Can You Afford a Rolex?
You can probably buy one. That isn't the same question. A pre-owned Rolex dealer's honest case for waiting until you can pay for it without financing it.
3 min read
Probably, if what you mean is "can I buy one." Almost anyone who qualifies for a department store credit card qualifies for jewelry financing, so buying a Rolex is within reach for a great many people. Affording one is a different question, and it's the one worth asking.
First, make sure which question you're actually asking. You can buy a Rolex even if you can't afford it. Those aren't the same sentence.
What does a Rolex actually cost?
Entry-level starts around $6,200 to $7,050 for an Oyster Perpetual as of August 2026, and the range runs up past $100,000 for solid gold and gem-set pieces.
The accessible end of the catalogue is the Oyster Perpetual, the Datejust and the Air-King. I used to list the Milgauss here as well, and I need to correct that: Rolex discontinued it on 27 March 2023 and scrubbed it from the catalogue without explanation, which is very much their way. You can still buy one pre-owned, and being discontinued has done its desirability no harm at all.
What drives the number is the model, the metal, the size and whether it's new or pre-owned. Steel is the affordable end. Gold is not.
Doesn't a Rolex hold its value?
Better than most luxury goods, yes. A good vintage Rolex often costs about what it did new, sometimes more. But be careful what you do with that fact.
Holding value is not the same as being an investment, and the distinction gets blurred by people who'd like to sell you something. A watch that holds its value returns your money when you sell it, minus the dealer's margin, and pays you nothing in the meantime. Meanwhile the money is tied up in an object you have to insure, service and not lose. Some references have appreciated dramatically, which is exactly why the argument is so seductive, and for every one of those there are plenty that quietly track sideways. If your case for the purchase depends on the watch going up, you're not buying a watch, you're taking a position in an illiquid market you probably don't follow closely.
Buy it because you want to wear it. That reasoning never lets you down.
Wait, aren't you trying to sell me a Rolex?
Yes, and here's the same answer I gave before, because I still mean it.
I'm not trying to talk you out of buying. I want you to see the purchase for what it is: a luxury purchase. It isn't an investment and it isn't a financially smart decision. It's a way to enjoy your money, and there's nothing at all wrong with that. It's a wonderful watch that will outlast you and can genuinely be handed down. It is also not groceries.
So how do you know if you can afford it?
If you have to work out whether you can afford it, you probably can't yet.
That's not meant harshly. It's the same test I'd apply to any large discretionary purchase. If buying it means financing it, or means the month gets tight, or means you'd be uneasy telling someone what you paid, wait and save until the answer is obvious. The watch will still be there. It's been in production for a century and will outlast us both.
Saying that may cost me customers. I'll sleep better with fewer customers than I will being dishonest with people to get them.
If you're looking for a pre-owned Rolex in San Diego and you're comfortable with the decision, give me a call or drop by our La Jolla showroom.
