Why Now May Be a Good Time to Sell Your Rolex Submariner
Prices have skyrocketed for vintage Rolex sports models like the 1973 Submariner seen above.
Many traditional watch brands are struggling to survive or grow in an ever-increasing digital world. More and more high-income earners are increasingly opting for a naked wrist or a smart watch where they can listen to music, check emails, and monitor their physical activity.
The Rolex Gamble
In such a highly competitive environment, Rolex recently took a calculated gamble. They held back production and limited the amount of high-demand sports watches released to authorized dealers. The strategy worked. Demand for Rolex sports watches like the Submariner skyrocketed, along with their prices, versus the brands that used discounting as a form of increasing their revenues.
Rolex has always had a strong demand and brand caché. But a few impressive auction results of vintage, collectible watches hitting all-time highs (such as Paul Newman’s personal Rolex Daytona selling for $17.8 million) has added a bit of luster to the iconic watch brand’s image and a bump to their vintage collector model prices.
The Inevitable Rolex Bubble
All it takes for Rolex prices to drop back to their previous levels like a snowflake on a Swiss winter day is for Rolex to resume previous production levels and a fair amount of their customers switching over to buying some of the other equally great Swiss watch brands out there.
Using an artificial supply shortage to create demand and bolster brand image is a strategy that doesn’t always work for the long term. Eventually authorized dealers and the public get fed up.
We are in the midst of a Rolex bubble and our recommendation at Diamond Estate Jewelry Buyers is this: If you enjoy wearing your Rolex sports watch and have no reason to sell it, then by all means keep it and wear it. But if you have no attachment to it, or don’t wear it, and you would rather have the cash, then this is probably a good time to sell.
Rolex sports watches that we were paying $3000 to $4000 a year ago, we’re now paying $6000 to $7000 and up. We don’t believe this will last forever. If we’ve learned anything from the 2008 housing market or the gold spike of 2011 (when gold hit $1895), it’s that what goes up unreasonably usually comes down.
At this time, we keep our Rolex Submariners and other sports models moving, and our inventory lean to hedge our bet — knowing prices could be in for a downturn in the near future.
Call Toll Free: (800) 956-8505
Real Reviews From Customers
I reached out to Diamond Estate Jewelry Buyers to sell my husband’s Rolex. Lori was very nice, knowledgeable, & inspired trust. Most importantly to me, there was absolutely no pressure read more to proceed—I felt very comfortable with the pace of the process. Lori gave me an estimated range of what the watch would be worth, subject to adjustment based on their appraisal once their buyer was able to examine it. She provided all details and the Fed Ex labels for shipping the watch—it was not hard and I was fully confident it would go without a snag. Lori called to let me know as soon as the watch arrived. The next day it was appraised by their buyer and Lori called to let me know the adjusted price. They dealt fairly with me, so I accepted and wire transfer was made same day to my bank account. Nicely done, Lori!
Renee R.
Contacted Paula about selling my Rolex watch, and was treated in a very professional manner. She talked me thru the whole process from start to finish; which made this transaction very read more enjoyable. The estimate I received was higher than two other companies I contacted. Straight forward, no nonsense approach. If you have any doubts about selling your jewelry please give Diamond Estate Jewelry Buyers a call. You will be happy you did.
Duane F.
Working with Carl was probably one of the most straight forward, uncomplicated transactions I've experienced. After leaving a voicemail I received a prompt text and then a call where read more Carl clearly explained the process. I immediately felt confident that I was working with the right buyer to sell my Rolex. After sending clear pictures of the timepiece, Carl followed up with a phone call and quoted me a very competitive price. We agreed to the deal, I sent the timepiece fully insured through FedEx at his cost and after he had confirmed receipt and saw the timepiece he wired the money directly to my bank account. I highly recommend working with Carl. He's a man of his word and runs a top notch business.
Aaron M.
Yelp
Diamond Estate Jewelry Buyers are good as it gets. Alex is a true professional who understands the importance of attention to detail. I was hesitant at first to sell my Rolex to a business read more where I would have to ship my valuable time piece in advance of payment, but Alex reassured me of the process and offered excellent communication STEP BY STEP. Carl exceeded my expectations in standing by their initial appraisal and I simply could not be happier with the entire process timeline (48hrs start to finish). If I could give them 6 stars instead of 5 I would.
Roland C.
Yelp
After reading many of the reviews about Diamond Estate on the internet, I decided to take the plunge and contact them about a vintage Rolex watch that belonged to my father and had read more been tucked away for about 40 years. They responded immediately and walked me through a very simple process to evaluate the watch and arrive at a fair price. The entire transaction was very positive, and I am really glad I discovered this company. I would definitely recommend them and will certainly do business with them in the future if I have any other items of value to sell.
Eileen D.
Yelp
Read More Articles on Rolex Watches
How to Find Rolex Serial Numbers
Watch an Antiques Roadshow Video on the Rolex GMT
About Diamond Estate
Diamond Estate Jewelry Buyers is a leading fine jewelry buyer and watch buyer serving customers throughout the US. We've built our business on core values of integrity, honesty, and superior customer service. Are you looking to sell diamonds, rings, watches, earrings or other fine jewelry? Get in touch to get your no-obligation offer.
Get Started >
