The Best Rolex Watches for $25,000

Rolex absolutely dominates their competition in the $7,000-$15,000 price range, but most hardcore luxury watch collectors tend to consider other brands at prices above $50,000 or so. $25,000, though, is an interesting sweet spot for Rolex collectors. There are a lot of very different grail-level Rolex watches available around this price point, new and used, both hyped (Panda Daytona, Pepsi GMT) and obscure. Here’s my breakdown of the best Rolex watches to buy for $25,000.

Blue Sky-Dweller

The Rolex Sky-Dweller, first released in 2012, is Rolex’s first and only model with an annual calendar. Most annual calendars (and perpetual calendars) have little buttons on the case to advance the date, month etc. That’s not ideal for water resistance purposes, so setting a Rolex Sky-Dweller is done entirely with the Ring Command Bezel and the crown. Displaying the month with an indicator next to each hour marker is another clever piece of design. This is a deceptively complicated watch, especially considering the second time zone functionality.

The stainless steel version of the Sky-Dweller debuted in 2017. Rolex actually calls it “white Rolesor” because its bezel is white gold, but nobody says that in real life. The blue dial option was immediately hugely popular, and for years it was just about as hard to get from an authorized dealer as a Panda Daytona.

The 2023 Rolex lineup added a mint green version, which seems to be the hottest dial now, but the blue Sky-Dweller is still very desirable. 2023 was also the year that ref. 336934 replaced ref. 326934 with a slight movement update. For $25,000, you can get a decent pre-owned blue Rolex Sky-Dweller ref. 336934, or a like-new 326934.

Modern Pepsi GMT Ref. 126710BLRO

The Rolex Pepsi GMT ref. 126710BLRO has been hugely popular ever since its highly anticipated 2018 debut. Buyers typically spend years on a Rolex waitlist for one, if they get one at all. It’s the first steel Pepsi GMT model with a ceramic bezel insert.

Producing a one-piece ceramic bezel insert with two entirely different colors is actually a massive manufacturing challenge. Omega doesn’t know how, for example–their ceramic blue/red inserts are just red rubber glued on top of blue ceramic. Most “two-color” ceramic bezel inserts on the market are either half-black or half-white, which is much simpler to produce. The supply of steel Pepsi GMT’s is notoriously low, which has spurred rumors of Rolex Pepsi production issues.

Unless you’re an established excellent customer of an authorized Rolex dealer, don’t expect to be allocated a steel Pepsi. You’ll almost certainly have to spend more than double MSRP to buy one secondhand from a grey market dealer. For some, paying $25,000 (or a bit less these days) for an “overhyped steel Rolex” is insane, while to others, ref. 126710BLRO is just about the ultimate modern sports watch.

Vintage Pepsi GMT Ref. 1675 “Fuchsia”

If you’d prefer to get a vintage Rolex Pepsi GMT for your $25,000, I suggest a 1675 model with a faded fuchsia insert. Over time, the red half of some of these old aluminum bezel inserts has turned fuchsia, and many collectors absolutely love the color. You’ll pay a premium for it, but man…it’s a nice color.

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Note that GMT-Master models (without the “II”) do not have an independent hour hand; it’s locked to the 24-hour hand. The only second time zone functionality comes from the bezel, which is fine by me. But if you find the lack of quickset date on the 1675 annoying, you could consider the slightly newer 16750 reference. Some of those have turned fuchsia as well. When it comes to vintage Rolexes, condition of things like the dial, lugs, and hands is hugely important, so take a good hard look at any example you’re considering.

Best “Stealth Wealth” Rolex for $25,000: White Gold Yacht-Master 42

The white gold Rolex Yacht-Master 42 first appeared in 2019, and it has never gotten a ton of attention. But for many owners of ref. 226659, that seems to be part of the appeal. The white gold case and supremely comfortable Oysterflex bracelet look like a stainless steel watch with a typical rubber strap to the untrained eye. But the YM42 looks great up close, with its matte black dial and black ceramic bezel insert contrasting nicely with the subtle shine of the case.

For a stealth wealth watch with all the modern Rolex features, the Yacht-Master 42 is a solid choice. Its list price is $35,000, but you’ll typically see dealers list like-new ones for around $28,000. Older examples should be attainable for $25,000.

1680 Red Sub

If you want a $25,000 Rolex that watch nerds all recognize, the 1680 “Red Sub” is one of the most collectible variations of the Rolex Submariner ever made. Made from roughly 1969-1975, they’re just like regular stainless steel Submariner Date models of the era…except “Submariner” is written in red. If you’re looking at Rolex’s serial numbers, expect Red Subs to appear from about 2 to 4 million–but note that not all Subs made in this range had red text.

That one red word roughly doubles the value of the watch, meaning you’ll pay about $25,000 for a nice example. If you look at vintage Daytona prices, that doesn’t seem too bad for what is widely regarded as one of the ultimate vintage Rolex sports watches. But for most people, this isn’t an everyday watch.

Neo-Vintage Yellow Gold Submariner Date

For roughly the same price as an old Red Sub, you can get a neo-vintage solid yellow gold Submariner Date from the 1980s-2000s. Examples of either ref. 16808 or 16618 should be attainable for about $25,000, although the nicest examples–and ones with serti dials–can go for a bit more. 5-digit Rolexes have the old “tuna can” clasps and aluminum bezel inserts, but they do have sapphire crystals and rock solid movements. A 5-digit Sub can absolutely still be worn as a GADA watch.

The blue dial tends to be more popular than the black one, but you can’t go wrong either way. Some of the “Bluesy” dials have faded to either purple or greyish colors, and I find both quite attractive, but most seem to lack that paint defect. The 16618 replaced the 16808 in 1988 with a slightly updated movement (caliber 3135 vs. 3035), though I would take a 16808 in excellent condition over a 16618 in average condition.

The 16618 underwent a series of minor changes from about 1999-2007, like non-radioactive lume, solid endlinks, the removal of lugholes, and the addition of the engraved Rolex rehaut. You can see our guide to the Rolex Submariner 16610, the steel equivalent of the 16618, to learn about those transitions in more detail.

White Gold Yacht-Master 2

Rolex has a reputation for making watches that sell for over MSRP. But, when you look at their entire lineup, it’s only a small portion of their catalog that really trades above retail at this point. And the discontinued Yacht-Master 2, particularly in solid white gold, can be found well under retail.

The 44mm size and large “YACHT-MASTER II” branding on the bezel aren’t for everyone. But as I mention in my Rolex Yacht-Master II Guide, this is actually one of the most technically impressive watches Rolex ever made. The chronograph function counts down instead of up, which is novel, but the really impressive engineering feat here is that the user can set the countdown start time to any number of minutes from 1-10.

The chronograph will reset to that number of minutes until the watch is “programmed” otherwise. Such a movement is extremely complex to engineer, but the Ring Command Bezel (which determines what the crown adjusts) makes using it as intuitive as possible. And this is undoubtedly the heaviest Rolex you can buy for $25,000.

Most Controversial $25,000 Rolex: Oyster Perpetual 41 Celebration

The Oyster Perpetual is the classic entry-level Rolex. No date, no fancy bezels, and no case or bracelet materials other than stainless steel. In 2020, Rolex revamped the entire OP lineup, with a variety of colorful lacquered dials that became instantly popular. Red, yellow, turquoise and Candy Pink Oyster Perpetual models sell for well over their list price even now. And the Celebration Dial was launched in 2023, with a mostly turquoise dial accented by “bubbles” of other colors from the Oyster Perpetual lineup.

This is, without a doubt, one of the most polarizing Rolex models ever made. It’s a pretty clearcut love-it-or-hate-it situation, and I doubt there’s much I could say that would sway you to feel differently than you already do. 31mm and 36mm versions were also produced, but ultimately all three sizes of the Celebration Dials were among the Rolex models discontinued in 2025.

Because of the relatively short run, if you want to go for the big one, the Oyster Perpetual 41 with a Celebration Dial goes for about $25,000 secondhand. But if you think it’s ridiculous to pay $25,000 for a steel time-only Rolex, let’s talk about a solid gold President you can get for the same price.

Best Gold Rolex for $25,000: Day-Date Ref. 118238

While $25,000 isn’t quite enough for a brand new Rolex Day-Date 36, it’s enough for a previous-generation one. Although ref. 118238, which debuted in 2000, doesn’t have Rolex’s latest movement, its President bracelet was a major improvement over older models. Solid center links and flush endlinks make them feel significantly more modern than Day-Dates from the 1990s or earlier.

Donald Trump’s Rolex of choice is a 118238 with a champagne diamond dial. Overall, I think ref. 118238 (along with 118208, its smooth-bezel equivalent) is one of the best yellow gold Rolex “values” in the $25,000 ballpark.

Rolex Explorer Ref. 14270 “Blackout”

The Rolex Explorer ref. 14270, made from 1989-2001, is one of the best “values” on the pre-owned Rolex market. In my opinion it’s one of the coolest luxury watches available for under $5,000 today. But there’s a special early variant of the 14270, known as the “Blackout,” that sells for much more. The classic 3-6-9 markers on the dial are topped with black vitreous enamel.

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And if you look closely, you can see that the dial text on most Blackouts is silver, not white. Later Blackouts have white text, and even though those are rarer, collectors seem to prefer the silver ones.

The generally accepted serial number range for Blackout Explorers is late-E through early-X (1990-1991). So, because of the short run, they typically sell for about $20,000. $25,000 should get you a Rolex Blackout 14270 with silver text in excellent condition.

Panda Daytona Ref. 116500LN

The modern-day Rolex Panda Daytona has been one of the most unobtainable models in their lineup ever since its launch in 2016. Ref. 116500LN was the first-ever stainless steel Rolex Daytona to be given a ceramic bezel insert. The steel-bezel 116520 that came before it was already popular, but the 116500LN pushed demand levels into the stratosphere.

The Panda Daytona is so popular, in fact, that you can easily find contrarians eager to point out how “overhyped” it is. The hype is undeniable, but so is the quality of the in-house 4130 caliber inside. The 126500LN, which replaced the 116500LN in 2023, has the even nicer 4131 movement, but a Panda 126500 still goes for roughly double its $16,000 list price. A new black-dial 126500LN or a Panda 116500LN should be attainable for about $25,000 on the open market these days.

White Gold Daytona on Leather

My personal choice for a $25,000 Rolex Daytona would be a white gold one on a leather strap. They’re some of the best “values” when it comes to the Rolex Daytona market. Gold Rolex Daytonas were offered on leather straps until 2017, when that option was replaced by the Oysterflex bracelet.

If you’d prefer a slightly older Daytona with the famous Zenith El Primero-based 4030 movement, you can choose ref. 16519, made from 1988-1999. The 116519 has the in-house 4130 movement and sells for about the same price. There’s no wrong answer there.

2508 Chronograph

Today’s Rolex Daytona is massively popular, but the original manual-wind Daytona models (pre-1988) didn’t sell well in their day. And before that, there were a huge number of even more unpopular and obscure Rolex chronograph references made over the years. Some of them are so rare that they go for huge money when they come up for auction. But ref. 2508, although “rare” by most standards, was actually produced in high enough volume that you can find steel examples for sale somewhat regularly around the $25,000 price point.

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The 2508, made from the 1930s-1940s, is significant in Rolex history for being their first two-button chronograph. All prior Rolex chronographs were simple monopushers. With a relatively modern three-piece “Calatrava” case, the 2508 was available in steel, yellow gold, and rose gold. Notably, it was produced in two generations: the first with a larger 37.2mm case and olive-shaped pushers, and the second with a 35.2mm case and rectangular pushers. Either version is a tasteful way to spend $25,000.

Yellow Gold Yacht-Master

For something much less understated, you could consider a solid yellow gold Yacht-Master 40 ref. 16628. Released in 1992 exclusively in yellow gold at first, legend has it that the design was originally intended as an update to the Submariner. Wisely, they instead named it the Yacht-Master and numerous versions have graced the Rolex catalog ever since.

The very first 16628’s actually had the same case as the Submariner, with lugholes and brushed lugs. Later versions have shiny, more rounded lugs. I’m partial to the white dial option, which features black onyx hour plots, but there are other nice options like a beautiful black mother-of-pearl dial. The 16628 was discontinued around 2011 after almost two decades in production, and in any variation, it’s one of the flashiest ways to spend $25,000 on a Rolex.

These options are certainly not the only way to spend $25k on a Rolex, but hopefully this has provided a good overview of the Rolex market at that price point. If you have $25,000 to spend on a Rolex, unless you’re looking for something really special or blingy (or platinum), the world is pretty much your oyster.