What Are The Most Popular Rolex Watches?

Rolex watches have dominated the luxury watch market for decades. Founded over 100 years ago, this watchmaker currently enjoys the largest market share of all the luxury watch brands, with more than double the turnover and retail value of its closest competitor (Omega). 

Rolex is also one of the most recognizable watch brands in the world, highly coveted by the rich and famous. Regardless of where you live in the world, you’ve most likely seen or heard of the Rolex brand at some point. The brand is closely associated with prestige, success, and class. Over the company’s century-long history, Rolex has released quite a huge variety of watches. 

The watchmaker’s catalog cuts across every niche taste and buyer preference. With such a huge catalog of quality watches, one might sometimes wonder which of these watches is the most popular. In this article, we present a list of some of the most popular Rolex watches, exploring their history and what’s peculiar about them. 

Rolex Submariner 

The Rolex Submariner tops the list of the brand’s most iconic watch models. It was launched in 1953 and became an instant hit in the horological community. It was a divers watch designed to be waterproof to a depth of 100 meters (the highest of any watch at the time). 

The chunky design and functional bezel of this watch became a template adopted by Rolex for several other watch models that came after it. The most popular variant of this model has to be The Rolex Submariner 6538. The stainless steel watch featured a black dial and a black ceramic bezel. 

This Rolex Submariner model became popular due to its association with the classic James Bond Character. It was a personal favorite of Sean Connery, the actor who played the 007 character in the first James Bond movie (Dr No) back in 1962. The Submariner’s presence in the James Bond movie also started a long and iconic relationship between the Bond character and luxury watch brands like Rolex and later Omega. Other Bond actors like George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, and Roger Moore also wore a Rolex Submariner. 

Rolex Daytona 

They were officially referred to as the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona; this watch model was named after Daytona, Florida, which was a buzzing racing location in the early 20th century. Rolex released the Daytona in 1963, a year after the brand became the official timekeeper of the Daytona International Speedway event. 

The Rolex Daytona wasn’t just named after a prestigious race venue; the watch was designed to be used by professional race car drivers. The Rolex Daytona is the only chronograph timepiece still produced by the brand today. 

The most popular variants of this watch are stainless steel references featuring black or white dials. However, Rolex has produced several Daytona variations, some of which are made with precious metals like gold and platinum. 

A Daytona wristwatch currently holds the record for the most expensive Rolex timepiece ever sold. A piece previously owned by famous actor and race car driver Paul Newman was sold at auction for $17.8 million in 2017. Other celebrities who have owned a Rolex Daytona in the past include Brad Pitt, Kevin Hart, Jay-Z, and John Mayer. 

Rolex Datejust

The Rolex Datejust has an unassuming appearance, but it is surprisingly the best-selling timepiece from the Rolex brand. It was introduced in 1945 as a commemorative piece for the brand’s 40th anniversary. It was originally called the ‘Rolex Oyster Perpetual,’ but the Datejust name became more popular and was eventually adopted in the 1950s. 

The Datejust was an innovative timepiece at the time of its creation. It was the first self-winding wristwatch to feature a date function that automatically changes the date. The magnifying bubble-equipped date window has been copied by several other watchmakers ever since. The design of this watch, especially the rotating bezel debuted on the Turn-O-Graph model introduced in 1955, has influenced the design of other Rolex watches, such as the Rolex Explorer, Submariner, and Seadweller. 

The Datejust has one of the most recognizable designs in the Rolex catalog. It now comes in stainless steel, solid gold, and two-tone gold variants. As one of the oldest Rolex models, the Datejust has graced the wrist of several prominent personalities over the past few decades. It was a personal favorite of Dr Martin Luther King, and many world leaders, such as President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, had this watch. 

The Rolex Day-Date 

Although Rolex watches have always been considered status symbols, the Day-Date is arguably the most prestigious watch in the brand’s collection. It is often referred to as the Rolex President or simply the “Presidential” watch due to its association with some of the most powerful world leaders, including Lyndon B. Johnson (the 36th president of the United States). 

Rolex introduced the Day-Date wristwatch in 1957. Like the Datejust before it, this watch could display the date, but it also had an extra aperture for displaying the day of the week. 

But beyond the function of this watch, it’s the aesthetics that made it extra famous. The Day-date debuted the presidential bracelet, a three-piece bracelet that was subsequently adopted for several other high-end Rolex variants. It also comes exclusively in precious metal casing, further adding to its prestige and exclusivity. 

Along with the Datejust, the Rolex DayDate is one of Rolex’s most varied timepieces, as it is available in several dial colors, bezel, and bracelet options, which can be customized to the buyer’s preferences. 

Rolex Explorer

Although the Rolex brand is generally known for laid-back luxury, the Rolex Explorer is the company’s timepiece most closely associated with high-octane adventure. It is the Rolex watch that was built to go where other watches couldn’t go, from high-altitude Himalayan peaks to sailing the world’s oceans. However, the Explorer’s popularity is also due to its versatility, as it conveniently straddles the dress and sports watch niche. 

More than just a sports watch, the classic and simple design of this watch also means it could go anywhere, including dinners and official meetings. The Rolex Explorer was released in 1953, the same year Edmund Hillary wore a Rolex Oyster on the first successful climb to Mount Everest’s summit. Building on the success of the first Explorer, Rolex released the Explorer II about a decade after the first Explorer. It’s been worn by famous people like Ian Fleming, Jon Hamm and Bryan Ferry. 

GMT-Master

In the 1950s, the now-defunct Pan American Airlines commissioned Rolex to make watches for its pilots. The result of that request was the GMT-Master timepiece, designed to be an ideal timepiece for pilots and frequent fliers. The first model in this series was launched in 1955. 

The GMT in the watch’s name stands for Greenwich Mean Time, reflecting one of the watch’s primary functions. It featured a rotating bezel and a 24-hour hand that could display two time zones at the same time. This made it the perfect watch for frequent flyers who needed to keep up with shifting time zones. 

In 1983, Rolex launched the GMT-Master II. It had similar design elements as the original but with an updated movement and the impressive ability to track a third timezone. Arguably, the most notable attribute of the GMT-Master II wristwatch and the reason for its widespread popularity was its dual-color ceramic bezel. 

The bezel had a combination of colors, including red and blue, green and black, blue and black, and so on. This gave rise to nicknames like Rolex Pepsi, Coke, Rootbeer, Batman, and so on. The GMT Master is a celebrity favorite, and it has been seen on stars like Tom Selleck, Pablo Picasso, Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, and Trevor Noah. 

Rolex Sea-Dweller 

Officially known as the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Sea-Dweller, the Rolex Sea-Dweller belongs to Rolex’s range of diver’s watches. It is the most rugged and most durable watch in this category, promising water resistance to a depth of 1,220 meters (4,000 ft). The Sea-dweller deep-sea variant offers even greater resistance, with a depth range of about 3,900 meters (12,800 ft). 

The sea-dweller was launched in 1967, and it debuted Rolex’s gas escape valve, designed to release helium trapped in the watch at a specific depth, protecting the watch’s internal mechanism from excessive pressure from damaging the mechanism. It also had a rugged casing that was built to withstand crushing undersea pressure. Despite the rugged build of this watch, it still fits neatly into the brand’s business-end range thanks to its classic black and silver stainless steel casing with a rather simple aesthetic that makes it suitable for all occasions. 

Conclusion 

When searching for the best Rolex watches, popularity is often an important factor to consider for both collectors and watch enthusiasts. The most popular watches are often highly sought-after, which means they’ll fetch very good returns in the secondary market. Also, while every Rolex watch brings with it a level of prestige, there’s a special feeling that comes from wearing a watch that’s instantly recognizable by anyone who sees it.