As Gold Soars, Luxury Watch Collectors Rush to Gold Rolexes

Gold Rolex watches are seeing a surge in demand that coincides with record-high precious metal prices and a shift toward dressier timepiece styles.

Three gold Rolex models have climbed dramatically in the Bloomberg Subdial Watch Index since 2022, with the yellow-gold Day-Date 228238 rising from 30th to 9th place.

This trend emerges as gold has gained over 10% this year, exceeding $3,100 amid concerns over global trade wars and Trump’s tariff policies. The interest in gold watches represents a positive development for the luxury watch industry, which has been struggling since its pandemic-era boom, with Swiss watch exports dropping 3% last year.

Rolex has responded to gold’s rising value by increasing prices on gold models by up to 8%. The secondary watch market is showing signs of recovery with the index rebounding 3.3% in March, though still well below its post-pandemic peak.