There was once an advertisement claiming that it takes 12 months to make a replica Rolex watch. While this may sound ridiculous, it is actually true. Sure, Rolex can speed up certain models if necessary, but each watch requires so many parts and almost everything is made from the base material inside.
Once all the parts of a Rolex watch are completed, most of them are then assembled by hand. The applied hour markers are set individually by hand – a time-consuming process – so inevitably each part takes a long time. And of course, it has to pass a rigorous evaluation.
Clearly, the demand is there, but as far as LUXE WATCH knows, Rolex has no plans to increase production capacity, which inevitably means a rising shortage of supply and further price increases.
Some say the frenzied desire and the waiting list for the watch began after Baselworld 2016 and the release of the Daytona 116500LN in an Oyster steel case. Social media drove demand through the roof and when collectors went to their trusted authorized dealers, they were told the watch was sold out and stuck on a waiting list – creating even more hype.
If you do have your eye on the new Rolex Submariner – be aware that customers are ranked to receive their new watches when they enter the store. Some stores acknowledge this list, some don’t. Rolex dealers are obviously eager to sell their inventory before they come into the store but need to manage consumers who have thousands to spend on copy watches they can’t actually hold yet.
If you do want a Rolex, you might consider buying a pre-worn watch. We sell many popular models and if you do want us to pursue a popular model, we love a challenge.