Rolex watches in B2B Auctions: Why are they so popular, and what are the tricks to good purchasing?

Published: July 19, 2021

Updated: July 6, 2021

Online Auctions Japanese Auctions B2B Auctions Watches Rolex

Image: Rolex watches in B2B Auctions: Why are they so popular, and what are the tricks to good purchasing?

The Rolex brand continues to enjoy popularity all over the world. So why do people choose Rolex watches? Why do their prices keep going up? And what are the recent trading trends in B2B auctions, which make a good Rolex purchasing route?
To find out, we spoke with Ryohei Furuta, who is in charge of watches in the Product Strategy Division at Valuence Japan and an expert in handling Rolex watches in auctions and the used market.

Popular Rolex models and market fluctuations

Rolex has developed innovative functions for luxury watches, including the Oyster Case, which is highly water resistant; Perpetual, which enables automatic winding; and Datejust, which can instantly switch the date display.

The brand has won fans both with this functionality and its fashionability, and these days, its asset value is attracting attention as well. Sports models like the Cosmograph Daytona, the Submariner, and the GMT-Master are especially popular and continue to rise in the used market as well.

“The Daytona is by far the most popular of these. In particular, the 116500LN, a popular stainless steel model, was trading at an average price of about 2.6 million JPY in April 2020, but rose to about 4.6 million JPY in the first half of April 2021, showing strong growth. When leading models grow in price, others follow, so the prices of Rolex sports models are rising on the whole."

Daytona 116500LN prices soared from early 2021 to the first half of April due to rumors that some models were discontinued. Then, in April 2021, new products were announced, making it clear that production would continue, and the average price temporarily settled at around 4 million JPY. However, this was not a major decline, and the market has been on another upward trend since, reaching the level of 4.15 million JPY in early June 2021.

"It is often said that a Rolex's value doesn't go down, but of course that’s not the case. But many of these drops are temporary, and broadly speaking, Rolex watches are steadily increasing in value. People think that their high popularity comes from a sense of security that they are very stable and from the expectation that prices will increase further.”

Rolex: What's going on in B2B auctions?

The Rolex brand continues to be in short supply worldwide.

Star Buyers Auction has its own purchasing routes and lists a rich lineup of more than 25,000 products (total across all genres) at each auction. This means there are many opportunities to encounter popular Rolex models.

"Star Buyers Auction has a high winning bid rate of over 90% overall, but the winning bid rate for Rolex watches is 97 to 98%, meaning that most of the products listed are won."

Models with unwavering popularity include the Rolex Daytona 116500LN with white dial and the Rolex Daytona 116506 with ice blue dial, though there is some seasonal variation.

“The Submariner tends to be more popular in summer in the average year. It evolved as a diver's watch and it’s often featured in watch magazines in the summertime, so its price tends to rise around the June to September period.”

In April 2021, Rolex announced that it would be discontinuing the Explorer I (214270) and the Explorer II (216570). Although things have calmed down since the sharp rise immediately preceding the announcement, the price movement is likely to attract attention for a while.

"Beyond these examples, our overseas partners in particular tend to bid frequently on models from one generation ago, the five-digit Rolex models. There are many models that are not as expensive as those with six-digit product numbers, and there are many procurement roues, making them easy to get, so prices might increase in the future. Based on my own predictions, I think you can consider this an easy challenge to take on.”

Purchasing renowned Rolex models through Star Buyers Auction

Star Buyers Auction boasts a wide lineup of Rolex watches, thanks in part to its unique and extensive purchasing routes.

"Since the recent steep rise in Rolex prices in the market, we now have many customers visiting our purchasing locations, saying, 'I want to sell my Rolex! It was just sitting at home, and now its value has multiplied.' We are strengthening Rolex purchasing at our shops, and this high purchasing power is what attracts high-quality listings to Star Buyers Auction. Our biggest strength is that we can list a wide variety and large number of Rolex models."

Star Buyers Auction also has a robust search function, so you can quickly locate the product information you want. You can also zoom in on photos so you can check for scratches and other issues, even online. It even allows you to request more pictures if you want.

You can also check the lineup of products that were actually listed at auctions held within the last three months. Under Product Archive, select "Watch" for Product Category, then "Rolex" for Brand Name to check the extensive lineup.

Click here to apply to participate in these auctions.