Rolex Vault › All references › Pearlmaster
Pearlmaster · 1990s to 2010s · Discontinued
“Pearlmaster”
Not ranked: too few recorded sales
Market range is an estimate from dealer and auction pricing: too few recorded eBay sales to set it.
Average market price for an example in excellent condition. Dashed line marks the 2010 retail price.
The cautionary tale of the catalog. Gem-set gold Rolex carries enormous retail markups for the stones and setting work, and the secondary market refuses to pay them back: a $45,000 watch that trades under $20,000.
Liquidity is the real killer. Dealers lowball gem-set pieces because they can sit in a case for a year waiting for the one buyer who wants exactly that configuration.
Pearlmaster was Rolex's 'red carpet' line: softened lugs, five-link gold bracelet, factory stones everywhere. Retail pricing assumed a buyer who never asks; resale found out that buyer rarely resells quietly.
The flip side of a 60 percent depreciation is the deal of the catalog for the right person: a factory-gem-set solid gold Rolex well below its original retail. Someone's loss literally glitters.
Our verdict: F on the index. If you want a diamond Rolex, buy this exact watch pre-owned at a 60 percent discount and let the first owner eat the loss.
| Sizes | 34mm |
|---|---|
| Case & bracelet | 18k yellow gold, factory diamond bezel |
| Factory bracelet | Pearlmaster (five-link) |
| Factory bezels | Factory diamond-set 18k yellow gold |
| Notable dials | Champagne diamond; Mother of pearl; Factory gem-set |
| Caliber | 2235 |
| Production | 1990s to 2010s (discontinued) |