The Land-Dweller’s True Cost
First spied by WatchPro, the first Rolex Land-Dweller sold on eBay Live was an unworn 40mm steel model with box and papers and listed by Tanner and Company with a starting bid of $15,000 — a few hundred bucks below SRP. But, as expected, the watch’s price didn’t stay low for long.
When the dust settled as the auction came to a close, the Land-Dweller had sold for a staggering $51,250. That’s more than three times the SRP of the watch and just $2,000 shy of the combined retail prices of a Land-Dweller and Royal Oak “Jumbo.” Insanity.
So, where does the market go from here? There are essentially two schools of thought. Either this first sale was inflated and the buyer overpaid, meaning the price will drop as more Land-Dwellers hit the market. Or the crazy sale price will increase collectors’ desire for the watch, inflating the value even more for future sales.
Given the recent history of Rolex and integrated luxury sports watches in general, I’m betting on the latter scenario as being more likely.