-hand watch, the most important step is to know you are sourcing a piece from a reputable source like Chrono Hunter. And without getting a raw deal.

After all, this is a serious amount of cash which needs to be given the utmost respect while undertaking the safest transaction. Why not take a look at our superb Trustpilot reviews to see why exactly we are the go-to source when buying or selling a watch.

The secondary market does have its pros. It allows you to avoid lengthy waiting lists, allowing you to source models which are either rare, discontinued or vintage. No such luck upon retail my friends!

Sourcing your lusted after timepiece from an established, reputable site like Chrono Hunter, ensures you have peace of mind in sourcing from a high quality platform and confidence that you are only obtaining the best possible prices and multiple offers from our fine array of the best luxury retailers.

Is it time you jumped on our horological bandwagon?

Looking to buy a Rolex at the best possible price? Want to enjoy precious metals and Haute Horlogerie on the pre-owned market? It’s definitely time to contact ChronoHunter here. Benefit from multiple offers from our established selection of luxury watch retailers and accept which one is right for you. Make the smart choice.

We understand. Christmas has crept around the calendar. Now is the prime time for you to contact Chrono Hunter! Take time to fill your horological stocking to the brim, and study our vast array of luxury pre-owned watches across all major brands including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin and Cartier. Sell your timepiece and upgrade to discover the best possible prices when you buy a pre-owned Rolex or enjoy top prices paid if you want cash quickly.

Save money the smart way by utilising our dedicated app today or simply entering the details of the watch or watches you want to purchase or sell via our online form. With peerless service, quick turnaround and brand expertise like no other, we are here to deliver the best possible buying and selling experience when you buy a watch or sell a watch.

Buy Or Sell A Luxury Watch The Smart Way With Chrono Hunter

If you are considering your new purchase or perhaps the sale of a beloved timepiece, Chrono Hunter is the smart way to buy or sell a luxury watch.

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