Bob's Watches Bob's Watches Jared Paul Stern
A new report produced by Australia-based Danny Younis, who spent 20 years as an equities analyst and investment banker and now writes about wine, luxury investing, and watches, has just compiled one of the most interesting and insightful reports on Rolex ever produced – one that sheds light on the semi-secretive manner that the brand conducts its business, addressing key points of interest and intrigue.
Inside Rolex’s Annual Production Numbers
“I’ve analyzed just about everything ever published on Rolex over the last 30 years,” Younis declared in a LinkedIn post regarding his report about Rolex’s production and sales figures. “Industry estimates, broker reports, market research, supply chain data, over ten Rolex books, and discussions with Rolex experts. I then crosschecked [the data] against Rolexes for sale in resale channels, providing an accurate picture of the composition of Rolex’s annual output.”
Applying the skills learned in his finance days, Younis’s exhaustive research comes on the heels of Bloomberg’s analysis of the data inadvertently revealed in Rolex’s official book on the Submariner, released last year. Parsing the production numbers of each Submariner reference included in the book’s index and cross-referencing them with pricing data, the news outlet reported that the total market value of all Submariner watches ever made is close to $50 billion.
According to Younis, Rolex made 1.2 million watches in 2024, worth a total value of over $10 billion. “Classic models – Datejust, Day-Date, Oyster Perpetual – make up the majority of production, at 55%,” he writes, while “professional / sports models – Rolex GMT, Submariner, Daytona – are produced in lower quantities, at 45%, despite their much higher demand and visibility.” He adds that while “stainless steel references dominate production in sports models, precious metal variants, especially the Rolex Daytona and Day-Date, contribute more significantly to revenue.”
The Rolex Datejust Leads Global Production
Bob’s Watches recently revealed that the Datejust is the world’s most popular watch, and Younis backs this up with data points, revealing that the versatile model accounted for 27% of total production, or 329,000 units, in 2024, more than any other model. In part, he notes, the Datejust’s ubiquity can be attributed to the wide array of diameters and materials found in the range; we would add that its relatively lower price point makes it attractive as well.
The Submariner meanwhile, though assuredly the world’s most iconic watch, only accounted for 12% of Rolex’s 2024 production, or just 150,000 units, Younis writes. And the almost equally-famous Daytona, is an even more niche proposition; he estimates it at close to 10% of annual output, or nearly 110,000 watches, which represents the most exponential growth of any Rolex model in the last decade.
Why It Matters to Buyers and Collectors
So, should you buy a Rolex watch merely because of its popularity? In our opinion, no, though if the purchase is being made as a Rolex investment, it is an important factor to keep in mind. In any case, demystifying the production methods of Rolex can only help buyers make better informed decisions. As the multifaceted marketing efforts of luxury brands increasingly come under scrutiny, this can only be a good thing.
The post Here’s How Many Watches Rolex Actually Makes Each Year, Ranked by Model appeared first on Bob's Watches.
