First things first, assume you can get either watch. The new Omega Speedmaster “Black & White” in stainless steel retails for $10,400. As I said before, this is, as far as I can tell, the first main-line, non-limited-edition stainless steel Speedmaster priced over $10,000. The Rolex Daytona 126500LN (also in stainless steel) retails for $16,900. Since the new Speedmaster hasn’t hit the secondary market in any meaningful way yet, I won’t compare it there, but we generally know how the two watches differ in performance in that way. As you read the story, remember that the retail price is 62.5% higher for the Rolex.
That feels like quite a bit for either watch, but as I mentioned in my start-of-year essay, our eternal reference pricing is stuck in the past. With the rising value of the Swiss Franc and its impact on labor and supply costs, prices have skyrocketed, and the U.S. Dollar is weak. Does my gut say that these watches would be better at $8,000 and $12,500? Yeah, but I’m not in charge of the global economy (as much as I try). So what do you get for that price (and how does the delta between them play out)?
Mark Kauzlarich
2026-01-15 16:00:00