Rolex 2026 Release

Every New Rolex 2026 Release: Prices, Specs, and Market Predictions

One hundred years ago, Hans Wilsdorf patented the waterproof Oyster case and permanently changed what a wristwatch could do. For the centennial at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026, Rolex brought a collection that matches the weight of that anniversary. New materials, new complications, bold dial work, and a catalog shakeup that is already moving the secondary market.

The highlights: a Rolesium Daytona featuring Grand Feu enamel and a sapphire caseback, a ground-up redesign of the Yacht-Master II with counterclockwise hands, a ten-color Jubilee motif Oyster Perpetual, a proprietary gold alloy called Jubilee Gold, solid gold Oyster Perpetuals with stone hour markers, fresh Datejust colorways, a tightened Superlative Chronometer standard, and the confirmed death of the Pepsi GMT with zero replacement. Here is every new Rolex for 2026, what each one costs, and where we think the market is headed.

The Pepsi GMT Is Officially Discontinued

The Rolex GMT-Master II "Pepsi" (Rolex 126710BLRO) is done. So is the white gold version (Rolex 126719BLRO). Eight years of production, years of impossible waitlists, and now the page on the Rolex official website simply does not exist anymore. What remains in the steel GMT catalog is the Rolex Batman, the Rolex Batgirl, the Rolex Bruce Wayne, and the Rolex Sprite. Not a single red bezel left. Retail was $11,800. Pre-owned values have been climbing since late 2025, reaching a median around $25,000 by April 2026. Chrono24 reported a 500% surge in purchase requests during March alone, and active listings dropped roughly 25% as owners pulled inventory off the market.

Here is what makes this different from a typical discontinuation: Rolex did not announce a Coke replacement. There is no red-and-black bezel waiting in the wings. The Rolex 126710BLRO is a closed chapter. Every remaining GMT reference now absorbs demand that the Pepsi used to capture. When the Rolex Submariner Hulk was killed in 2020, prices jumped 10 to 15% immediately and kept climbing. The Pepsi carries even stronger name recognition and a legacy stretching back to 1954. If you own one, WatchGuys can help you understand what it is worth today through our Sell Your Rolex page.

Market Trajectory: Immediate Premium. Currently trading between $24,000 and $30,000+. No ceiling in sight until Rolex introduces a successor.

Rolesium Daytona with Grand Feu Enamel Dial

The Rolex Daytona 126502 is the new grail. Oystersteel case, platinum bezel ring and caseback ring (the combination Rolex calls Rolesium), and a white Grand Feu enamel dial that makes every other Daytona dial look flat by comparison. Enamel is fired onto ceramic plates at extreme temperatures, creating a brilliance and depth that standard lacquer simply cannot achieve. The sub-dials match the main dial in full white enamel with no contrasting rings, giving the face a monochromatic purity broken only by the red "Daytona" signature at 6. The anthracite Cerachrom bezel introduces a new ceramic formula enriched with tungsten carbide, and its tachymeter numerals are arranged horizontally as a callback to the very first Cosmograph. Through the sapphire caseback you can see the Caliber 4131, only the third Rolex Daytona to offer that view (the other two being the platinum Daytona and the Rolex Le Mans).

List price is $57,800, which is over three times the Rolex Daytona 126500 at $16,900. Rolex is treating this as an off-catalogue exceptional piece. Allocation will be severe. Without significant AD purchase history, your chances at retail are effectively zero.

Market Trajectory: Immediate Premium. First-ever Rolesium Daytona, first enamel dial on a steel-based Daytona, exhibition caseback, off-catalogue positioning. Secondary market pricing will start at multiples of retail.

Multicolor Jubilee Oyster Perpetual 31, 36, and 41

The Jubilee dial motif, a repeating pattern of the letters R-O-L-E-X that Rolex originally produced from 1985 to 2022 for Rolex Datejust anniversary editions, returns for the Oyster centennial in the most aggressive execution yet. Ten individual colors are pad-printed one at a time with each layer requiring exact registration against the last. The result is a dial that looks like nothing else in the current Rolex Oyster Perpetual catalog. For collectors who want the Jubilee texture without the full spectrum, mauve and black options are also offered.

Retail stays at standard OP pricing: $6,300 for 31mm, $6,750 for the Rolex 36mm (Rolex 126000), $7,050 for the Rolex 41mm. Those numbers look accessible until you realize that special-dial Oyster Perpetuals are among the most tightly allocated Rolex watches produced. The celebration dials, the Tiffany blue, and the coral red all traded at 3x to 5x over retail in their early months. Expect similar or stronger demand here, especially on the 36mm.

Market Trajectory: Immediate Premium. History says special-dial OPs at this price point generate enormous secondary market premiums. The 36mm will be the hardest size to find.

100th Anniversary Oyster Perpetual

A yellow gold bezel and crown sitting on an all-steel Oyster bracelet. Rolex offered this Rolex Two-Tone configuration on early Oyster models in the 1960s, but it has not appeared in the modern lineup until now. The slate dial reads "100 Years" at the 6 o'clock position where "Swiss Made" normally sits. Green accents color the Rolex logo and the minute track squares. The crown is engraved with "100." This reference is also the first watch to carry Rolex's strengthened 2026 Superlative Chronometer certification, which raises accuracy and testing standards across the board.

Three sizes: 31mm at $7,700, 36mm at $8,450, 41mm at $9,650. Only available with the slate dial. Specific reference numbers for each size have not been published by Rolex at the time of writing.

Market Trajectory: Immediate Premium. A metal combination that does not exist anywhere else in the current catalog, anniversary-limited production, and a retail price that starts under $10,000.

Yacht-Master II Returns with a Redesigned Movement

The Rolex Yacht-Master II disappeared from the catalog roughly two years ago. It is back now with a completely new movement, the Caliber 4162, and a rethought approach to its regatta countdown function. The countdown minute and seconds hands now run counterclockwise, which makes far more intuitive sense when you are watching time tick away before a race start. Programming is handled entirely through the lower pusher instead of the old Ring Command Bezel system. Rolex also managed to slim the Rolex 44mm case profile compared to the predecessor, which is remarkable given the added mechanical complexity of reverse-running hands.

Available at $20,300 in Oystersteel (Rolex 126680) and $57,800 in yellow gold (Rolex 126688). Both wear a blue Cerachrom bezel with a cleaner layout than before. To understand how Rolex encodes materials and models into its numbering system, check our Rolex reference number guide.

Market Trajectory: Steady Climber. The first-generation YM2 never received the appreciation it deserved. This version addresses every common criticism while adding genuine horological intrigue. At $20,300, the ratio of mechanical innovation to price is arguably the best in the 2026 Rolex lineup.

Jubilee Gold Day-Date 40

The materials story of 2026 is Jubilee Gold, an 18-carat alloy that Rolex developed and produced entirely in its own foundry. The tone falls somewhere between traditional yellow gold and white gold. Rolex characterizes it as blending tender yellow, warm grey, and soft pink. To see how this compares to existing Rolex alloys like Everose and Oystersteel, visit our Rolex metal codes page. Two Rolex Day-Date 40 references launch the alloy: Rolex 228235JG-0003 with a light green aventurine dial and baguette diamond hour markers, and Rolex 228235JG-0002 with a gold leaf dial. Both sit on Rolex President bracelets in the new metal.

Retail pricing has not been published. Standard yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 228238 models currently list between $38,000 and $42,000. A proprietary alloy with diamond markers will land above that range.

Market Trajectory: Steady Climber. When Rolex introduced Everose gold, it held value well from the start because collectors understood it was a permanent addition to the material portfolio. Jubilee Gold should follow a similar path, especially given limited initial production runs.

Green Ombre, Mint Green, and Olive Green Datejusts

Green Ombre Datejust 36 and 41

Rolex has been rolling ombre dials across the lineup since debuting them on the Day-Date 36 in 2019. For 2026, green ombre arrives on the Rolex Datejust in 36mm (Rolex 126200-0026) and 41mm (Rolex 126334-0033) in white gold and steel Rolesor. The center-to-edge fade from saturated green to black creates a visual depth that flat-color dials cannot replicate. The DJ41 lists at $11,650.

Market Trajectory: Steady Climber. Anniversary-linked colorway on a popular platform. Should hold above retail and gradually appreciate.

Mint Green and Olive Green Two-Tone Datejusts

The mint green dial, one of the most popular Datejust colorways in recent years, now comes on Rolex Gold and steel models. The Rolex Datejust 36 in Everose/steel (Rolex 126231) lists at $15,000 and the Rolex Datejust 41 in Everose/steel (Rolex 126331) lists at $16,950, both with applied rose gold Roman numerals. Olive green joins the yellow gold/steel Datejust at $14,650 (36mm) and $16,360 (41mm). Both configurations ship on Rolex Jubilee bracelets.

Market Trajectory: At Retail. Two-tone Datejusts have historically traded close to list price on the secondary market. These are excellent daily wear choices, not speculation targets.

Gold Oyster Perpetual 28 and 34

The Oyster Perpetual has been a steel-only proposition for decades. That changes in 2026 with 16 new variants in solid 18-carat yellow gold and Everose gold across the 28mm and 34mm case sizes. The headline detail is natural stone hour markers at 3, 6, and 9, materials like heliotrope and dumortierite that have never appeared on a Rolex before. Dials span green stone lacquer, turquoise, mother-of-pearl, and black. Cases are predominantly satin-finished, which dials back the flash considerably. These smaller sizes will likely appeal to the same audience browsing our Women's Rolex and Midsize Rolex collections.

Starting at $30,000 for the 28mm and $38,100 for the 34mm. Diamond-set configurations run higher.

Market Trajectory: At Retail. Gorgeous additions to the lineup, but smaller-cased precious metal time-only watches rarely generate significant secondary market premiums. Stone marker versions may build niche collector demand over time.

Carnelian Yacht-Master 40 and Off-Catalogue Releases

The standout off-catalogue release is the Carnelian Rolex Yacht-Master 40 (Rolex 126678SAJOR): carnelian stone dial, multi-colored "Indian corn" sapphire bezel, and a brown Rolex Oysterflex strap. That brown strap is only the second non-black Oysterflex the brand has ever produced. Price sits around $180,000. Beyond the Yacht-Master, Rolex also quietly released two stone dial Rolex GMT-Master II models and roughly six stone dial Rolex Day-Date 36 variants through select boutiques. None of these appear on the Rolex website. For context on how these VIP-only pieces work, see our guide to off-catalogue Rolex watches.

Market Trajectory: Immediate Premium. Off-catalogue pieces trade at steep multiples of retail as a matter of course. The carnelian Yacht-Master will be no exception.

Market Predictions: Where Prices Are Headed

The direction from Rolex is unmistakable: tighter releases, richer materials, higher entry points. The Rolesium Daytona will dominate the conversation. Based on how previous off-catalogue Daytonas have performed, secondary market pricing could exceed $100,000 within the first year. The multicolor Jubilee Oyster Perpetual is the release that touches the most collectors because of its accessible retail, but supply will be so constrained that significant premiums are likely if the celebration dials are any precedent.

The Pepsi GMT discontinuation creates pressure across the entire Rolex GMT-Master II family. Without a Coke to absorb demand, the Batman, Batgirl, Rolex Bruce Wayne, and Rolex Sprite all benefit from displaced buyers. The Pepsi itself, sitting around $25,000 today, could push toward $30,000 or more by year end based on current momentum. Meanwhile, the Yacht-Master II at $20,300 in steel is the most underpriced piece of serious watchmaking in the entire 2026 Rolex catalog. The original never got the credit it earned, and this redesign might finally change that.

What This Means for Buyers

If you have been waiting on a Pepsi GMT, the clock is running. No Coke replacement means upward pressure with every passing week. If you own a discontinued reference, whether it is the Pepsi, a celebration dial OP, or a Hulk Rolex Submariner, premiums are elevated right now and WatchGuys is buying at top market value. Visit our Sell Your Rolex page to get started. For anyone targeting a 2026 release at retail, understand that the Rolesium Daytona and multicolor Jubilee OP will be multi-year waitlist pieces at authorized dealers. The secondary market is the faster route, and WatchGuys will stock them as inventory surfaces.

The quiet winner of this release cycle is the 100th Anniversary Oyster Perpetual. A two-tone configuration that does not exist anywhere else in the modern catalog, meaningful anniversary details, the first watch to carry Rolex's updated chronometer certification, and a retail price that starts under $10,000. Limited-edition Oyster Perpetuals with genuine collector appeal do not stay near retail for long. Contact our team if you need help sourcing a specific reference.