LuxuryWatchesBuying a new Rolex will get easier, but not just yet…Three temporary new production facilities are on the wayWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
LuxuryWatchesBuying a new Rolex will get easier, but not just yet…Three temporary new production facilities are on the wayWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Three temporary new production facilities are on the way
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Rolex)
(Image credit: Rolex)
It was announced last week that Rolex is to increase production of itsluxury watches, in a bid to keep up with soaring global demand.
The move comes as Rolex timepieces have been tricky to buy from the manufacturer and its authorised dealers for a couple of years now. The shortage is especially apparent with sought-after pieces like the Daytona and Submariner (pictured below). But even models that are usually considered to be more accessible, like the Datejust, are also feeling the pinch.
It had been speculated in some quarters that Rolex was intentionally restricting supply in a bid to drive up demand, and therefore prices, on the secondhand market.
Now though, it looks like Rolex production will increase and the bottlenecks should begin to relax. The company had already planned to build a new production site, but before that is complete it will now create three temporary facilities to help boost its output.
(Image credit: Rolex)
(Image credit: Rolex)
It’s also understood that, while no doubt useful for increasing demand, the production bottlenecks we’ve seen in recent years are far from intentional. They might increase the value of second hand Rolexes, but that doesn’t help a company trying to sell newly-built ones at their standard retail price.
This is good news for just about everyone. It is clearly a sign that Rolex demand remains strong, but also means customers unable to buy one todayshouldsee availability of the hard-to-get models improve in the coming years.
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It’ll be a slow change, and is unlikely to cause the secondhand market to crash any time soon. But it at least means those who want to buy a new Rolex at retail price (and keep it rather than flip it) will be able to do so more easily later this decade.
As for how many new Rolexes will hit the market annually from 2029, we can’t say just yet. It is widely claimed that Rolex currently produces about one million watches annually. This will surely increase, first with the three temporary facilities, then with the major new plant and its expected 2,000 staff, sometime after.
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