What is the difference between an asking price and a realized price?

An asking price is what a dealer currently wants for a watch. A realized price is what a buyer actually paid for one at auction, hammer plus buyer premium. Asking prices are opinions and realized prices are evidence, which is why this page shows both side by side.

Why do prices for the same watch reference vary so much?

Condition, completeness, service history and dial variant all move the price. A single reference can also cover very different watches: Rolex Day-Date 18038 includes ordinary gold examples and rare Stella enamel dials worth many times more. The typical spread between the cheapest and dearest listing on this page is around 50 percent.

Where does this watch price data come from?

Asking prices are gathered from public retailer listings and refreshed through the day. Realized prices come from completed auctions. Prices published in other currencies are converted to US dollars at the current rate before any comparison is made.

Market Intelligence

The Same Watch,
Every Price

A reference rarely carries one price. It carries as many as there are dealers willing to quote it. We place those quotes side by side, then measure them against the only figure that settles an argument, the sum a collector actually paid at auction.

What a dealer asks is an opinion. What a watch fetches is a fact.

References compared

stocked by two or more retailers

Retail listings

refreshed through the day

Realized prices

confirmed at auction

Typical spread

Not yet

between cheapest and dearest quote

The Same Watch,Every Price

The Same Watch,
Every Price