Should You Engrave Your Rolex? Will It Lose Value?

With few exceptions, Rolex watches feature solid metal casebacks. Besides saving a bit of thickness and sometimes increasing water resistance, solid casebacks are great as canvases for engraving. After all, Rolex watches are commonly celebratory purchases: physical representations of sentimental things. Engravings are no different. By engraving your Rolex’s caseback with a name, date, location, or message, you’re immortalizing a special person, moment, etc.

All that said, it’s natural to wonder how an engraving might affect your Rolex’s value. These are expensive objects we’re talking about here. With all that said, let’s dive into the ramifications of engraving your Rolex.

Does Engraving Your Rolex Devalue It?

Image Source: Fratello

By and large, the answer to this question is yes. Imagine you’re looking for a Submariner 14060M (nice choice, by the way) and you find two listings in similar condition for $7,500. One example has a blank caseback, the other has an engraving that reads “Forever Yours, Michelle.” Which would you pick?

Unless you have a special connection with someone named Michelle, and even still, you’re probably opting for that blank caseback. Simply put, there’s less demand for personally engraved watches, and as such, they tend to sell for lower prices.

There are rare exceptions to this rule. The most expensive Rolex ever sold, Paul Newman’s ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona, features a caseback engraving written by his wife, Joanne Woodward, that reads “Drive Carefully, Me.” Similarly, military-issued Rolex Submariners engraved with NATO stock numbers and/or government marks (such as the British broad arrow) go for some serious money. Obviously, these outlier engravings indicate provenance that add to the values of these watches; they’re not just any old engravings.

Should You Still Engrave Your Rolex?

This is obviously a personal decision, but here are my two cents: if you’re considering engraving a Rolex for sentimental reasons, you shouldn’t concern yourself with the watch’s market value. Ideally, this is a watch that you’ll keep forever and pass on to the next generation. Personally, I have one engraved watch – engraved by my great-great-grandfather’s employer – and it’s one that I’ll never let go of.

One last thing to consider is your Rolex's warranty. Any third-party engraving can technically void your watch's five-year guarantee, although I'm finding mixed answers on this. It's safe to say that if there's ample evidence of improper removal/reinstallation, your warranty will certainly be voided. That said, an engraving alone will not revoke your watch's eligibility to be serviced at an official Rolex Service Center.

Are any of your watches engraved? Have you bought or sold an engraved Rolex? Let us know in the comments below, and if you’re looking to personalize your Rolex, check out our selection of curved-end straps for various Rolex references.