Rolex, Patek and Omega price increases on 1 January: the 2023–2026 history and what to expect in 2027
Every 1 January, Rolex revises its retail prices, and other houses follow over the year. The increases recorded from 2023 to 2026, what explains them, what can reasonably be expected for 2027, and whether it is better to buy before or after.
Market · · 7 min read
1 January has become a special date in watchmaking: it is the day Rolex publishes its new retail price list, without announcement or press release. Other houses, including Patek Philippe and Omega, adjust their prices at other times of the year. These increases weigh on buying new, but also, indirectly, on the market value of pre-owned watches. Here is what has been observed since 2023, and what can be drawn from it for January 2027.
Why retail prices rise every year
Three forces explain most of the recent increases:
- the gold price: it rose about 27% in 2024, its strongest annual gain in fourteen years, and continued to climb afterwards. Watches in solid gold, Everose gold or white gold pass on this cost far more than steel watches;
- the Swiss franc: watches are produced and invoiced in Switzerland; a strong franc makes prices in euros more expensive;
- US customs duties: in 2025, the United States sharply raised duties on Swiss imports, before bringing them back down to 15%. Brands adjusted their US prices accordingly, sometimes several times in the year.
The houses do not communicate an official percentage. The figures below come from price lists recorded by the specialist press on the French market, VAT included; they vary by model and should be read as orders of magnitude.
Rolex: four years of increases
| Year | Steel | Two-tone (Rolesor) | Solid gold | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | about +7 to 8% on most models | about +11% | marked increase | inflation and costs |
| 2024 | about +3 to 4% | moderate increase | moderate increase | calmer year |
| 2025 | about +1% (Submariner: around a hundred euros) | noticeable increase | often +11% and more | gold surge |
| 2026 | about +2 to 3.5% | about +4.5 to 5% | about +5 to 6% | gold, Swiss franc |
A few examples recorded in France give the measure:
- in January 2025, the yellow gold Day-Date 40 went from €41,000 to €44,200, and the yellow gold GMT-Master II from €41,300 to €44,600;
- in January 2026, the yellow gold Daytona went from about €37,400 to €39,550 (+5.7%), while the steel Daytona only rose by about 2.2%;
- the steel Submariner rose about 3.5% in 2026, and the Oyster Perpetual about €150, with the entry point now at €6,000 for the Oyster Perpetual 28.
The trend is clear: since 2025, Rolex has spared steel and loaded most of the increase onto precious metals. That is logical, since steel concentrates demand and the waiting list, while gold follows a material cost that has risen sharply.
Patek Philippe and Omega: different calendars
Patek Philippe does not necessarily adjust its prices on 1 January. In 2025, the house raised its US prices several times to absorb customs duties, for an average increase of about 22% over the year according to the specialist press. After duties fell to 15%, it announced US price cuts of up to 8% on some models from February 2026, while other regions were to see an increase of around 4%.
Omega, Tudor and Cartier raised their US prices by more than 10% during 2025. In the United States, a series steel Speedmaster Moonwatch thus crossed the 10,000-dollar mark for the first time, according to the American press. In Europe, increases have been more contained, but they exist.
The key point: what happens in the United States cannot be transposed as is to France or the rest of Europe. Increases linked to customs duties are specific to the US market.
What to expect for January 2027
No house has said anything about its 2027 prices, and any numerical forecast would be speculation. One can, however, reason about the causes:
- if gold stays high, gold and two-tone watches should continue to bear most of the increase;
- steel should remain moderate, in line with 2025 and 2026, barring a sharp move in the Swiss franc;
- gaps between countries should persist: VAT and local policies mean the same watch does not have the same retail price in France, Germany or the Netherlands.
The Rolex price list is generally visible on the brand's website in the first days of January. That is the only reliable source: be wary of numerical "leaks" published in December.
Buy before or after 1 January?
For a new purchase, the answer is simple: the applicable price is the one on the day of the invoice. If you have a watch reserved at an authorised dealer and it arrives before the end of December, you pay the old price. After that, it is the new one.
For pre-owned, the effect is more indirect, and that is where people often go wrong.
| Situation | Effect of a retail price increase | Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Model selling above retail (highly sought-after steel) | small: value depends on demand, not on the price list | do not rush |
| Model selling around retail | value tends to follow the increase with a lag | buying before can be justified |
| Gold model selling below retail | the gap with new widens, pre-owned becomes more attractive | compare new and pre-owned |
| Discontinued reference | no direct effect | rely on recent transactions |
For a watch already trading at a premium over retail, a 3% increase in the official price changes almost nothing: the pre-owned price is set by supply and demand. Conversely, for a gold watch that suffers depreciation on resale, each increase in the new price makes recent pre-owned a little more attractive. We detailed this mechanism in our article on first-year depreciation.
For a seller, waiting for January only makes sense if your model is still in the catalogue and sells close to retail. For a discontinued reference, the new price list does not come into play.
Practical information
- Rolex retail prices: rolex.com (on each model's page, indicative price for France)
- Patek Philippe retail prices: patek.com
- Omega retail prices: omegawatches.com
- Waiting list or immediate purchase: see our article on the waiting list versus the grey market.
In short
From 2023 to 2026, Rolex raised its prices every 1 January, sharply in 2023, moderately afterwards on steel, markedly on gold since 2025. Patek Philippe and Omega follow other calendars, heavily marked in 2025 by US customs duties. For 2027, gold and the Swiss franc will remain the key variables. Before buying or selling around 1 January, check the watch's market value: that, more than the retail price, tells you what a watch is really worth.
