The leader in luxury watches has initiated a significant increase in its prices on January 1, 2025, of up to 14%. An outbreak which can be explained by the escalation in the price of gold in 2024.
Rolex amortizes the cost of gold which exploded this year
The brand did not boast of it, but insiders noticed it: the prices displayed by the Rolex house exploded on January 1, 2025, particularly for gold models. The iconic Day-Date in yellow gold and a 40-millimeter black dial today costs 44,200 euros, compared to 41,000 euros just a few weeks ago. Likewise, a GMT-Master II in yellow gold is now priced at 44,600 euros, whereas it previously cost 41,300 euros.
According to industry experts, this significant increase in prices is explained by the very sharp increase in the price of gold in 2024, at +27%. Rolex would therefore have chosen to amortize the increasing cost of this precious raw material by charging higher prices.
However, steel models have also seen their price increase, by around 1%, as have platinum watches.
If Rolex is used to making a small increase in its prices on January 1st of each year, the bill for 2025 turns out to be particularly steep. A practice that only the Geneva brand can afford given its historical attractiveness. Waiting lists to treat yourself to one of the precious crown timepieces are growing all over the world.
In 2023, theluxury watchmaker has surpassed the $10 billion sales milestonegrowing by 11%, according to Morgan Stanley and LuxeConsult. The bank and the luxury consulting agency published a study last March highlighting Rolex’s record performances in the luxury watch sector: “Rolex remains the undisputed number one in the luxury watch industry, with sales greater than those of the next five brands, Cartier, Omega, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and Richard Mille, combined”. The brand’s market share would exceed 30%.
