Transcending the world of watches into the mainstream, Rolex has become the most recognised luxury brand in the world. Originally founded in 1904 by Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law, the Rolex name was first registered in 1908 in London. By 1915, they had relocated to Switzerland and from there embarked on a journey that would see the brand become the dominant market leader that it is today. The Geneva-giant is renowned for building robust and reliable watches and has accumulated many firsts in watchmaking along the way. Thanks to appearances on the wrists of celebrities and countless event sponsorships, it’s a brand that has left an indelible mark on modern culture.

With so many iconic models, it’s perhaps no surprise that Rolex is the most popular brand on the Watch Collecting platform, with more than 1,700 completed sales. To put this into context, the Crown’s watches represent half of all our transactions, illustrating its dominant position in the market. You probably guessed the Submariner has been the most ubiquitous with the iconic diver approaching 300 sales, closely followed by the GMT-Master II and the motorsport-inspired Daytona.

Watch Collecting is a market leader in the sale of Rolexes from all generations with some very rare and special examples trading ownership. In September 2021, we sold a vintage Rolex Submariner reference 6200 for a record-breaking £205,500 which is believed to be one just 300 examples ever produced.

Only two months earlier, a lapis dial two-tone Rolex Submariner from 1993 sold for £64,200 after a period of lively bidding. Produced in vanishingly small numbers, only two examples are known to exist, which is almost unthinkable in the context of Rolex production.