ROLEX RAISES PRICES 7% ACROSS ALL MODELS IN JANUARY 2026

The no-date Submariner 124060 just crossed into five-figure territory for the first time in its history. At $10,050 retail, the Rolex Submariner 124060 now sits above the psychological $10,000 threshold, up from $9,500. This isn't just another annual price bump. This is Rolex testing how far steel can stretch before buyers finally say no. ## Steel Sports Icons Hit Breaking Point Average increases landed at roughly 7% across all models, with leaked dealer price lists confirming the systematic nature of this hike. The numbers tell the story of a brand pushing boundaries: GMT-Master II 'Batman' jumped from $11,100 to $11,800, a 6.3% increase. The steel Daytona moved from $16,000 to $16,900. These aren't luxury complications or precious metal pieces. These are steel tool watches that once represented functional luxury, now drifting into territory that traditionally required gold or serious horological complexity. Steel prices haven't surged, manufacturing processes haven't changed materially, yet steel Rolex pricing continues to climb. ## Gold Models Absorb Commodity Reality Gold has increased by 46% in euros and 65% in dollars, while gold Rolex watches are up by 5 to 6% on average. The math actually works here. The yellow gold Daytona 126508 now costs €51,600, up from €48,800 in 2025, representing a 5.7% increase. White-gold Day-Date 228239 increased by 8.6%, going from $47,500 to $51,600. Unlike steel, precious metal increases have actual commodity justification. Since Rolex uses their own in-house foundry, the price of gold directly affects their business, with material costs seeing immediate increases when gold prices rise. Gold buyers expect this. Steel buyers are starting to question the value equation. ## Market Reality Check Incoming Demand has cooled compared to the mania of 2021 and 2022, with secondary market premiums narrowing or disappearing entirely. Yet steel Rolex pricing continues to climb as if scarcity alone is still doing the heavy lifting. The secondary market hasn't kept pace with gold increases, with Day-Date 40s in yellow gold offered between $42,950 and $48,500 for basic configurations. If 2026 becomes the year luxury watch brands collectively decide that price increases are the answer to everything, the correction will come from buyers simply opting out. Rolex has trained its audience to believe prices only move up. At close to $30,000 for a steel Daytona, buyers are no longer stretching. They are pausing. That pause might be the sound of a strategy reaching its natural limit.