What Is The Cheapest Rolex Watch? (Three Picks)

So, you want a deal on a Rolex. We get it, so does everyone else – but what is the lowest-priced Rolex in today’s market? We did a bit of internet sleuthing, scouring online marketplaces to find the craziest deal on a Rolex watch. Instead of finding just one, we found three Rolex watches, breaking up the search across three categories. I’ll admit I was a bit shocked about how little one has to pay to get a Rolex in today’s market.

Our criteria for finding the lowest-priced (cheapest) Rolexes on the market are as follows:

1. The watch has to be a Rolex – no Tudor technicalities. 
2. The Rolex has to function and tell time.
3. The Rolex has to come from a reputable seller (buy the seller not the watch).
4. The Rolex has to have come on its original bracelet (or at least an authentic replacement).
5. For the sake of this article, we restricted the search to unisex and men’s watches (no Lady Datejusts).

We decided to divide the “cheapest Rolex” into three categories. First, a brand new Rolex directly from the brand. Second, a possibly used professional or sport Rolex. Third, a possibly used classic or dress Rolex. Let’s see what we came up with, starting with a totally brand new Rolex. 

The Cheapest Brand New Rolex

After checking every reference that Rolex offers and comparing it to the five categories above, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 34, reference 124200 (in any dial color) was only $5800.00 MSRP. It’s pretty amazing that you can still slip on a brand new Rolex for under 6K (before tax) these days. Now, you can go up to $6100.00 (an extra $300) for the same model in 36mm, which we suggest if it’s a better fit for you. These 2mm certainly matter here; when you see the 34mm vs the 36mm in person, you’ll quickly know what’s better for you.

The Cheapest Rolex Professional (Sport) Model

Image Source: Two Broke Watch Snobs

Next up is our professional or "sport" Rolex. This category includes used watches, which always require a bit more elbow grease, especially finding one that meets our five-point criteria. Historically, the Explorer I would be a likely professional Rolex to win this competition. This holds true today. At the time of writing, we found a late '90s Rolex Explorer I (36mm) for a blistering hot deal of just $4300.00. At the time of publishing, however, the least expensive Explorer we could find is a ref. 14270 for a hair above $4,700. It’s pretty amazing to find a professional Rolex for anywhere near 5K these days, not to mention the iconic design and status of the Rolex Explorer; this watch’s 36mm sizing, 3-6-9 numerals, and black dial will be forever timeless.

The Cheapest Rolex Classic “Dressy” Model 

Lastly, we dug deep to find a classic or "dressy" Rolex that would fit the five points we set for our “cheapest Rolex.” Traditionally, we’d look toward used Datejusts for attainable classic Rolexes, but we found something even less expensive. We ended up finding a $2300.00 Rolex Air-King in 34mm with an Oyster bracelet to boot. Sure, the case and bracelet have seen some polishing and the hands aren’t pristine, but this is a sub-$3k Rolex we’re talking about here. Boy is that a low-priced Rolex – $2300! However, the watch ships from Japan, so you may have to pay some customs. That said, we found a few other Rolex models stateside for right above $2300.00. 

It’s pretty wild that one can own a Rolex for such a low price these days. It seems a little illogical due to the fact that we’re seeing so many watches going for such big numbers today. However, if you are looking for a Rolex watch and want to keep it below $3k, it can be done!

Do you have any affordable Rolex stories? Ever found a crazy deal? Let us know in the comments below, and if you're looking to personalize a Rolex of your own, check out our selection of curved-end straps for Rolex watches.