Vintage Rolex Watch Prices Have Been Growing for Decades
The most popular vintage Rolexes
A new report from Artmarketresearch.com on Rolex watches at auction includes the world’s first index on the market for the Rolex’s ‘Professional’ watches. Starting in 1985, the index follows the growth in value of this sector over the last 40 years, by regularly valuing a group of key references.
While Rolex can claim just one out of the top 10 most expensive watches ever sold at auction, the ‘Professional’ Rolex watch sector has grown in value twice as fast as any other group of watches. According to the data, which selects 22 references produced between the 1930s and 1990s, their value grew by 2,300% since the 1980s. While both traditional asset classes and crypto currencies experience growing volatility, true investment Rolex timepieces continue to appreciate. 2021 was a record-breaking year for the brand at auction, with 5 Rolex watches selling for over $1 million USD.
‘Million-DollarRolex’ Watches
Rolex Daytona references remain the most sought-after Rolex watches. The highest price paid last year was for a Ref. 16516 Daytona, with a hardstone turquoise lacquer dial, which sold for $24 million HKD (£2,269,000 including fees) at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, on April 23rd, 2021. In addition to several Rolex Daytona references, the data reveals that the fastest risers in percentage terms include a Rolex Explorer, a Rolex GMT-Master, and two Rolex Submariner references. The report also includes a section on the wider market for watches at auction, with information on market share and average spend, and shows sales in the Eurozone grew three-fold last year, thanks in part to new auctions at Sotheby’s in Cologne, Germany and at Antiquorum in Forte dei Marmi, Italy.
Rolex ‘Professional’ watches price growth
Artmarketresearch.com has been supplying indexes to the auction industry since the 1970s and provides the data for the Knight Frank’s Luxury Index in their annual Wealth Report. CEO Sebastian Duthy says, “The report makes it clear that Rolex collectors have a deep passion for the brand, and this has ensured long term growth for examples which survive in original condition, further attracting investment-driven collectors to the auction market.”
By: Andres Ibarguen
Key Rolex auctions