By DialEast Editorial · November 6, 2026

Rolex: The Manufacture, the Market, and the Full Collection

In 1910, a Rolex wristwatch became the first in the world to receive the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision, granted by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne. Four years later, in 1914, the Kew Observatory in Great Britain awarded a Rolex wristwatch a Class A precision certificate, a distinction until that point reserved exclusively for marine chronometers. Those two benchmarks, set before the brand had even established its Geneva headquarters, defined the operational standard Rolex has maintained for over a century.

Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacture. The brand designs, develops, and produces the majority of its watch components in-house across facilities in Geneva, Bienne, and Plan-les-Ouates. Since 1960, ownership has rested with the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a private Swiss entity that insulates production decisions from shareholder pressure and quarterly earnings cycles.

Every current Rolex carries the Superlative Chronometer certification, with a precision of minus 2 to plus 2 seconds per day after casing. The catalogue on rolex.com runs from the Oyster Perpetual and the Cosmograph Daytona to the 1908 of 2023 and the Padellone added in 2026.

The standards set in 1910 and 1914 still define the brand, and each new collection is held to the same certified precision.

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How Did Rolex Establish the Standards Every Swiss Manufacture Now Follows?

Hans Wilsdorf registered Montres Rolex S.A. in Geneva in 1920, having founded the company in London in 1905 at the age of 24. Convinced that water resistance would transform the wristwatch from a decorative novelty into a universal instrument, he directed movement manufacturer Aegler in Bienne toward a sealed case as early as 1914. The Oyster case was patented in 1926, the first waterproof wristwatch case of its kind.

Rolex equipped swimmer Mercedes Gleitze with an Oyster case watch for her 1927 English Channel crossing, the first documented public endurance test of the Oyster’s water resistance. After a swim of over ten hours in cold water, a journalist for The Times confirmed the watch had kept accurate time throughout. In 1931, Rolex patented the world’s first self-winding mechanism with a Perpetual rotor, the operating principle of every automatic Rolex movement produced since.

The Datejust arrived in 1945 as the first self-winding wristwatch to indicate the date automatically. The Submariner launched in 1953 as the first divers’ watch guaranteed waterproof to 100 metres. The GMT-Master became the official watch of Pan American World Airways.

The Day-Date debuted in 1956, available only in 18-carat gold or platinum. The Cosmograph launched in 1963 and was named the Daytona in 1964, after the Florida racing circuit. In 1985, Rolex became the first watchmaking brand to use 904L steel for its cases, a corrosion-resistant alloy now standard across the Oyster line. The 1908, introduced in 2023, marked the manufacture’s explicit entry into ultra-thin dress watchmaking.

Can You Buy a Rolex at Retail in Dubai or Riyadh in 2026?

Rolex sells new watches in the Gulf only through its official retailers, listed in full in the next section. Its website offers no online purchase: each model page on rolex.com directs the buyer to contact a retailer. Availability of a given reference is therefore decided at the point of sale, not online.

For buyers who want a specific steel reference now, the secondary market is the practical route, through authenticated platforms and verified dealers. Current index values by collection and reference are in the market table below.

Saudi Arabia levies 5 percent customs duty plus 15 percent import VAT on the duty-inclusive value, about 20.75 percent of the CIF value, while the UAE charges 5 percent duty plus 5 percent VAT, about 10.25 percent, before shipping and clearance fees. On a watch with a CIF value of $100,000, that means about $20,750 in additional costs in Saudi Arabia and $10,250 in the UAE.

The Luxury Closet in Dubai currently lists pre-owned Rolex references from a Cosmograph Daytona 126500LN at about USD 33,600 (roughly SAR 126,022) to a Day-Date II 218398BR in yellow gold at about USD 95,200 (roughly SAR 356,888), as of November 2026. Each piece is authenticated in-house and covered by a lifetime authenticity guarantee, with duties and taxes included in the price for GCC delivery. View current Rolex listings.

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 126500LN in Oystersteel with black dial. Image: The Luxury Closet

Where Are the Rolex Authorised Dealers in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai and Doha?

Rolex’s official retailer locator lists Saddik and Mohamed Attar as the Rolex retailer in Saudi Arabia, with nine locations as of November 2026. Ahmed Seddiqi and Mohammed Rasool Khoory and Sons are official Rolex retailers in the UAE, and Fifty One East is the official retailer and service centre in Doha.

Riyadh: Saddik and Mohamed Attar, Panorama Mall and Gosi Olaya Tower.
Jeddah: Saddik and Mohamed Attar, Prince Mansour, Red Sea Mall, El Khayyat Center and Tujjar Boutique.
Makkah and Madinah: Saddik and Mohamed Attar, Jabal Omar and Makkah Tower in Makkah, and Sofitel Shahd Al Madinah.
Dubai: Ahmed Seddiqi, including the Rolex Boutique at Wafi Mall.
Abu Dhabi: Mohammed Rasool Khoory and Sons.
Doha: Fifty One East, Lagoona Mall.

Unlike Patek Philippe, Rolex is sold in Jeddah, with four locations in the city, so collectors in the Western Province do not need to travel to Riyadh or Dubai. The full list of UAE addresses is on the Rolex store locator.

Collectors who turn to the secondary market instead should check the serial number, papers and finishing details listed in our authentication guide before any payment. The same checks apply whether the watch is bought from a dealer in Dubai, a platform, or a private seller in Riyadh.

What Are Rolex References Worth on the Secondary Market in 2026?

The WatchCharts Rolex Market Index stood at $27,891 on October 22, 2026, up 5.1 percent over twelve months. The tables below give index values in USD by collection and by reference from the same update; all figures are secondary market averages and change over time. The one, three and five-year changes for Rolex and six other maisons are tracked every quarter in our value retention data.

Index values in US dollars by collection. Source: WatchCharts, updated October 22, 2026.

Collection	Index Value (USD)	1Y Change
Day-Date	$48,190	+7.2%
Daytona	$45,907	+5.9%
Sky-Dweller	$34,980	+1.7%
GMT-Master	$33,861	+4.6%
Pearlmaster	$24,122	+6.5%
Submariner	$18,609	+3.1%
Sea-Dweller	$17,728	+0.4%
Yacht-Master	$17,188	+2.8%
Lady-Datejust	$14,046	+9.2%
Datejust	$10,725	+5.0%
Cellini	$9,344	+9.4%
Explorer	$8,900	+5.3%
Oyster Perpetual	$8,594	+4.5%
Air-King	$5,265	+5.7%
Date	$4,590	+4.8%

Market prices in US dollars for the 30 watches in the WatchCharts Rolex Market Index, with index weight. Source: WatchCharts, updated October 22, 2026.

Watch / Collection / Status	Market Price (USD)	1Y Change	Index Weight
126334 Datejust / In Production	$14,176	+7.4%	8.1%
Batgirl 126710BLNR GMT-Master / In Production	$17,385	+5.4%	5.1%
Pepsi 126710BLRO GMT-Master / In Production	$22,042	+11.9%	4.8%
126300 Datejust / In Production	$9,740	+1.7%	4.2%
228235 Day-Date / In Production	$52,161	+7.9%	4.2%
126610LN Submariner / In Production	$13,608	+3.4%	3.8%
116508 Daytona / Discontinued	$60,398	+3.2%	3.8%
228238 Day-Date / In Production	$50,358	+15.1%	3.8%
126234 Datejust / In Production	$12,482	+5.5%	3.7%
116506-0001 Daytona / Discontinued	$90,755	+3.3%	3.3%
116505 Daytona / Discontinued	$44,962	+3.5%	3.3%
116515 Daytona / Discontinued	$38,708	+9.1%	3.2%
Root Beer 126711CHNR GMT-Master / In Production	$18,634	+2.1%	3.2%
Starbucks 126610LV Submariner / In Production	$14,355	+0.6%	3.2%
116500LN-0001 Daytona / Discontinued	$29,878	+6.3%	3.0%
Sprite 126720 GMT-Master / In Production	$16,123	-2.2%	3.0%
126500LN-0001 Daytona / In Production	$34,704	+9.4%	3.0%
116509 Daytona / Discontinued	$38,946	+3.9%	3.0%
Hulk 116610LV Submariner / Discontinued	$18,804	+5.0%	2.8%
116518 Daytona / Discontinued	$41,245	+7.9%	2.7%
126333 Datejust / In Production	$15,215	+2.9%	2.7%
Ghost 116519 Daytona / Discontinued	$38,729	+9.1%	2.7%
116500LN-0002 Daytona / Discontinued	$25,965	+5.2%	2.6%
16233 Datejust / Discontinued	$6,795	+3.7%	2.5%
336934 Sky-Dweller / In Production	$23,522	+1.7%	2.5%
Bruce Wayne 126710GRNR GMT-Master / In Production	$20,211	+4.4%	2.5%
116503 Daytona / Discontinued	$19,768	+0.0%	2.5%
116520-0015 Daytona / Discontinued	$20,751	+4.9%	2.5%
16610 Submariner / Discontinued	$9,235	+5.7%	2.2%
126613LB Submariner / In Production	$17,007	+3.5%	2.1%

Which Pre-Owned Rolex Watches Are Listed in the Gulf Right Now?

Every Rolex reference currently listed by The Luxury Closet in Dubai, with duties and taxes included for GCC delivery. The list is refreshed weekly from the platform’s product feed, and pre-owned pieces sell individually, so availability can change between updates.

What Defines the Cosmograph Daytona?

The Cosmograph launched in 1963 and took the Daytona name in 1964. Its most famous example, the ref. 6239 worn by Paul Newman, sold for $17,752,500 at Phillips New York in 2017, and its story is told in our Icons series: Paul Newman Daytona. Every Daytona reference, current and discontinued, is compared in our Daytona reference guide.

Buyers navigating the GCC secondary market for the Daytona benefit from understanding platform-specific authentication standards and return policies covered in the pre-owned guide. The wider auction context, from the Paul Newman result to the overall wristwatch record, is in our auction records.

Cosmograph Daytona · Oystersteel

Daytona Ref. 126500LN

Calibre 4131 self-winding chronograph, about 72-hour power reserve, 40mm Oystersteel case, 100m water resistance. Black monobloc Cerachrom bezel with moulded tachymetric scale, Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock clasp and Easylink extension. The steel reference of the current Cosmograph Daytona line on rolex.com.

Submariner, Sea-Dweller or Deepsea: Which Rolex Dive Watch Fits a Gulf Collector?

The Submariner, Sea-Dweller and Deepsea references profiled here share calibre 3235 and are separated by case size and depth rating: 300 metres, 1,220 metres and 3,900 metres. Each has its own guide: the Submariner reference guide, the Sea-Dweller reference guide and the Deepsea reference guide.

Submariner · Date

Submariner Ref. 126610LN

Calibre 3235, about 70-hour power reserve, 41mm Oystersteel case, 300m water resistance. Unidirectional 60-minute bezel with black Cerachrom insert and platinum-coated graduations. Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock clasp and Glidelock extension.

Sea-Dweller · Yellow Rolesor

Sea-Dweller Ref. 126603

Calibre 3235, about 70-hour power reserve, 43mm Yellow Rolesor case combining Oystersteel and yellow gold, 1,220m water resistance. Fitted with a helium escape valve for saturation diving. Oyster bracelet in Yellow Rolesor with Glidelock extension.

Deepsea · Ringlock

Deepsea Ref. 136660

Calibre 3235, about 70-hour power reserve, 44mm Oystersteel case with Ringlock architecture, 3,900m water resistance. Helium escape valve, black Cerachrom bezel and D-blue dial.

Which Rolex Suits a Collector Who Travels Between Time Zones?

Among Rolex’s travel and exploration watches, the GMT-Master II and the Explorer II show a second time zone on calibre 3285, while the Explorer and the Air-King keep a simple time display on calibre 3230. The collections are covered in the GMT-Master II reference guide, the Explorer reference guide, the Explorer II reference guide and the Air-King reference guide.

GMT-Master II · Oystersteel

GMT-Master II Ref. 126710BLNR

Calibre 3285, about 70-hour power reserve, 40mm Oystersteel case, 100m water resistance. Bidirectional 24-hour bezel with blue and black Cerachrom insert, second time zone with independently adjustable hour hand and instantaneous date. The Pepsi ref. 126710BLRO no longer appears in the GMT-Master II line-up on rolex.com.

Explorer · 40mm

Explorer Ref. 224270

Calibre 3230, about 70-hour power reserve, 40mm Oystersteel case, 100m water resistance. Black dial with Chromalight display. The collection is also offered in 36mm.

Explorer II · 24-Hour Bezel

Explorer II Ref. 226570

Calibre 3285, about 70-hour power reserve, 42mm Oystersteel case, 100m water resistance. Fixed 24-hour bezel and independently set second time zone, with a white dial in this version. Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock clasp and Easylink extension.

Air-King · Aviation

Air-King Ref. 126900

Calibre 3230, about 70-hour power reserve, 40mm Oystersteel case, 100m water resistance. Black dial with large 3, 6 and 9 numerals and a prominent minute scale.

Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126710BLRO in Oystersteel with black dial. Image: The Luxury Closet

What Separates the Yacht-Master From the Yacht-Master II?

The Yacht-Master is a time-only nautical watch with a bidirectional 60-minute bezel, while the Yacht-Master II adds a programmable regatta countdown on calibre 4162. Both are profiled in the Yacht-Master reference guide and the Yacht-Master II reference guide.

Yacht-Master · Rolesium

Yacht-Master Ref. 126622

Calibre 3235, about 70-hour power reserve, 40mm Rolesium case combining Oystersteel and platinum, 100m water resistance. Bidirectional 60-minute bezel in platinum with raised numerals. Oyster bracelet in Oystersteel with Oysterlock clasp and Easylink extension.

Yacht-Master II · Regatta

Yacht-Master II Ref. 126680

Calibre 4162, about 72-hour power reserve, 44mm Oystersteel case, 100m water resistance. Programmable countdown with mechanical memory and on-the-fly synchronisation, read on a flange graduated from 10 to 0 minutes. Bidirectional bezel with blue Cerachrom insert.

Day-Date, Sky-Dweller or Land-Dweller: Which Is the Prestige Rolex for the Gulf?

The Day-Date is made only in 18-carat gold or platinum, the Sky-Dweller adds an annual calendar and a second time zone, and the Land-Dweller brings a 5 hertz calibre and an integrated bracelet. The three collections are covered in the Day-Date reference guide, the Sky-Dweller reference guide and the Land-Dweller reference guide.

Day-Date 40 · Yellow Gold

Day-Date Ref. 228238

Calibre 3255, about 70-hour power reserve, 40mm case in 18 ct yellow gold with fluted bezel, 100m water resistance. Instantaneous day and date in apertures. Fitted with the President bracelet in yellow gold.

Sky-Dweller · Ring Command

Sky-Dweller Ref. 336933

Calibre 9002, about 72-hour power reserve, 42mm Yellow Rolesor case, 100m water resistance. Second time zone, instantaneous annual calendar at 3 o’clock and 24-hour display. The fluted, bidirectional bezel operates the Ring Command system used to set the functions.

Land-Dweller · White Rolesor

Land-Dweller Ref. 127334

Calibre 7135 at 5 hertz, about 66-hour power reserve, 40mm White Rolesor case with fluted bezel, 100m water resistance. Syloxi silicon hairspring, Paraflex shock absorbers and a transparent case back. Honeycomb-motif dial on a Flat Jubilee bracelet, with 36mm, Everose, white gold and platinum versions in the collection.

Rolex Day-Date II ref. 218398BR in yellow gold with champagne dial. Image: The Luxury Closet

Which Rolex Reference Is Right for a GCC Collector Entering the Brand?

The Oyster Perpetual, Datejust and Lady-Datejust are the most accessible entry points into Rolex ownership, alongside the Explorer and the Air-King covered above. Each has its own guide: the Oyster Perpetual reference guide, the Datejust reference guide and the Lady-Datejust reference guide.

The table below matches each collector profile to an entry reference, with the official US retail price published by Rolex and its Saudi riyal equivalent.

Official US retail prices published by Rolex on rolex.com on November 3, 2026, with Saudi riyal equivalents at 3.75. Prices at authorised dealers in the Gulf may differ.

Collector Profile	Collection	Entry Reference	Retail (USD)	Retail (SAR)
First Rolex, everyday steel watch	Oyster Perpetual	Oyster Perpetual 36 Ref. 126000, Oystersteel	$6,750	SAR 25,313
Larger wrist, no date	Oyster Perpetual	Oyster Perpetual 41 Ref. 134300, Oystersteel	$7,050	SAR 26,438
Classic date watch with fluted gold bezel	Datejust	Datejust 41 Ref. 126334, White Rolesor	$11,650	SAR 43,688
Smaller wrist, date window	Lady-Datejust	Lady-Datejust 28, Oystersteel	$7,800	SAR 29,250
Robust steel watch for travel and outdoors	Explorer	Explorer 40 Ref. 224270, Oystersteel	$8,350	SAR 31,313
Aviation-inspired dial with minute scale	Air-King	Air-King Ref. 126900, Oystersteel	$8,150	SAR 30,563

Oyster Perpetual · 41mm

Oyster Perpetual Ref. 134300

Calibre 3230, about 70-hour power reserve, 41mm Oystersteel case, 100m water resistance. Time only, without a date, on an Oyster bracelet with Oysterclasp and Easylink extension. The collection is also offered in 36mm, as the ref. 126000, and in 28mm.

Datejust 41 · White Rolesor

Datejust Ref. 126334

Calibre 3235, about 70-hour power reserve, 41mm White Rolesor case with fluted white gold bezel, 100m water resistance. Jubilee bracelet with folding Oysterclasp and Easylink extension. The Datejust, introduced in 1945, was the first self-winding wristwatch to show the date automatically.

Lady-Datejust · 28mm

Lady-Datejust

A 28mm case, described by Rolex as its smallest wristwatch with a date window, in production since 1957. Calibre 2236 uses the Syloxi silicon hairspring Rolex introduced in 2014. Versions range from Oystersteel to Everose gold with diamond-set dials.

What Are the 1908 and the Padellone, Rolex’s Newest Collections?

The 1908, introduced in 2023, and the Padellone, added in 2026, are the two Rolex collections built around a 39mm precious metal case, a transparent case back and the seven-link Settimo bracelet, which Rolex reserves for these two lines. Both are covered in the Rolex 1908 reference guide and the Padellone reference guide.

1908 · Yellow Gold

1908 Ref. 52508

Calibre 7140, about 66-hour power reserve, 39mm case in 18 ct yellow gold, 50m water resistance. Domed transparent case back with anti-reflective coating. Settimo bracelet in yellow gold with concealed Crownclasp.

Padellone · New 2026

Padellone Ref. 53505

Calibre 7190, about 66-hour power reserve, 39mm case in 18 ct Everose gold, 50m water resistance. Instantaneous annual calendar with the Haplos system and a blue enamelled moonphase disc with meteorite full and new moons. Syloxi hairspring, Paraflex shock absorbers and a Settimo bracelet in Everose gold.

For collectors in the Gulf, The Luxury Closet in Dubai lists authenticated pre-owned Rolex references with duties and taxes included in the price for GCC delivery. Elsewhere, pre-owned examples are listed on Chrono24 and Bob’s Watches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you buy a Rolex Daytona at retail in Dubai in 2026?

Rolex sells new watches in the UAE through its official retailers, including Ahmed Seddiqi in Dubai and Mohammed Rasool Khoory and Sons in Abu Dhabi. Rolex.com offers no online purchase for the Cosmograph Daytona and directs buyers to contact a retailer, so availability is decided at the point of sale. The steel ref. 126500LN uses calibre 4131 with about 72 hours of power reserve. Buyers who want a Daytona now can turn to the pre-owned market, where The Luxury Closet in Dubai includes duties and taxes in the price for GCC delivery.

What does it cost to import a Rolex into Saudi Arabia or the UAE?

Saudi Arabia levies 5 percent customs duty plus 15 percent import VAT on the duty-inclusive value, about 20.75 percent of the CIF value. The UAE charges 5 percent duty plus 5 percent VAT, about 10.25 percent. On a watch with a CIF value of $100,000, that adds about $20,750 in Saudi Arabia and $10,250 in the UAE, before shipping and clearance fees. The Luxury Closet in Dubai includes duties and taxes in the price for GCC delivery.

What is the difference between the Rolex Submariner and the Sea-Dweller?

Both use calibre 3235 with about 70 hours of power reserve. The Submariner ref. 126610LN measures 41mm and is waterproof to 300 metres, while the Sea-Dweller measures 43mm, is waterproof to 1,220 metres and adds a helium escape valve. The Deepsea extends the same idea to 44mm and 3,900 metres with its Ringlock case. All three use a unidirectional rotatable bezel with Cerachrom insert.

Which Rolex should a first-time Gulf buyer choose?

Rolex’s entry collections are the Oyster Perpetual, Datejust, Lady-Datejust, Explorer and Air-King, matched to collector profiles with official retail prices in the table above. The Oyster Perpetual 36 ref. 126000 is the simplest steel Rolex, while the Datejust 41 ref. 126334 adds a date and a fluted white gold bezel. The Explorer 40 ref. 224270 and the Air-King ref. 126900 suit buyers who want a tool watch on the same calibre 3230. Buyers who want a watch now can turn to the pre-owned market, where The Luxury Closet includes duties and taxes in the price for GCC delivery.

What is the most expensive Rolex ever sold?

Paul Newman’s own Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6239 sold at Phillips New York in October 2017 for $17,752,500. At the time it was the highest price ever paid for a wristwatch at auction. The overall wristwatch record has since passed to the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A, sold for CHF 31 million in 2019. The full story of the Newman watch is told in our Icons series.

Where can you buy a Rolex in Saudi Arabia?

Rolex’s official locator lists Saddik and Mohamed Attar as the Rolex retailer in Saudi Arabia, with nine locations as of November 2026. They include Panorama Mall and Gosi Olaya Tower in Riyadh, four locations in Jeddah, two in Makkah and one in Madinah. Pre-owned references are also available through GCC-based platforms such as The Luxury Closet in Dubai, which includes duties and taxes in the price for GCC delivery.

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