The Vault › All references › Pearlmaster
Pearlmaster · 1990s to 2010s
“Pearlmaster”
Grade F · 38/100Today's call: Avoid as an investment
F: the market has spoken. Ranked #129 of 129 references in The Crown Index vault.
| Original retail (2010) | $45,000 |
|---|---|
| Market today | $14,000 – $19,000 |
| Vs original retail | -63% |
| 1-year trend | +2% |
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 at nearly bracelet-melt money. 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 material | 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) |