Pre-Owned Rolex Prices After the 2026 Increase: Where the Market Actually Sits

Rolex raised U.S. prices on January 1, 2026. Average increases landed around 7%, with gold models climbing harder than steel. Retail may have changed overnight, but the secondary market didn't.

That's the gap worth examining. Looking at pre-owned pricing on Chrono24 right now, the story splits three ways. Some references still ignore MSRP completely. Others sit uncomfortably close to new retail, or below it. And in gold, the disconnect is sharper than it's been in years.

What follows isn't about "deals." It's about what five familiar references actually cost today, compared to where they sat less than two weeks ago.

Steel Icons Still Exist in Their Own Category

Rolex Submariner 124060. Image Source: Bloomberg

Let's start with the obvious. The Rolex Submariner 124060 now sits at $10,050 retail, crossing the five-figure threshold for the first time. Pre-owned pricing has not reacted thus far. On Chrono24, clean examples trade above $11,500 (sometimes well above), which is comfortably higher than both the old $9,500 figure and the new one.

Rolex GMT-master II 126710GRNR. Image Source: The Watch Club

Same story with the GMT-Master II. Retail moved from $11,300 to $12,000. The Pepsi still trades in the low-to-mid $20,000 range on the secondary market. Same for the "entry-level" grey-and-black 126710GRNR, which commonly sits above $20,000.

Rolex Daytona 126500. Image Source: Tedy Baldassarre

Then there's the Daytona, which remains its own ecosystem, even next to these other steel sports models. Pre-owned pricing for the Daytona 126500 remains at or above $30,000: often double its new MSRP of $16,900.

For these steel sports models, MSRP is background noise. Scarcity and desirability still do the work.

Where Pricing Acts Normal

Rolex Explorer II 226570 Polar White

The Explorer II 226570 saw its retail price go from $9,900 to $10,600. On Chrono24 right now, pre-owned examples cluster between $10,500 and $13,000 depending on condition, year, and dial variant. The polar (white) dial tends to run slightly higher than the black dial, typically landing in the $11,700–$13,000 range for clean, recent examples. Black dials sit closer to $10,500–$12,000.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41mm in Beige. Image Source: Watch Collecting

The Explorer II is far more available than the Submariner or GMT, doesn't typically require purchase history, and sits closer to true "entry-level" Rolex territory alongside the Explorer I, Oyster Perpetual, and smooth bezel Datejust. When pre-owned pricing tracks near retail like this, it's not necessarily because the market is "healthy"—it's because supply and demand are close to normal.

Gold Took the Biggest Hit—That's Where the Gap Opened

Rolex Day-Date 40mm 228238. Image Source: Wrist Aficionado

The yellow gold Day-Date 40 228238 moved from $44,200 to $48,000 at retail in January. That's an aggressive jump, driven by higher gold prices and Rolex's broader precious-metal strategy (climbing further and further up the ladder of luxury). The secondary market hasn't kept pace.

On Chrono24 right now, standard-dial Day-Date 40s in yellow gold are offered between $42,950 and $48,500 for basic configurations with champagne, white, or black dials. Several sit in the $43,000–$46,000 range. That means clean examples with standard dials can be found below the new $48,000 retail price—and in some cases, hovering around where the watch sat before the increase.

Green dial variants tell a different story. The 228238 with a green dial or green ombré dial trades between $60,000 and $68,000 on Chrono24—well above both old and new retail. These aren't standard configurations. They're collectible dials that command premiums regardless of MSRP changes.

Don’t get me wrong—this doesn't mean gold Day-Dates are suddenly undervalued. It means retail price moved and the secondary market hasn’t caught up. For buyers comparing new versus pre-owned today, it pays to look into the reference you’re interested in, especially if it’s gold.

What This Actually Means

Rubber Straps For Rolex Watches

The 2026 increase didn't shake up Rolex's model hierarchy, but it created some noticeable fault lines. Precious metal pieces, hit hardest by the increase, are where we see retail and secondary pricing drifting.

Steel icons still trade on demand, not MSRP. Core models like the Explorer II reflect a stable market operating normally. And while we’ve known it for years, pre-owned value isn't a blanket concept anymore. It's reference-specific, configuration-specific, timing-specific—especially in January 2026.