Great Rolex Timepieces Priced Under $6000

Since I wrote my first piece for Rolex timepieces under $5,000 the prices for Rolex have skyrocketed.  Although you can find pre-owned Rolex deals for under $5,000 it is less common. So, I am raising the price so that the expectations are adjusted to 2019 prices and the reality of the Red Hot Rolex marketplace.

However, don't worry, because I will show you some very nice Rolex bargains for under $3,000.

There are many online shops that offer pre-owned watches from reputable sellers. The Rolex Forum has a Classifieds section where people can sell and trade their timepieces. Other sites like WatchRecon aggregate listings from various sellers to give you an idea of what's available online. There are also shops like Bob's Watches, Chrono 24 and Hodinkee that sell pre-owned timepieces.  Today if you do a search on Google, the Google results page shows plenty of offerings.  As you hone in on the exact model you are looking for you can find many timepieces that meet your exact criteria. 

There are going to be some models of Rolex that will be priced much higher than the $6,000 price tag.  For example, the Rolex Daytona will not be on our buying list today.  In addition we will not find any Sea Dweller's, GMT Masters, Submariners, or Sky Dwellers available at this price point.  

With that said, there were some surprising opportunities out there.  First surprise was a vintage Day-Date.  

This is an 18kt yellow gold Presidential Rolex Day Date with a unisex 36mm Case with a leather bracelet. It has a gorgeous 18kt yellow gold fluted bezel. I love the classic white dial with gold luminous hands and Roman hour markers. The date display appears at the 3 o'clock position and day of the week appears at the 12 oclock position. It utilizes 31 jewels in the automatic movement and scratch resistant sapphire crystal. It is water resistant at 100 meters/330 feet.  This comes in at a price of $5995, just under our budget.  

It was amazing to me to find such a gem in yellow gold especially since the gold prices are still quite high.  You might think that the leather band is something that is a deal breaker, but if you put this timepiece on your wrist, you wouldn't take it off.  The comfort of the timepiece and luxury of wearing a Day Date on your wrist, will easily overwhelm any need for a metal band.  

For the next set of Rolex timepieces I want to hit the opposite end of the spectrum and go for the lowest price Rolexes that almost anyone can afford.  For this, we need to look no further than the Rolex Air King timepiece.

Rolex Air King doesn't get much love out in the marketplace.  However, it is clearly a beautiful timepiece.  Above I have two Air Kings for the $3400 price tag.  Although they are also pre-owned, the luxury and Rolex look and feel and natural luxury are clearly evident.  The blue Air King is a 2001 model  and has Silver-tone stainless steel case with a silver-tone stainless steel oyster bracelet.  The stunning blue dial with Arabic numeral and index hour markers is emphasized by the Engine turned silver-tone stainless steel bezel. It has minute markers around the outer rim. and luminescent hands and markers.  The Rolex Air King is powered by a calibre 3130 automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve. It has a scratch resistant sapphire crystal and screw down crown. The case size is 34 mm.  It is also water resistant at 100 meters / 330 feet.  The grey option is a bit more subtle in its approach, but is still a fantastic value.  

The Air King timepieces above are both available for under $3,000!!!  For this analysis, I will look at the one on the right, which seems to be in a bit better shape than the one on the left.  It is a 1983 model with a silver-tone stainless steel case with a silver-tone stainless steel oyster bracelet and a fixed smooth silver-tone stainless steel bezel. The silver-tone dial is offset with luminescent silver-tone hands and index hour markers. The one drawback is that it utilizes a scratch resistant acrylic crystal rather than sapphire crystal. The 34 mm case is water resistant at 100 meters / 330 feet.  It comes in at only $2500, and is still a stellar Rolex timepiece for an absolute bargain.

The above Rolex Datejusts are two exceptional representatives of under 3k in the Rolesor style - mixing both yellow gold and steel.  There is nothing more Rolex than a Datejust.  The Oyster shaped case is unmistakable.  The champaign dial on the left is cerca 1971, whereas the one on the right is a 1982 model.  Even in this price range, you can select between an Oyster or Jubilee style bracelet, left to right, respectively.  

These Rolex Datejusts go up in price but are still under 6k.  The left one has diamond hour markers and is quite stunning at just under $5,000.  It is a fairly young 2000 model.  The right Datejust comes in at $5,500 and was manufactured in the last 8 years.  It is the newest of the ones we have displayed so far, but has a stellar look - entirely in stainless steel, with Roman numerals for hour markers.  

The last Rolex I would recommend looking at just under the $6,000 mark is the Rolex Explorer II.  Still baked in historical lore, the Rolex Explorer II is a fine addition to any collection or even as a first and only Rolex timepiece.  Both units above are manufactured around 1996 and are in fantastic working shape.  The luminescent hour markers are not unlike what you might see on a Submariner.  Yet, the Explorer II has a fantastic 24 hour bezel and 24 hour red hand that allows you to keep track of a 2nd time zone.  Easy readability and a date aperture.  This is a rugged and infinitely useful timepiece.  Choose between the classic white bezel or masculine black bezel, each with exceptional readability in both day and night time.