Rolex Raises Its Prices: What It Really Changes for Watchmaking

January 2026. Rolex has just announced another price increase. Again. For some, it's become an annual routine. For others, it's the warning signal confirming that luxury watchmaking is definitively moving away from ordinary people.

We at Morin 24 watched this announcement with a mix of astonishment and clarity. Because yes, when the absolute reference in the sector moves its prices, the entire watchmaking ecosystem starts to shake. And we ask ourselves a simple question: is this permanent inflation justified, or is luxury watchmaking losing its soul ?

Why Is Rolex Raising Its Prices Again?

The crown brand never officially communicates about its pricing strategies. No press conference, no public justification. Just a silent update of their catalogs and price grids sent to authorized dealers.

Yet several factors explain this recurring increase.

Global Inflation and Production Costs

Like any company, Rolex is affected by inflation. Raw materials - 904L steel, gold, platinum - have seen their prices increase significantly in recent years. Energy, qualified labor in Switzerland, logistics costs: everything is climbing.

But let's be honest: Rolex isn't a small business struggling to maintain its margins. The brand generates several billion Swiss francs in revenue each year. The inflation argument, while real, doesn't alone justify 5 to 10% annual increases on certain models.

The Strategy of Organized Scarcity

Rolex masters the art of scarcity. By deliberately producing fewer watches than demand requires, the brand maintains constant desire, calculated frustration. Waiting lists grow longer, customers wait years for certain iconic models like the Daytona or Submariner.

This artificial scarcity justifies high prices. The more difficult a product is to obtain, the more desirable it becomes. That's the rule of luxury.

The Secondary Market Dictating Prices

Here's the fascinating paradox: Rolex doesn't only increase its prices based on production costs, but also based on the secondary market. When a new Submariner at €9,000 resells for €15,000 on the pre-owned market, the brand understands it's leaving value on the table.

By increasing its official prices, Rolex reduces the gap between boutique price and gray market price. It thus regains control of its valuation.

The Impact on the Rest of Watchmaking

When Rolex moves, the entire sector reacts. It's not just about price, it's about positioning, perception, hierarchy in the luxury watch universe.

Premium Brands Under Pressure

For brands positioned just below Rolex - Omega, Tudor, Breitling, TAG Heuer - this increase creates a vacuum. If a Submariner goes from €9,000 to €10,000, then a Seamaster at €6,000 suddenly seems more accessible, more reasonable.

Result: these brands can also slightly increase their prices without losing attractiveness. The relative gap remains the same, but everyone moves up a notch.

Independent Brands Facing the Dilemma

We, independent brands like Morin 24, find ourselves facing a crucial strategic choice. Follow the movement and increase our prices to maintain a premium image, or maintain our pricing to stand out through relative accessibility?

At Morin 24, we've made a clear choice: we don't play the artificial inflation card. Our positioning is based on the real value of our watches, not on a race to the highest price. Our timepieces are hand-assembled, with quality mechanical movements, noble materials, and design meant to last. But we refuse to inflate our prices simply because "everyone's doing it."

What This Increase Reveals About Modern Watchmaking

Beyond numbers and percentages, Rolex's price increase tells us something profound about the state of watchmaking in 2026.

Watchmaking Becomes a Financial Investment

Increasingly, luxury watches are no longer bought to be worn, but to be kept. They become financial assets, safe havens, like gold or real estate.

This financialization profoundly transforms the relationship between the watch enthusiast and their timepiece. We no longer talk about falling in love, emotion, the pleasure of wearing a beautiful object on the wrist. We talk about returns, potential capital gains, wealth management strategy.

At Morin 24, we believe this drift dehumanizes watchmaking. A watch is not a gold bar. It's a living object that carries a story, accompanies moments, is passed down from generation to generation not for its market value, but for its sentimental value.

The Gap Widens Between Luxury and Accessibility

With soaring prices, traditional luxury watchmaking becomes inaccessible to a growing portion of enthusiasts. A young 30-year-old executive dreaming of a Rolex will now have to save for years, or turn to credit.

This exclusion creates frustration, but also an opportunity for brands like us. Our target audience - those 25-45 year-olds passionate about beautiful watches but who refuse to spend €15,000 on a timepiece - seeks credible alternatives. Watches that offer real horological quality, strong design, careful finishing, without the insane price.

The Quest for Meaning Takes Its Rights Back

Paradoxically, this price inflation also triggers a return to fundamentals. Customers increasingly ask themselves: "What am I really buying? A watch or a logo?"

This question, we hear it often. And our answer is always the same: you're buying a story, craftsmanship, a philosophy. At Morin 24, each watch is designed to embody a balance between aesthetics, durability, and authenticity. We don't hide that our components come from recognized Swiss and Japanese suppliers. We don't claim to manufacture everything ourselves. But we assume our approach: to create watches that make sense, that tell a story, that resist time.

Should You Still Buy a Rolex in 2026?

That's the question every watch enthusiast asks themselves facing these repeated increases. And the answer is neither simple nor universal.

If You're Looking for a Safe Investment

Yes, a Rolex remains a reasonable purchase from a wealth perspective. Iconic models retain their value, even exceed it over the long term. If you have the means and see this watch as an investment, the calculation can make sense.

If You're Looking for a Watch to Wear

The question becomes more complex. Will you really dare to wear a €12,000 watch daily? Scratch it, bang it, live it fully? Or will you carefully store it in its case, take it out for special occasions, and ultimately transform it into a museum object?

For many, this second option kills the magic of watchmaking. A watch is made to be worn, to accompany your life, your projects, your successes and struggles. Not to sleep in a safe.

If You're Looking for Horological Excellence

Here's a truth nobody dares say: Rolex doesn't make the most accurate, most complex, or most innovative watches on the market. The brand excels in reliability, marketing, image. But dozens of manufacturers offer equally performing movements, sometimes more refined, for a fraction of the price.

At Morin 24, we use automatic calibers recognized for their robustness and precision. We don't reinvent watchmaking, we respect it. And we allow our customers to access true mechanical quality without having to mortgage their apartment.

Tomorrow's Watchmaking Is Being Built Today

Rolex's price increase isn't just an economic anecdote. It's a symptom, an indicator of the direction luxury watchmaking is taking. Toward more exclusivity, more verticality, more distance from the end customer.

We believe another path is possible. Watchmaking that remains demanding on quality, design, durability, but refuses financial elitism. Watchmaking that values craftsmanship without sacrificing accessibility. Watchmaking that puts humanity, emotion, the pleasure of wearing a beautiful watch back at the center of the project.

Rolex will continue to increase its prices. It's part of their strategy's logic, and nothing will stop them. But this race upward frees up immense space for brands that dare to offer something else. A more humble luxury, more authentic, closer to those who wear it.

At Morin 24, we're not here to compete with Rolex. We're here to offer a credible alternative to those who refuse to choose between quality and reason. Between passion and pragmatism. Between elegance and accessibility.

Watchmaking should never be about money. It should be about taste, conviction, pleasure. And that, no price increase can ever take away from us.