Rolex watch prices are through the roof this year. Thank surging gold costs
By Jordan Valinsky, CNN
New York (CNN) — Rolex watches, which aren’t known for their affordability, are getting even more expensive this year with the soaring price of gold to blame.
Prices on some of the Swiss company’s gold watches jumped as much as 14% for 2025, according to several enthusiast websites that tracks listings. That’s a stark comparison to their steel counterparts, which saw an average 3% rise.
One of Rolex’s most popular models, the Daytona, saw the greatest price increases. For example, the white gold version with the OysterFlex bracelet has a suggested price of $38,100 — a sharp increase from its $35,000 price last year. Another model, the GMT-Master in yellow gold, is priced at $43,300 on Rolex’s website, a nearly 7% increase.
Rolex declined CNN’s request for comment, but the luxury watchmaker annually increases prices, with the rising price of gold largely responsible for jacking up prices for gold watches twice in 2024.
Gold prices surged 27% last year as central banks around the world cut rates. Investors often see gold as a safe haven in times of economic turmoil and inflation, and when interest rates are cut, gold can become more appealing than income-paying assets like bonds.
But don’t expect the higher prices to turn off watch buyers and collectors. Instead, wealthy clients have very deep pockets that are “rarely impacted by market fluctuations that affect ordinary consumers,” wrote Antonio Sasso for Italian Watch Spotter. He added that “price increases not only do not lead to a significant loss of customers, they become a key strategy.”
Gold prices aren’t expected to decline in 2025, with the increasing value of the US dollar and lower interest rates. The “overall market sentiment suggests sustained support for gold prices, particularly as investors seek to balance their portfolios against various economic and political risks,” wrote Joseph Dahrieh, managing principal at brokerage firm Tickmill, in a note Thursday.
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CNN’s John Towfighi contributed to this report.
