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The secondary watch market is seeing a dramatic surge in demand — and prices — for smaller women’s and classic Rolex models, according to Robb Report.

Experts attribute the trend to the growing number of female collectors buying watches for themselves, as well as the industry’s broader shift toward versatile, unisex case sizes.

Beyond women’s models, demand is also rising in the ultra-luxury segment, with watches ranging from $30,000 to several million dollars.

The luxury watch industry is entering a new era. The oversized men’s sports watches that dominated during the pandemic have given way to a powerful trend toward refinement and more understated proportions. According to leading online pre-owned watch platforms, smaller women’s Rolex models are experiencing a remarkable surge in both prices and liquidity.

Paul Altieri, founder and CEO of online watch marketplace Bob’s Watches, says demand for more elegant references has risen sharply.

“The numbers don’t lie: Ref. 6917 has seen tremendous growth, and the same is true of Ref. 179174 — and these are all women’s watches. We’ve been hearing for years that smaller sizes were coming back into fashion, and now the data fully confirms it.”

According to Altieri, prices for some popular women’s models — including the Datejust 31 Ref. 6827 — have roughly doubled over the past three years.

Female Independence and the Rise of “Unisex Gold”

Yevgeniy Tutunikov, CEO of SwissWatchExpo in Atlanta, confirms the trend, noting that classic mid-size and women’s collections are currently growing faster than traditional professional models such as the Daytona and Submariner, whose prices have stabilized after years of intense demand.

Experts point to two key factors behind the shift:

• Women are buying watches for themselves. Rather than viewing a timepiece simply as an accessory to jewelry, today’s female buyers are choosing classic configurations featuring fluted bezels, Jubilee bracelets and diamond hour markers as everyday staples.
• The move toward versatile sizes — 31 to 36 mm. Women are gradually moving away from ultra-small 26- and 28-mm cases in favor of 31-mm and 36-mm models. Because the 36-mm Datejust has traditionally been popular with men as well, it has emerged as a “unisex sweet spot,” creating demand from both sides of the market.

Linden Lazarus, founder and CEO of Collectible, sums up the transformation: “It used to be an exclusively male club. Ten years ago, it was difficult for a woman to find fellow enthusiasts who truly appreciated watches. Now the situation has changed dramatically — women are interested in watches as watches, and that is taking transaction volumes to a whole new level.”

Growth at the Premium End

Rolex’s success is being mirrored at the very top of the watch market, where high-end transactions are also surging. Joshua Ganjei of European Watch Company notes that seven-figure deals have become increasingly commonplace, attracting wealthy investors to the category.

Altieri echoes that assessment, saying transactions above $30,000 are now taking place far more frequently than in previous years. In a single morning, Bob’s Watches sold a gold Yacht-Master for $31,000 and a pink Daytona on a rubber strap for $51,000 — another sign that affluent collectors remain in remarkably strong financial shape.

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