Watch Expert Challenges the 'Rolex as Investment' Myth — and Announces Rare Trunk Show for Serious Watch Collectors

Jason, a GIA Graduate Gemologist and 5th generation jeweler, shares the secondary market intelligence that separates collectors who win from those who don't

SOMERSET, NJ, UNITED STATES, April 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The debate has played out in collector forums, auction houses, and across countless watch-counter conversations for decades: should you buy a Rolex as an investment, or because you love it? According to Jason, a GIA Graduate Gemologist and luxury watch specialist at Venus Jewelers — a family-owned fine jewelry business now in its fifth decade — the watch community has been asking the wrong question entirely.

As the luxury watch secondary market continues to normalize following the unprecedented speculation boom of 2021–2022, Jason's perspective offers a grounded alternative to the hype-driven narratives that have dominated watch media. "The right Rolex, at the right price, bought for the right reasons, will almost always hold its value. A watch you love and hold onto because you love it will always be a great investment.", says Jason.

Drawing on daily experience buying and selling pre-owned luxury timepieces, Jason outlines the current landscape with the precision of someone who lives it professionally: The Submariner and GMT-Master remain the two most liquid and globally desirable references in the Rolex catalog. Demand has not softened and, by every metric available in the pre-owned market, shows no sign of doing so. For collectors seeking a watch that can be worn daily and will find a ready buyer decades from now, these two models set the benchmark.

The stainless steel Cosmograph Daytona remains the most difficult Rolex to acquire at retail — authorized dealer waitlists stretch years — and is the strongest performer in the secondary market. At peak, certain "Panda" dial variants were changing hands at four times their retail price. While that premium has moderated as the broader market has corrected, the Daytona's position at the apex of the Rolex hierarchy is unchanged. It is, Jason argues, one of the most iconic wristwatches ever produced.

The Datejust — often dismissed by trend-chasing collectors — quietly and consistently holds its value across the full range of references. "It's classic, it's versatile, and it has never gone out of style," Jason says. "It's been on the wrist of presidents, artists, and executives for eighty years. That's not an accident."

Within the broader luxury watch market, Jason notes that Patek Philippe's Nautilus and Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak have achieved secondary market premiums that rival — and in some references, surpass — even the Daytona. But Rolex's singular advantage is liquidity: no other watch brand in the world has built a secondary market as deep, as global, or as reliable. "You can sell a Submariner almost anywhere in the world, quickly, at a fair price," he says. "That's a form of value that rarely gets discussed when people debate watch investments."

Jason's thesis, refined over hundreds of watch transactions is straightforward: the distinction between "buying for love" and "buying for investment" is a false one when the buyer is informed. A quality watch, purchased thoughtfully and held with patience, tends to reward both the heart and the ledger. What fails, consistently, is the speculative mindset — buying to flip, chasing scarcity, treating a wristwatch like a commodity future.

"If a watch stops you in your tracks — if you're still thinking about it a week after you first tried it on — that's the one you should buy," he says. "Buy it at a fair price from someone you trust. Then wear it. That's the investment thesis that has worked, over and over again, for the people I've watched get it right."

About the Venus Jewelers Rolex Trunk Show — May 14–16
Venus Jewelers will host a dedicated Rolex trunk show — Buy, Sell & Trade — at its Somerset, New Jersey location from Thursday, May 14 through Saturday May 16, 2025.

The three-day event is designed for serious collectors and first-time buyers alike, offering an expanded inventory of pre-owned Rolex and luxury timepieces alongside the expertise of Jason and the Venus Jewelers team. Attendees are welcome to bring watches for evaluation, explore trade opportunities, or simply browse with no obligation. Appointments are encouraged. Walk-ins are welcome.

About Venus Jewelers
Venus Jewelers is a family-owned fine jewelry and luxury watch business based in Somerset, New Jersey established in 1979.

Donna Yi
Venus Jewelers
+1 732-247-4454
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.