Fratello On Air: Rolex Under €8K — Our Favorites

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we stick to Rolex under €8K and pick our favorites. The entire history of the brand is up for grabs as long as the price is right. Enjoy the episode, and tune in to the watch content after approximately 19 minutes.

Getting a sweet Rolex under €8K is not only doable but pretty darn easy! There are loads of models available, including steel sports pieces and dress models in precious metals. Vintage or modern, we've got you covered!

 Handgelenkskontrolle

We kick off our episode with some schnitzel talk. Depending on where one travels, different types of schnitzels exist that we're ready to try — most of them, that is! We also mention some upcoming Jordan 1 sneakers celebrating 40 years since the first pair. Then, we talk about a few TV shows we've been watching. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Balazs is wearing his faithful Seiko 6139 chronograph. Mike is sporting the recently reviewed G-Shock DW-5000R-1A Origin Revival.

Rolex under €8K

For our main topic, we discuss Rolex under €8K. How did we select this upper limit? That's a good question! We wanted to come in comfortably below the five-figure mark, but we also felt that €5K was too low in 2025. We realize that the upper end isn't inexpensive, but we mention several models that cost much less. For our search, we primarily used Chrono24 as a basis. Our picks are:

• Explorer II ref. 16570 "Polar" with drilled lug holes, a watch that is still somewhat of a Rolex outcast
• Day-Date ref. 1803 in 18K gold on a leather strap, a beautiful dress watch that costs significantly less without the full-gold bracelet
• Explorer ref. 14270, the iconic 36mm "GADA" watch that flies below the radar
• Air-King ref. 14000 from the '90s with a dark blue "Explorer-style" dial, the value king as long as a 34mm case isn't a concern
• Submariner Date ref. 16610 from the '90s with drilled lug holes, the legendary sports watch that put Rolex on the map as the must-have luxury brand
• Datejust ref. 160x "Pie-Pan," quite possibly the only watch you'll ever need due to its supreme comfort, go-anywhere looks, and endless variants

We hope you enjoy today's episode. As always, if you have ideas for future shows, please let us know!