Rolex is the largest and most well-known watch brand in the world and throughout history. However, because of their excellent quality, reputation, and rarity, Rolex watches tend to have extraordinarily high prices, which many do not have the means to afford. Since Rolex watches are so expensive and people want them at a much cheaper price, this leads to a burning question: what are the cheapest Rolex watches? After I’ve done my research, I have found several Rolex watch models that are relatively more affordable.
| Cheapest Rolex Watches | Price Point |
| Oyster Perpetual | $5,700 |
| Air-King | $6,450 |
| Datejust 36mm | $7,200 |
These watches that I listed above are the cheapest Rolex timepieces (at the moment) that money can buy. Even though they still cost a good sum of money, these Rolex models are the most affordable options out there on the market. Read on to view my full article where I go more in-depth about all of these cheap Rolex watches!
So What Are The Cheapest Rolex Watches? Why Are They Cheaper?
Rolex watches nowadays are so expensive because the brand is the most well-known watch brand ever. As the demand for Rolex grows more and more, their prices sky-rocket and it may seem impossible to find a real Rolex for a low price. However, I have found the three cheapest Rolex watches for the money that are still timeless classics and stylish.
The three watches are the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, the Rolex Air-King, and the Rolex Datejust 36 mm. Each one of these timepieces has played a crucial part in Rolex’s history, and they are considered the best entry-level Rolex watches.
So why are they more affordable and cheaper compared to other Rolex watches? The reason why is that they have little to no complications on the watch compared to other timepieces. What is a complication on a watch you might ask? A complication is an additional function on a watch other than telling time, and the more complications on a watch, the more expensive generally.
For example, one of the most complicated Rolex watches is the Rolex Sky-Dweller. This watch has the ability to tell time using hours, minutes, and seconds, but it also has the ability to keep time in a second timezone, tell the month and date, and also has a 24-hour display. These additional abilities on top of telling time with seconds, minutes, and hours are called complications, which makes a watch more useful and bumps its price up substantially.
However, with the three other Rolex watches I mentioned above, they do not have as nearly as many complications, which makes them much more affordable and cheaper.
If you’ve ever wondered whether Rolex watches hold their value or not or which ones hold their value the best, I have written a whole article answering whether or not they hold their value. If you want to check out the article, click here.
1. Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Ah, the classic Rolex Oyster Perpetual. This watch model is considered to be an entry-level Rolex model and I found it is one of, if not the, most affordable Rolex out there. The retail price for a Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 mm starts at around $5,900 and can be hundreds of dollars cheaper for smaller case sizes.
This Rolex model is so affordable because it has no complications to the watch at all. This means that the watch doesn’t have any additional functions other than telling the time, which makes it much more affordable. Generally speaking, the more complications on a watch, the more expensive it is, which is why the Oyster Perpetual is so cheap.
Even though it is one of the most affordable Rolex watches, its quality, style, and craftsmanship make it iconic and one of the best minimalists watches you can find.
The watch is a direct descendent from the Rolex Oyster, which was the first water-resistant watch made in 1926, which Rolex has built its name off of. The Oyster Perpetual is an extremely precise watch since it’s a certified chronometer timepiece and it is a wristwatch in its purest form: it only shows hours, minutes, and seconds with no other complications added. This luxurious and gorgeous timepiece shows that simplicity can be elegant, stylish, and memorable.
In addition, it’s made out of the new version of Oystersteel, which is a type of high-end steel specifically made for Rolex. Also, the new version of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual is equipped with a caliber 3230, which is a completely in-house Rolex automatic movement with a perpetual rotor. This movement is reliable, resistant to shock, and has a whopping 70-hour power reserve. You can get all of these amazing features at a retail price of $5,900 in a 41 mm, and it’s around the mid $5,000 for smaller sizes for retail.
2. Rolex Air-King
The Rolex Air-King, as I have found, is one of the most popular, respected, and oldest Rolex watches to this day. The Air-King is a specific version of the Oyster Perpetual. For retail, this cost costs about $6,450 for its 40mm model.
Similar to the Oyster Perpetual, it is a certified chronometer watch, which means it is a very precise and reliable timepiece that lasts for years. Also similar to the Oyster Perpetual, the Air-King’s bracelet and the case are made out of the Oystersteel material.
What makes the Air-King standout and unique is its non-traditional dial design. Since the Air-King was originally a pilot’s watch designed in the 1950s, it was made with big numbers on the dial instead of roman numerals, which is unlike the majority of Rolex watches. Also, the new Air-King has an iconic green seconds hand on the dials, which makes it a one-of-a-kind gorgeous watch like no other.
The new version of the Rolex Air-King is equipped with the 3131 movement, which is a Swiss automatic chronometer movement made completely in-house by Rolex. This movement is precise and durable and has around a 48-hour power reserve. If you are looking for a popular and stylish Rolex that is more affordable, I couldn’t recommend the Air-King enough.
3. Rolex Datejust 36mm
The Rolex Datejust is one of the most iconic and inspirational Rolex watches ever. Its simplicity, style, craftsmanship, and elegance have made this watch a Rolex staple. You can find a new version of this watch for around $7,200 for retail in its 36mm version.
The Datejust is one of the most versatile Rolex watches because it can come in 3 different sizes, and it has different colors, designs, finishes, and materials. It also has a wide variety of bezels and it can be fluted, smooth domed, or diamond (the picture above is fluted). In addition, it also comes in different bracelet designs such as a Jubilee bracelet or a President’s bracelet (Rolex’s most iconic bracelet design).
What really makes the Datejust unlike any other watch is its date complication. Rolex introduced the iconic date display using a disc on the 3 o’clock mark, which makes it useful for the wearer to easily check the date and it is an amazing everyday watch. After Rolex introduced this feature, it was known all over the world and it inspired other watch brands to include this feature in their watches.
As for the caliber, the new version of the Datejust is equipped with 2235, 2236, or a 3235. All three of these movements are in-house automatic Rolex movements and it professionally executes the fundamentals and it also has a 70-hour power reserve.
So if you’re looking for a versatile, iconic, and outstanding Rolex, the Rolex Datejust has everything to satisfy your needs and more.
What Should You Do If It’s Still Too Expensive?
If these Rolex watches in brand new condition do not fit inside your budget and you still really want to buy one, then I would recommend looking to buy a pre-owned Rolex watch to find a cheaper price point because it’s one of the best ways to save money on buying a watch. Even though it’s used and pre-owned, Rolex’s can sustain great quality for years and years if treated properly.
While there are plenty of benefits of buying a pre-owned Rolex, there are tons of fake Rolexes on the market and I deeply recommend doing research and making sure a Rolex is authentic before buying so you don’t get scammed. Also, if you have ever wondered how to differentiate a real Rolex from a fake one, I wrote an article just for you. In another blog post, I have given 8 different ways to differentiate a real Rolex from a fake one, and if you want to see the article, click right here.
In addition, if you are still unsure of buying a Rolex luxury watch in pre-owned condition, no need to worry because I wrote another article that will help you. In this blog post, I compared the pros and cons of owning and buying a pre-owned luxury watch, and if you want to view that article to aid you in your decision, click right here.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, I found that the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, Air King, and Datejust are the most affordable watch models out of all Rolex timepieces. While it can be hard to find a cheap Rolex on the market, all hope is not lost. These watches should give you a glimpse of hope that you can own a Rolex one day even if the majority of them cost an enormous amount of money. Also, looking to buy a Rolex in used condition is a great way to find even cheaper prices, however, I recommend doing research and looking into the timepiece you want to buy so you do not buy a fake.