Rolex Watches Retail Prices 2026 vs 2025
The following table compares the 2025 prices with the new January 2026 prices.
| Model Name | Reference | 2025 Price (AED) | 2026 Price (AED) | Increase in % |
| Daytona Steel | 126500LN | 63,450 | 67,450 | 6.30% |
| Daytona Yellow Gold | 126508 | 191,900 | 210,800 | 9.85% |
| Daytona Rose Gold | 126505 | 205,800 | 225,800 | 9.72% |
| Submariner No-Date | 124060 | 37,800 | 40,350 | 6.75% |
| Submariner Date (Green) | 126610LV | 44,500 | 47,650 | 7.08% |
| GMT-Master II Pepsi (Jubilee) | 126710BLRO | 44,900 | 48,000 | 6.90% |
| GMT-Master II Full Gold | 126718GRNR | 176,800 | 194,000 | 9.73% |
| Datejust 41 (Smooth, Oyster) | 126300 | 33,600 | 35,650 | 6.10% |
| Datejust 41 (Fluted, Jubilee) | 126334 | 43,300 | 47,650 | 10.05% |
| Sky-Dweller Steel | 336934 | 66,800 | 71,850 | 7.56% |
| Sky-Dweller Yellow Gold Oysterflex | 336238 | 186,900 | 196,200 | 4.98% |
| Day-Date 40 Platinum | 228236 | 256,100 | 276,000 | 7.77% |
| OP 41 | 134300 | 26,450 | 28,250 | 6.81% |
Why are Prices Going Up?
Rolex adjusts prices to match the economic reality. There are three main reasons, which are increasing these numbers right now.
- Raw Materials: This is the biggest factor because the price of 24k gold has increased by 66% in 2025. It costs much more to produce an 18ct yellow gold or Everose gold case today than it did in 2024.
- Tariffs: New trade tariffs like the 15% tax on Swiss watches in the US affect the global strategy. The company tries to keep pricing consistent to avoid large gaps between countries.
- Currency: The Swiss Franc (CHF) remains very strong against the Euro and Dollar, so the local prices must go up to protect margins.
What These Rolex Retail Prices Reveal About the Market in 2026?
If you are a watch collector, you must understand the strategy behind these changes in Rolex watch prices in 2026:
Protecting the Entry Point
The data shows a clear effort to keep the entry-level sports watches accessible. Although inflation is high, the Explorer and Air-King saw the smallest increase in price. Rolex has done this deliberately. The company wants to keep these watches under the psychological AED 32,000 barrier. The purpose is to ensure new and young collectors still dream of entering the brand without being priced out entirely.
The Platinum Value Shift
Historical data shows that the platinum demanded a massive premium over Gold. However, this year’s update shows a strange trend. Gold prices are rising much faster than platinum prices. So, the price gap between a Yellow Gold Day-Date and a Platinum Day-Date is decreasing. Ironically speaking, if this trend continues for another two years, Platinum might become the value choice for heavy hitters, as the premium you pay for the heavier metal becomes less significant compared to the increasing cost of Gold.
The Land-Dweller is a Flagship
This is the first time the Land-Dweller has experienced a price correction since its launch. Rolex is sending a powerful signal by pricing the steel model almost identically to the Steel Daytona. The company does not view the Land-Dweller as a strange alternative. In fact, it views the watch as a pillar of the catalogue. That’s why Rolex has priced it to compete directly with other integrated-bracelet watches like the Royal Oak.
The Sky-Dweller Red Flag
The most suspicious data point is the Sky-Dweller on Oysterflex. Although the rest of the gold catalogue increased by approximately 6%, this reference barely moved (+1%). Therefore, when a specific model’s price in the watch world stagnates while everything else rises, it usually signals soft demand. So, it seems Rolex is hesitant to push this specific reference higher. We think the reason is that the company fears that this reference might stay in the display cases unsold.
Market Impact: What Now?
Prices are higher at the Authorized Dealer, but what does this mean for you? Well, a small retail increase does not change the game for hot steel watches like Rolex Daytona and GMT. The hype of a watch determines its street price, which means it has almost nothing to do with MSRP. Therefore, don’t expect the secondary market price of a Pepsi to drop just because the real price rose slightly.
When it comes to gold models, the secondary market price tracks the retail price much more closely. And because the new retail floor is now significantly higher, which is approximately 10,000 AED more, sellers on the secondary market will likely adjust their prices upward immediately. So, the window to buy a “cheap” gold Rolex is closing fast.
