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HOW MANY WATCHES DOES ROLEX MAKE A YEAR ?
Rolex is a watch brand that has faced consistent and heavy demand since the beginning. This has only continued to grow and has now got to the stage where waitlist can take years before being offered the piece you’ve been dreaming of for years. Many people see others with their Rolex on their wrist and wonder how come they have not got theirs yet ? The simple answer is, simply due to how many watches Rolex make per year and who gets them.
That is why today we are going over how many watches Rolex makes per year so you can get a better understanding of what production looks like over at Rolex. And if you want to learn even more about the world's most iconic luxury watch brand, here's everything you need to about the world of Rolex.
the real amount of rolex produced
The short and very simple answer is – no one knows exactly how many watches Rolex produce per year as they do not release an exact statement how many they produce and for which models. However, there are strong estimates made by watch market analysts and from 2023 to 2024 it is estimated that Rolex will produce around 1 to 1.25 million watches.
This figure represents the total number of watches Rolex will produce, and whilst that might seem like a lot, when you divide it over all the thousands of Rolex watch boutiques over the world, it really isn’t all that much. And bear in mind, that’s just to receive a Rolex watch, then you need to look at which ones will be sent to wear and you can very quickly see how that million odd watches gets spread very thinly over the world.
Source : Bob’s Watches
Source : Hodinkee
It’s fair to say pretty much everyone knows that if you were to walk into a Rolex AD and ask for a sports watch, let’s say the iconic Submariner, without any history, you would probably be told to wait at least 2-3 years. This is because the production of Rolex Submariners is not particularly high and only represents around 10 percent of the overall production.
Again, no one has the exact figure, at least not available to the general public, but it said that Rolex produces around 100,000 to 150,000 Submariners each year. But, just like before, you need to break that down even smaller because Rolex currently offers 7 different Submariners and not each one will be produced equally. This is why the Rolex Submariner is so hard to get because of its limited production numbers.
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Perhaps the hardest Rolex of them all to get, even if you have a fantastically long purchase history with the AD and they even want to be able to sell you the watch, it’s still almost impossible. The Rolex Daytona, especially the steel model with the white or black dial, are equally the two hardest watches to come by from Rolex.
Source : Watch exchange
It’s thought that Rolex will make around 20,000 to 35,000 which is significantly less than any other model Rolex makes. You can now begin to understand how hard it is for an AD to get the watch to sell to anyone, let alone someone who specifically wants it and has been waiting for years.
rolex production limits
Source : Hodinkee
Rolex is forever investing and developing new ways and machines to be able to produce their watches more efficiently and therefore enhance the amount of watches they make each year. An example of this would include the Rolex Paraflex shock absorber and their Chronergy escapement which have both significantly improved all of Rolex’s watches durability. This has also allowed them to make their production more streamlined as it is an element of production that remains constant for all their watches.
Of course, Rolex would love to supply all of its customers with their brilliant watches, but when it comes to production numbers, Rolex has its limitations. One of the key factors limiting Rolex’s production numbers is the progress in technology and the methods they use for manufacturing their watches. Rolex does not rush anything and takes their time with every watch to make sure their products remain of the highest quality.
Despite their efforts to find new ways to make their watches to the same high quality but more streamlined, other factors like raw material availability and the size of their facilities are other limitation factors. Rolex only uses the best quality materials like 904 L steel and 18 ct gold along with a few gemstones here and there.
But, these materials are not the most readily available which can affect the production time of some watches. Supply chain disruption can cause major problems very quickly for Rolex, any disruption in the supply chain can impact their production numbers for that year. You then need to factor in that finding the highly skilled watchmakers needed to assemble the watches in Switzerland can also be challenging which again can affect how many watches Rolex can produce in a given year.
Source : ZEALANDE
Source : Swisswatch magazine
To summarise, you’ve now seen that Rolex produces just over a million watches per year which makes it one of the highest producing Swiss watch brands. With its enormous facilities, Rolex has the ability to produce many watches but more importantly, still at a very high-quality level.
Additionally, they also make very complex watches such as their Skydweller, for a watch brand based in Switzerland that can produce high volumes of high-quality timepieces but still offer the pieces like an annual calendar is nothing short of impressive. Rolex also happens to be a brand we take care of more than anyone else when it comes to a perfectly fitted rubber strap.
Our rubber straps at ZEALANDE are designed to hug your Rolex’s case perfectly and comfortably sit around your wrist. So, if you're looking to make your watch sportier, especially with the Skiing season soon to start, or to give your bracelet a break from all the wear and tear, head over to the ZEALANDE website to get yours today.