When Rolex unveiled a candy pink dial in September 2020, the watch world did something it rarely does with the Swiss giant: it collectively gasped.
Not because Rolex was being bold. Rolex has always been bold, but this particular shade of saccharine optimism felt genuinely surprising from a brand that was popular for steel sports watches and sober dress pieces.
The cotton candy Rolex has since become shorthand for two very different watches that share one philosophy: luxury doesn't have to take itself so seriously.
There's the accessible Oyster Perpetual in candy pink, and then there's the cotton candy Rolex Yacht-Master, an 18K white gold spectacle dripping with diamonds and sapphires.
The Stella Connection and Rolex's First Pink Rebellion
To understand the cotton candy craze, you need to rewind to the 1970s, when Rolex first experimented with vibrant lacquered dials, the legendary Stellas.
These Day-Date models featured enamel-lacquer finishes in colours that seemed antithetical to Rolex's conservative reputation: mauve, turquoise, yellow, oxblood, and yes, pink.
Rolex created these audacious dials specifically for Middle Eastern and East Asian markets during a period when the Swiss watch industry was reeling from the quartz crisis. While competitors panicked, Rolex doubled down on mechanical watchmaking and experimented with aesthetics that would've been unthinkable a decade earlier.
The technical execution was remarkably complex.
Each dial was spray-painted in layers, with oven-baking between applications to solidify the pigment. This process was repeated until the colour achieved the required depth and saturation. Polish, varnish, then add a transparent topcoat that creates a floating effect when the hour markers were pad-printed, similar to what Rolex later achieved with porcelain Daytona dials.
The irony, however, was that these weren't commercially successful.
Stella dials languished in display cases while clients requested conventional white, silver, and black options. Some dealers even swapped Stella dials for more saleable alternatives. Rolex allegedly destroyed batches of unsold Stella dials, inadvertently creating the scarcity that makes them valuable today.
What began as a commercial misstep has become a collector's obsession, and proof that Rolex's most interesting experiments often require time to be properly appreciated.
2020 and the Democratisation of Colour
Fast-forward fifty years.
On 1st September 2020, as the world remained locked in pandemic-induced gloom, Rolex launched the new Oyster Perpetual collection. The Submariner got the headline treatment with its updated case and movement. But watch enthusiasts couldn't stop talking about the Oyster Perpetual, suddenly available in coral red, turquoise blue, bright yellow, green, and candy pink.
Wei Koh of Revolution Watch called it "Stella for the People," and the characterisation stuck. But this wasn’t the first time Rolex was playing around with pink, after all, how else did we get the Rolex Daytona Barbie?
Here was Rolex taking the chromatic vibrancy of their most collectable vintage Day-Dates and placing it inside one of their most accessible priced timepieces. The message felt radical: you didn't need to spend £25,000 on a gold President to own a Rolex with personality.
The technical execution matched the originals. Six layers of lacquer applied to brass dial bases in controlled-atmosphere environments. Each layer individually inspected. Final varnishing and polishing to create dimensional depth where the colour shifts subtly in changing light. Hour markers are hand-riveted after the lacquering process.
The cotton candy Rolex Oyster Perpetual launched in 31mm and 36mm case sizes, powered by Rolex's new Calibre 3230 movement with 70 hours of power reserve. Notably absent from the 41mm model at launch, candy pink was positioned as a colour for those who wanted to make a statement.
The market response was extraordinary. Retail prices sat around £5,000 to £6,000. Within months, secondary market valuations hit £18,000 to £30,000, four to five times retail.
Why the frenzy, you ask?
Due to part scarcity, Rolex discontinued coral red and yellow by 2022, and part cultural timing, these watches arrived when the world desperately needed optimism. But mostly because Rolex had created something genuinely surprising. Approachable luxury with collector cachet baked in.
The Price of Pink
The cotton candy Rolex price disparity between Oyster Perpetual and Yacht-Master models is all about how Rolex's tiered strategy works.
The Oyster Perpetual candy pink launched at £5,000 to £6,000 retail. Impossible to find at authorised dealers without years-long waiting lists. Secondary market settled around £10,000 to £15,000 depending on size, condition, box and papers. That's a £5,000 to £10,000 difference for the privilege of actually owning one now rather than waiting indefinitely.
Compare that to discontinued Stella-inspired colours. Coral red and yellow, pulled from production in 2022, now cost about £12,000 to £18,000. The turquoise "Tiffany" dial in 41mm sits at around £14,000 to £20,000. The market rewards scarcity with brutal efficiency.
The Yacht-Master 126679 SABR operates completely differently. It originally retails for approximately £76,600. The current secondary market for black dial versions is around £120,000 to £150,000. Pavé diamond dial versions for about £150,000 to £180,000. That's double retail appreciation in under three years for a watch that was already expensive.
Why are these numbers jumping so dramatically?
Limited production, rarity in an age of endless special editions, spectacular design that photographs beautifully, and the reality that gem-set Rolexes capturing collector imagination tend to hold value better than generic diamond bezels.
Compare it to the "Haribo" Yacht-Master, another colourful off-catalogue gem-set model. Similar concept, less collector enthusiasm, and it trades about £25,000 below Cotton Candy prices.
Something about this specific bezel design resonates in ways other gem-set models don't.
Finding Cotton Candy
Want a cotton candy Rolex watch? You’re in for a ride.
For Oyster Perpetual models, you need to get in touch with an authorised dealer. Waiting lists are measured in years, not months, if they're even accepting new names. The secondary market offers better odds but requires rigorous authentication. Reputable dealers and auction houses regularly stock candy pink Oyster Perpetuals, typically priced £10,000 to £15,000 depending on size (31mm, 34mm, 36mm, or the new 41mm), condition, and whether it includes box and papers.
Make sure to verify authenticity obsessively. The popularity of these dials has spawned aftermarket alternatives that aren't factory Rolex. Insist on original documents, and ideally purchase through established dealers who guarantee authenticity.
For the Yacht-Master 126679 SABR, the search is exponentially harder. It appears occasionally through high-end watch dealers and major auction houses. Budget £120,000 to £180,000 depending on dial configuration and condition. This isn't a watch you stumble upon browsing Instagram dealers. It requires patience, industry connections, or extraordinary timing.
Rolex's Riskiest Colour Became Its Safest Bet
The cotton candy Rolex isn't a revolution. Rolex has always done whatever it wants; it just occasionally reminds everyone of that fact.
What's interesting is how the market responded. Candy pink Oyster Perpetuals hitting £18,000 on the secondary market confirmed what Rolex already knew, scarcity and personality equals obsession. A £5,400 steel watch retailing more than some gold models? Now we’re talking crazy.
For decades, wearing a colourful Rolex meant hunting vintage Stellas or commissioning aftermarket work. Now you can actually buy factory pink, assuming you've got the budget and patience.
Whether this represents Rolex "loosening up" or executing another calculated test doesn't matter. What matters, however, is that boring is optional now. And judging by pricing, a lot of people were waiting for exactly that.
If cotton candy isn’t up your alley, have a look at our Love Luxury's Rolex collection; we’ve got something for everyone!
