The luxury watch secondary market rides its own waves and dips, but the Bloomberg Subdial Watch Index shows climbing demand for a gold Rollie these days, a trend that Paul Altieri of Bob’s Watches says won’t slow down anytime soon. “We’re seeing a significant increase in demand for pre-owned gold Rolex watches, driven by a combination of factors,” said Altieri, whose luxury watch resale site stocks valuable gold Rolex models like the Datejust and the Sky-Dweller. On the Subdial Watch Index, watches like the Rolex Day-Date Ref. 228238 have climbed in popularity dating back to 2022, a trend Altieri attributes in part to a surge in global gold prices.
As the stock market at large becomes more volatile, gold Rolex timepieces are seen as “more attractive as both luxury items and investment assets,” Altieri notes. Indeed, a handsome 18-karat gold Rolex Submariner is going for nearly $40,000 on Bob’s Watches, with dozens of consumers viewing the model at a given time: Talk about an upward creep in demand.
It’s already an ideal time to find a solid value for a pre-owned Rolex or Patek Philippe, experts note, and other specific gold Rolex models (like the Datejust Ref. 16233 and the Day-Date Ref. 18038) also continue to climb Bloomberg’s closely tracked Subdial Watch Index. There’s also a strong sense of investment appeal in general when it comes to the famed Swiss watchmaker, Altieri noted.
“Collectors and investors are increasingly viewing vintage gold Rolex watches as stable investments, appreciating in value over time,” Altieri told Maxim. “The trend reflects a broader shift in consumer behavior, where luxury watches are valued not only for their craftsmanship but also for their potential as appreciating assets.”
Particularly as Rolex continues to debut covetable new watches like the Rolex Land-Dweller (which made its first appearance at Watches and Wonders 2025), there’s an even stronger pull for consumers to find a truly collectible Rollie, Altieri noted. “The scarcity of new Rolex watches has pushed consumers toward the pre-owned market, where vintage gold models are gaining popularity,” he said.
Other new gold Rolex watch models are also increasing in price as of 2025, according to the Crown, offering even greater incentive for watch enthusiasts and collectors to scour the secondary market. Seeking refuge in the world of valuable wrist candy is nothing new, Altieri notes.
“The surge in demand for gold Rolex watches amid rising gold prices harkens back to the late 1970s, when runaway inflation made gold a safe haven—today, wearing a gold Rolex feels like wearing a hedge against inflation on your wrist.” A gold Rolex is a style statement, a marker of good taste and increasingly these days, a valuable investment, but the ebbs and flows of the market should prove fascinating in the months ahead.
