We all know that Rolex is a huge investment. But it can also be a great one. Yet the way people invest in Rolex is changing fast. While you used to be able to get the Rolex you wanted at a good price from a local dealer, the brand’s popularity made it almost impossible to get through retail, making second-hand Rolex watches particularly popular with collectors.
Because the retail market is so volatile, and because Rolex watches are famous for holding great value, many collectors are increasingly turning to the secondary market to grow their collections. Actually, in many cases, we would say a used Rolex is the best Rolex that money can afford.
A brand cheap Rolex can cost you anywhere between seven and fifty thousand dollars – even higher for some of the rare, gold, and diamond-encrusted references. However, what’s great about the secondary market is that you can have much more flexibility with your budget, often allowing you to buy a Rolex for significantly less than retail.
What’s more, for those of you who have larger budgets, your money can go much further with a used Rolex. For example, instead of spending so much on a contemporary reference from a retailer that will at the first decrease in value you can invest in a vintage Rolex that has been steadily increasing in value. 
In many ways, when you order a new luxury watch, it’s like a brand new car. For most brands, the minute you take them off the lot, they are down in value. However, when you buy a pre-owned watch, you keep this price decrease because it has already been absorbed by the original owner.
This means when you invest in a used replica Rolex watch, the chances are much greater than the price will rise during the years that you own it, instead of decreasing at all. Second-hand Rolex watches are also valuable, and collectors have discovered they can wear them for years and sell them for the same price, even more than the original price.
While Rolex has more than a dozen collections, each with its own references, the retail selection can often be quite limiting. For instance, many years ago, fake Rolex made GMT-Master ‘Coke’ bezels but now only makes ‘Pepsi’ and ‘Batman.’
Being open to replica watches on the pre-owned market actually gives you so much more selection and choice. In reality, many of the industry’s most collectible Rolex watches are actually stopped or vintage references. What’s more, the second-hand market allows you to buy watches that you would otherwise have to wait years for.
