Rolex watches are by some distance the most collectible luxury watch brand.
There are a lot of reasons for that.
And fashion among collectors is impossible to measure in any scientific way.
But we do know that Rolex are very visible as a luxury watch brand.
They are a shorthand for the whole sector.
They’re also quite a big company. Although the essence of luxury is scarcity, Rolex probably make around 1 million watches a year.
They’re much more accessible than, for example, Audemars Piguet, who make around 40,000 a year.
Rolex are the mass market luxury watch, if you’ll forgive a contradiction.
But they still tick every box for collectors:
- Great design
- Amazing quality
- Handmade precision
- Limited edition references
- Superb function
And they continue to pop up as the best selling and most valuable of all luxury watches.
If you’re thinking of becoming a watch collector here are 5 Rolex references that you need to add to your shopping list.
1 - Rolex Daytona
You don't need a race car to appreciate the beauty of the Daytona, the luxury watch everyone wants.
This is arguably the most famous luxury watch in the world.
Rolex introduced it in 1963, since when it has run through 4 series, the last debuting in 2023.
The working parts of the Cosmograph Daytona include a tachymetric scale, the sweeping second hand (with ⅛ second accuracy), and minute and hour elapsed time measures.
Reference 6239 was new in 1963, and was definitely aimed at racing teams, though it was originally, briefly nicknamed the Le Mans.
The first series ran from 1963 to the 1980s.
The second was introduced in 1988 and was Reference 16520.
The third came in in 2000, reference 116520.
In 2023 a special edition was launched to celebrate the centenary of…, yes, the Le Mans 24-hour race.
The Daytona is most famously associated with Paul Newman, and it’s his watch that currently holds the world record for the reference, selling for $17.8 million.
The “standard” model has a stark black and white dial, no numerals, and 3 miniature dials on the watch face.
If you want to own a single Rolex, this is probably the one.
2 - The Rolex Day/Date “President”
JFK with MM, the night she reportedly gifted him a Rolex President that stayed forever under wraps.
If the Daytona is very high-tech, the President is visually very simple.
But under the hood of the Oyster Perpetual Day/Date (to give it its proper title) are the super clever mechanics that allow accurate matching of weekdays with days of the month.
It’s not easy, and it took Rolex until 1956 to unveil it.
This very simple and elegant watch was jazzed up with brightly coloured dial faces to become the highly collectible Stella, produced during the 1970s.
The “Presidential” aura was first stamped on the watch by John F Kennedy, though the engraved example he was given by Marilyn Monroe (at the dinner where she famously breathed “Happy Birthday” to him) was not worn in public.
Who knows why?
His successor, Lyndon Johnson also wore one, as did presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Trump.
A very simple and wearable watch, perhaps best enjoyed in gold, the President is a must have for your collection.
3 - The Rolex Submariner
The green dial of this Submariner earns it the nickname The Hulk.
You need a diver’s watch for your collection, so why not get the Rolex that has the best claim to be the James Bond watch?
Sean Connery strapped on a Submariner (ref 6538) in four Bond movies from Dr No to Thunderball. George Lazenby, Roger Moore and finally Timothy Dalton also went into action with Rolex Submariners on their wrists.
Bond is an Omega man these days, but the Rolex Submariner remains a must have for collectors.
It first surfaced in 1954 (ref 6204 and 62050), pioneering waterproofing down to 100 metres.
Modern Submariners go to 300 metres.
Key features include luminous numbers, a big easy-to-find winder, and a bezel that allows you to track your time underwater - a life and death matter for serious divers.
From around 1966 the addition of a date window confirmed that the Submariner was being bought and used above the water.
Rolex continues to produce variants of the classic design that are highly in demand.
It’s also the mother model of the Rolex Seadweller series of specialist divers’ watches.
You need a Submariner and you have a huge variety to choose from.
4 - The Rolex Skydweller
There's a lot going on inside this case to manage unique calendar functions.
Although they style it in their “classics” range, this Rolex is a real newcomer, launched as recently as 2012.
It’s not a pilot’s watch, but a traveller’s watch, and the key features are all about tracking time and dates through multiple time zones as you trot the globe.
A big 42mm case gives you a durable base, inside which a huge set of complications produces accurate date, month, time zone and annual calendar measurements.
Months are recorded in windows over each numeral on the dial.
Its movement, the 9001, was specially created for this new reference, and its launch in precious metals only confirmed it was for sophisticates and high flyers.
It’s been updated several times since launch, including changes that made it more affordable.
Interestingly, the slightly less expensive stainless steel White Rolesor has become the most popular model with collectors thus far and the best holder of value.
Being the perfect example of swanlike elegance - furious whirring under a beautifully simple exterior - gives the Skydweller massive appeal in my view.
But its relative youth makes it a good value buy and one that might have growth potential for collectors.
5 - The Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Not quite the simple graphics of the original, but this colourful "celebration" Rolex Oyster Perpetual showcases the reference's elegant, functional design.
You need the standard Rolex in your collection.
Which one though?
Such a simple watch means a lot of variants, but the fundamentals remain as pure as ever:
A perpetual, self-winding calibre perfected by Emile Borer at Rolex in 1934.
An Oyster case, from a patent that Rolex bought in 1926, and that keeps your watch waterproof.
It’s very simple, with just hours, minutes and seconds to count, so the variations are endless.
You can buy a low-key Oyster Perpetual, or you can buy a razzle dazzle Oyster Perpetual.
And you can get one for several thousand pounds. Or multiples of that depending on your taste for coloured dials, precious metals, and strap variations.
This is the classic luxury watch and every collection must have one.
Buy luxury Rolex watches today
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