Luxury watch giants Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Tudor are ushering in the new year with a fresh round of price increases for 2026, signaling a continued upmarket shift for the Swiss horology industry despite a cooling secondary market.
Based on updated price lists effective Jan. 1, the hikes range from modest adjustments on stainless steel models to double-digit jumps for timepieces crafted from precious metals. The move reflects the industry’s response to rising material costs—particularly the surging price of gold—and a strategic effort to maintain brand exclusivity, according to a new WatchPro report.
Rolex, the world’s biggest luxury watch brand, has apparently implemented a tiered pricing strategy. While entry-level stainless steel models, such as the Submariner and Explorer, saw relatively small hikes of approximately 1% to 3%, the brand’s gold and “Rolesor” (two-tone) collections bore the brunt of the adjustment. Solid 18-karat gold models, including the iconic Day-Date and certain Cosmograph Daytona references, saw prices surge by as much as 11% to 14%.
Industry analysts note that Rolex’s pricing reflects a delicate balancing act in the luxury watch market. By keeping steel prices stable, the sought-after brand remains accessible to its core aspirational base, while the more aggressive increases on gold models capitalize on the metal’s status as a safe-haven asset.
Tudor, Rolex’s more affordable sibling brand, has followed a similar trajectory. Long marketed as a “high-value” investment alternative, Tudor is increasingly moving into a loftier price bracket. Popular models like the Black Bay 58 and Pelagos saw increases averaging 4%, though certain gold references mirrored the steeper climbs of their Rolex counterparts. The move has even led some collectors to speculate that Tudor is intentionally vacating the sub-$4,000 category to make room for its own upmarket evolution.
Meanwhile, Audemars Piguet has continued its trend of incremental increases across its flagship Royal Oak and Code 11.59 collections. The Le Brassus-based manufacturer, which operates a largely boutique-only retail model, has raised MSRPs by roughly 5% on average. For AP, the increases come at a time when secondary market premiums for the Royal Oak have begun to stabilize, suggesting the brand is looking to narrow the gap between retail and resale values.
Other major luxury watchmakers—including Omega, Patek Philippe, Breitling, Cartier, TAG Heuer, IWC, and Vacheron Constantin—have yet to reveal specific price hikes for 2026. The adjustments revealed so far come amid fluctuating exchange rates and new tariff discussions in the U.S., the world’s largest market for Swiss watches.
While the pace of watch sales has slowed from the dizzying heights of 2021 and 2022, the biggest watch houses appear confident that demand for their most storied models remains resilient enough to absorb higher costs. Here’s hoping that luxury watchmakers can keep a lid on escalating prices, at least for those still building their collections.