Be it the most expensive, the most popular brand or the most popular style – Rolex has been single handedly dominating watch listings on eBay since the past 25 years

The most popular Rolex on eBay.

eBay is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and it’s quite fascinating how the brand has grown from one of the earliest tech start-ups out of Silicon Valley to brave different challenging times and remain as a dominant online marketplace in the world. As a part of its celebration, eBay has launched its new Authenticity Guarantee program and came up with some very interesting data. The online reseller platform has revealed that watches have been one of the top-selling categories in the marketplace. According to the data, eBay sold over 2 million watches in 2019 alone and nearly 8 million watches changed hands over the past three years. And in fact, 54% of eBay’s watches category is comprised of pre-owned inventory. There has been over a 60% increase for pre-owned in eBay’s watch category from 2019 – August 2020. But it’s not limited to affordable watches and rather the platform gets a big portion of listings for pre-owned high-end timepieces from brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, Audemars Piguet, Breitling, and Panerai. The most expensive watch ever sold on eBay is the Patek Philippe Grand Complications watch that was sold for a whopping $535,500. However, if there’s one name that dominates the category of high-end watches on eBay, it has to be that of Rolex; and understandably so! After all, Rolex is easily the most recognizable brand in the horology business. Rolex alone accounted for 25% of luxury watch sales on eBay in 2019, which marked an increase of 60% on its marketplace.

The title for the 2nd most expensive watch ever sold on eBay is held by a Rolex Platinum Masterpiece Glacier Diamond Jubilee that fetched $150,000. However, according to the 2020 Luxury Watch Report by eBay that gives a detailed breakdown of current market trends and prices, every one of the top 10 most popular models on the site is a Rolex, which includes model lines like the Submariner, Sea-Dweller, GMT-Master, GMT-Master II, Datejust, and Daytona. Which goes on to show the strength of the market for pre-owned Rolex watches. And, while there is a resurgence in popularity for vintage-inspired pieces, the stainless steel Rolex sports models continue to be in huge demand. But according to the latest data, the Rolex Datejust is the most popular line and tops the table by beating the Submariner and the Daytona. But there’s a good reason for it. First released in 1945, the Datejust family remains one of the most popular timepieces among both men and women and has been one of the strongest pillars for the Swiss watch brand for over eight decades. The Datejust is the oldest running Rolex model line to date, making it an icon. The modern Datejust 36mm and 41mm models reintroduced in 2018 have now become the backbone of the brand’s catalog and its affordable price-tag as compared to the other Rolex families makes it a favorite amongst those looking for a pre-owned piece.

Also read -  Rolex GMT Master II and Platinum Daytona unveiled

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Written By
Sayan Chakravarty, a Senior Writer at Luxurylaunches, brings over 10 years of automotive journalism expertise. He provides insightful coverage of the latest cars and motorcycles across American and European markets, while also highlighting luxury yachts, high-end watches, and gadgets. An authentic automobile aficionado, his commitment shines through in educating readers about the automotive world. When the keyboard rests, Sayan feeds his wanderlust, traversing the world on his motorcycle.