The Best Rolex Watches For Any Occasion

When it comes to luxury watches, Rolex is recognized as the very best by most. Whether you agree with that sentiment or not, Rolex’s status as the leading luxury watch brand — on both primary and secondary markets — is undeniable. So, if Rolex is the best, then which are the best watches offered by the renowned watchmaker? That’s exactly the question we’ll be digging into today; here’s a comprehensive round-up of what we think are the best Rolex watches for any occasion.

Best Rolex for Traveling – GMT-Master

Invented in the 1950s for commercial airline pilots, the Rolex GMT-Master has long been recognized as the top choice for frequent travelers. Its sleek design and super practical ability to display multiple time zones simultaneously makes it an easy wear-it-and-forget-it timepiece when jetting around the world. Well, maybe not entirely forget it because the watch does require some adjusting when switching timezones. But it’s a simple task and no matter where you are on the globe, you can always keep track of home time.

While the watch was first conceived as the GMT-Master, today’s versions are labeled as the GMT-Master II. Rolex released the GMT-Master II in the 1980s and soon, the newer version supplanted its predecessor entirely in the brand’s catalog.

The key features of a Rolex GMT-Master are its bidirectional 24-hour bezel and arrow-tipped GMT hand. Together, they enable the wearer to track a second time zone alongside the local time displayed by the traditional hour hand. The GMT-Master II allows the hour hand to be independently set, whereas it’s “locked” to the 24-hour hand on the original GMT-Master models.

The current GMT-Master II collection by Rolex is a varied one; you can pick from an abundance of materials like steel, three shades of gold, or two-tone (which Rolex calls “Rolesor“). There are also the various bezel color options like red/blue, blue/black, green/black, gray/black, and brown/black. Plus, you can choose between Oyster and Jubilee bracelets, a few dial styles, and even a left-crown placement if you choose the Rolex Sprite GMT.

What always remains the same, however, is the 40mm case size that’s water resistant to 100 meters, the Cerachrom ceramic material of the bezel, and the automatic Caliber 3285 with 70 hours of power reserve inside the watch. The retail price of a Rolex GMT-Master II watch starts at $10,800.

Regardless of which one you go for, the GMT-Master (I or II) is the absolute best Rolex for traveling.

Best Rolex for Everyday – Datejust

The good ol’ Datejust is in my opinion, the best Rolex watch for everyday. You have the time, the instantaneous date, a water-resistant case, and a look that’s instantly recognizable as a Rolex watch. What more could you want from a daily luxury watch? It’s the OG GADA watch before that even became a term.

The Rolex Datejust has been a mainstay of Rolex’s lineup since 1945 and since then, the collection has exploded to include a plethora of size, material, dial, bracelets, and bezel options. You can go low key with a full stainless steel model with a neutral dial or go maximalist with a precious metal variant set with diamonds. Throw in all the vintage and discontinued references and the choices are immense.

Yet, even with all the style variances, a Datejust will always look like a Rolex, which I think is a major part of the winning formula. Today’s versions are offered in 31mm, 36mm, and 41mm cases, all water-resistant to 100 meters. Plus there’s a 28mm option, which Rolex technically calls a “Lady-Datejust.”

A defining feature of a Rolex Datejust watch is the magnification bubble above the date window, officially known as a Cyclops lens. 28mm and 31mm Datejust watches rely on the self-winding Caliber 2236 movement, while 36mm and 41mm models have the 3235. The retail price of a Datejust watch starts at $7,000 for a Lady-Datejust, $7,100 for a 31mm model, $7,550 for a 36mm model, and $8,150 for a 41mm model.

Best Rolex Watches to Signal Success – Day-Date President Models

A watch to convey achievement, wealth, and taste? Yep, there’s a Rolex for that: the Day-Date, also known as the President, which was unveiled in 1956. For almost 80 years, the Day-Date has always remained a precious metal watch — either crafted in 18k gold or platinum — and almost always paired with its famed semi-circular-link President bracelet. As its name suggests, the defining feature of the Day-Date watch is its pair of windows on the dial indicating the date of the month and the day of the week. Fun fact, if English is not your preference, Rolex makes the Day-Date in 26 languages.

While there was a time that Rolex offered the watch in 39mm (Day-Date Masterpiece) and 41mm (Day-Date II), the current catalog only houses two case dimensions: classic 36mm and larger 40mm. Both the Day-Date 36mm and Day-Date 40mm are available in 18k white, yellow, or Everose gold as well as 950 platinum. Diamonds are always an option, and if there are no diamonds on the bezel, then it’s fluted.

Although the current Day-Date lineup is more streamlined, there are plenty of wilder options on the secondary market including some super cool bark-decorated models and lavish gem-set editions with multi-colored stones. Inside the most current Rolex Day-Date models is the automatic Caliber 3255, supplying about 70 hours of power reserve to the watches. The retail price of a Rolex Day-Date watch starts at $39,000. If you’ve hit a major life milestone and want to signal success, the best Rolex to do that with is undoubtedly a Day-Date President watch.

Best Rolex Watches for Smaller Budgets – Oyster Perpetual Lineup

So you want to dip your toe into the Rolex world but don’t want to spend an absolute fortune to do it. Then the best Rolex for that is the Oyster Perpetual — the brand’s entry-level model that has everything you need (a water-resistant Oyster case and automatic Perpetual movement) and nothing you don’t. Though current-production Oyster Perpetual watches are available in various sizes and dial colors, what they all have in common is stainless steel construction, a time-only dial, and a three-link Oyster bracelet.

Rolex currently offers the Oyster Perpetual in five sizes: 28, 31, 34, 36, and 41mm. Dial colors are varied, ranging from neutral black and silver to more vibrant shades of green, turquoise, blue, and pink. There’s also the jazzy Celebration dial, which brings together several Oyster Perpetual dial colors into one.

Depending on the size, contemporary Oyster Perpetual watches either run on Caliber 2232 (28, 31, and 34mm) with 55 hours of power reserve or Caliber 3230 (36 and 41mm) with 70 hours of power reserve, both of which are self-winding movements made in-house by Rolex. Price-wise, you’re looking at spending anywhere between $5,650 and $6,500 for an Oyster Perpetual at retail.

Best Rolex Sports Watches – Submariner Lineup

Originally designed as a companion for SCUBA and skin divers in the 1950s, the Rolex Submariner has remained one of the world’s most recognizable and in-demand watches today. Sure, today’s divers are more likely to pick a digital dive computer over an analog Rolex to meet their underwater needs but the Submariner has nonetheless stuck around thanks to its broad appeal that goes well beyond aquanauts. As a result, it’s probably more appropriate to view the Submariner as a top-notch sports watch rather than strictly as a dive instrument.

And among the brand’s multitude of offerings, I would say that the Submariner is the best Rolex sports watch; chill enough to wear all day, any day, but tough enough to actually go for a deep dive if necessary. It fits with a tee or a tuxedo (a la James Bond), and if taken care of, will last basically forever.

The large and encompassing world of vintage and discontinued Submariner watches is well beyond the scope of this article so let’s just focus on the most current versions. Rolex makes the Submariner in stainless steel, yellow gold, white gold, and two-tone (steel and yellow gold), all equipped with 41mm cases water-resistant to 300 meters, unidirectional rotating Cerachrom ceramic bezels, Oyster bracelets, and well-lumed dials. Aside from classic black, there are also blue Submariners (only available in gold or two-tone) and green-bezel Submariners (only available in steel), with the latter being a highly popular choice.

While there is only one no-date Submariner in the catalog, the vast majority of them include a date window, complete with the Cyclops lens. The no-date Submariner runs on Caliber 3230 whereas the Submariner Date references are powered by Caliber 3235, both supplying 70 hours of power reserve. Retail prices for a new Rolex Submariner start at $9,200.

Best Rolex for Boating – Yacht-Master

A more luxurious take on the Submariner and best suited for boat life, the Yacht-Master was introduced in 1992 and currently stands as Rolex’s most varied sports watch collection.

Current production Yacht-Master watches are not only available in three sizes (37mm, 40mm. and 42mm) and six metals, but throw in the bezel, bracelet, and dial options and you’ve got a panoply of references to choose from. What’s more, the Yacht-Master is the only Rolex collection with a titanium watch, as well as the only one with Rolesium options — Rolex-speak for a steel case topped with a platinum bezel. Also, if you consider discontinued Yacht-Master models, you’ll have even more size, material, and dial options to choose from.

Movement-wise, there’s the Caliber 2236 with 55 hours of power reserve for the smaller 37mm Yacht-Master models and the tried-and-true Caliber 3235 with 70 hours of power reserve for the larger 40mm and 42mm variants. The least expensive Yacht-Master at retail costs $11,650.

Best Rolex for Flexing – Daytona

The Cosmograph Daytona has maintained its legendary status since Rolex updated it to an automatic chronograph collection with larger 40mm cases in 1988. Since then, we’ve seen plenty of variations added to the line, including steel, gold, two-tone, and platinum models, not to mention lavish gem-set references for those who enjoy some serious sparkle on their sports watches.

Now, why is the Daytona the best Rolex for flexing? That’s because they’re almost impossible to get at retail (especially the stainless steel variants with Cerachrom ceramic bezels), meaning that if you have a modern one, you either have a fantastic relationship with your AD (i.e. you’ve spent a boatload of money already to get a Daytona allocation) or you paid a premium on the secondary market to get your hands on one.

The newest generation of Daytona watches landed in 2023 to celebrate the legendary chronograph’s 60th birthday. Though the watches retained the 40mm case size, tri-compax dial layout, and tachymeter bezel, there were, of course, some updates too. For instance, the subdial rings on the dial are thinner than previous versions and the hour makers are also slightly smaller. Rolex also opted to add a case-matched metal ring around the bezel. Another change is the Caliber 4131, which compared to its predecessor was built with fewer components and a more efficient Chronergy escapement. The current-production platinum Daytona and the limited edition Le Mans Daytona even have a sapphire caseback (not common on Rolex watches) to see the movement in action.

The least expensive Daytona at retail is the ref. 126500LN with a price tag of $15,500. However, expect to pay more than that on the secondary market.

Best Rolex for Simplicity – Explorer I

Sometimes simplicity is the way to go, and for a pared-down Rolex that still delivers on the quality and technical excellence The Crown is beloved for, we turn to the Explorer. For most of its existence (which started in the early 1950s), the Explorer was a one-reference collection, offering a restrained and waterproof steel case, black dial with oversized Arabic numerals at 3, 6, and 9, sturdy Oyster bracelet, and time-only functionality. However, over the last few years, Rolex has expanded its simple sports watch to include a few variations.

Today, the Explorer is available in 36mm or 40mm diameters, both still furnished with the signature black time-only dial with luminous markers with numbers at 3/6/9. However, the 36mm Explorer is now offered in full stainless steel or more luxurious two-tone steel and yellow gold. All current-production Explorer models run on Caliber 3230 (70 hours power reserve), protected inside the 100-meter water-resistant Oyster cases.

The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of an Explorer watch starts at $7,350, making this the least expensive Rolex sports watch at retail.

Best Rolex for Adventuring – Explorer II

While the original Explorer revels in its simplicity, the Explorer II proudly boasts a bolder approach both in terms of design and functionality. The Explorer II was born in the 1970s as a tool for spelunkers; however, since then, Rolex has redesigned the watch to appeal to a broader audience of adventurers furnishing the watch with a larger case, brasher design, and GMT functionality.

Rolex released the newest-generation Explorer II watches in 226570, the same year the model marked its 50th anniversary. As is customary, the Explorer II remains an exclusively stainless steel Rolex watch, available with either a black or white dial. On top of the generously sized 42mm case is a steel bezel engraved with 24 hours, which is used in conjunction with the 24-hour hand on the dial to indicate a second time zone.

Under the hood of the Explorer II is the same Caliber 3285 that drives the GMT-Master II watches with 70 hours of power reserve. The best Rolex for adventuring, the Explorer II — whether with a black dial or white “Polar” dial — is priced at $9,750.

Best Rolex to be Different – Milgauss

One of the appeals of wearing a Rolex is its instant recognizability. But for some, the ubiquity of the most popular Rolex models can be a drawback. That’s where the Milgauss comes in — a quirky model that was sadly part of the batch of discontinued Rolex watches for 2023. Thanks to its quirkiness, the Milgauss is the best Rolex to wear to be different from many other Rolex owners.

Several design details of the Milgauss 116400GV, such as the orange lightning bolt-shaped seconds hand, green-tinted sapphire crystal, and electric “Z-Blue” dial, result in the quirkiest of the bunch. However, there are some other less colorful options among the more modern Milgauss models, namely white or black dials with the latter offering the choice of a transparent crystal or a green “GV” crystal.

Given that the Milgauss is no longer in production, they can only be sourced from the secondary market with prices starting at around $7,000 for non-GV models and topping out at around $15,000 for a Z-Blue GV variant.

Finding the Best Rolex Watches for You

When it comes to finding the best Rolex watch for you, it all comes down to your personal preferences, lifestyle, and budget. Whether you’re after a travel-friendly GMT-Master, a status-symbol Day-Date, a robust Submariner, or a minimalist Explorer, Rolex offers a diverse range of options to suit different needs. And if an unconventional choice is your priority, discontinued models like the Milgauss add a unique twist to the mix.

No matter which you choose, one thing is certain — Rolex watches remain some of the most coveted and enduring timepieces in the world.