Rolex discontinued several of its most-wanted references at Watches & Wonders 2026, and the searches that followed all ask the same thing: can you still get one, and is it cheaper to buy a discontinued Rolex from Japan? This is an honest landed-cost read, not a hype piece. It sets out exactly what was discontinued in April 2026, why Japan is a genuinely deep pool for these steel sports references, and — the part most guides skip — why the Japan saving on a hyped discontinued reference is far thinner than on an ordinary pre-owned watch once you add your home country’s duty and VAT. Every price below carries a source and a date, because on a fast-moving market a figure with no date is worthless.
- What Rolex discontinued at Watches & Wonders 2026
- Why these references got more expensive in 2026
- Why Japan is a deep pool for these references
- Is a discontinued Rolex actually cheaper from Japan?
- Working out the landed cost of a Pepsi from Japan
- Authentic vs authorized on a discontinued reference
- How to buy a discontinued Rolex from Japan, step by step
- Frequently asked questions
- Key takeaways
What Rolex discontinued at Watches & Wonders 2026
At the opening of Watches & Wonders on April 14, 2026, Rolex quietly removed a group of references from its catalog — no press release, no farewell, and no named successor. The headline loss was the ceramic “Pepsi” GMT-Master II. The steel catalog now contains no red bezel at all, and the long-rumored “Coke” never arrived (SwissWatchExpo; Bob’s Watches, April 2026).
These are the references a remote buyer is now hunting on the pre-owned market. Reference numbers matter more than nicknames here, because the number is what you type into a Japanese listing search.
| Model | Reference | Metal / details |
|---|---|---|
| GMT-Master II “Pepsi” | 126710BLRO | Stainless steel, 40mm (Jubilee and Oyster) |
| GMT-Master II “Pepsi” | 126719BLRO | 18k white gold, 40mm (blue and meteorite dials) |
| Submariner Date | 126619LB | 18k white gold, black dial, blue bezel, 41mm (SwissWatchExpo lists it as “Cookie Monster”) |
| Yacht-Master 40 | 126655 | 18k Everose gold, diamond-paved dial, Oysterflex |
| Yacht-Master 37 | 268655 | 18k Everose gold, diamond-paved dial, Oysterflex |
Source: SwissWatchExpo, “Every Rolex Discontinued at Watches & Wonders 2026,” April 15, 2026. Of these, the steel Pepsi 126710BLRO is the one with genuine cross-border demand and a deep Japanese supply; the precious-metal references are scarce everywhere.
Why these references got more expensive in 2026
Two separate things pushed 2026 prices up, and it helps to keep them apart. First came retail increases; then the discontinuation removed the steel Pepsi from the catalog entirely.
Two retail price increases came first
Rolex raised US retail prices on January 1, 2026, by roughly 4-9% across the range (steel around 5-6%), attributed to tariff settlements. A second increase on June 1, 2026, lifted solid gold by about 5% and two-tone by about 2.5%, while steel, platinum, titanium and white Rolesor were left unchanged (Luxury Bazaar, 2026). So by mid-2026 the steel Pepsi’s retail price had risen once and then held.
Then the discontinuation removed it from the catalog
Once a reference leaves the price list, the only supply is pre-owned and unworn stock already in circulation. Secondary prices for the steel Pepsi, which already sat well over retail, climbed further after April 2026 to “well above $20,000” (Everest Bands, 2026). That is a record of what happened, not a forecast. Past moves do not tell you where the price goes next, and this article makes no claim that it will keep rising.
Why Japan is a deep pool for these references
Japan is one of the largest pre-owned markets in the world for exactly these steel sports Rolexes, which is why sourcing from Japan is a realistic route for a discontinued reference. Several things stack up in the remote buyer’s favor:
- A very large domestic collector base bought these watches at retail over an eight-year production run (2018-2026), so unworn and lightly-worn examples exist in volume.
- A mature network of pre-owned specialists and pawn shops (質屋) authenticates and grades stock before sale, so listings are detailed and photographed.
- Condition and completeness are described precisely in Japanese listings once you can read the terms.
If you are new to how Japanese sellers differ, start with our guide to the types of second-hand watch shops in Japan and the wider case for sourcing watches from the Japanese market. Depth of supply, though, is not the same as a price advantage — which is where the honest part begins.
One practical note on which references are realistic to source. The steel Pepsi 126710BLRO is the one Japan holds in real numbers, so it is the sensible target for a remote buyer. The white-gold 126719BLRO, the 126619LB Submariner and the paved Everose Yacht-Masters (126655 / 268655) were low-volume, high-price pieces even when in production; they surface occasionally in Japan but are thin everywhere, and a search for them is a longer, more patient hunt rather than a stock check.
Is a discontinued Rolex actually cheaper from Japan?
For a normal pre-owned watch, Japan often lists below the price in the US or Europe. For a hyped, discontinued reference the gap narrows sharply, because these watches are arbitraged across borders by professional dealers. The short answer: at retail Japan was slightly cheaper, but retail is gone; on the secondary market the premium is global.
At retail, Japan was slightly cheaper — but retail is gone
From January 2026, the Japanese domestic retail price (定価) of the steel Pepsi 126710BLRO was JPY 1,780,900 on the Jubilee and JPY 1,747,900 on the Oyster (ZENMAI Tokyo, February 2026). At about JPY 154 to the dollar (Trading Economics, September 11, 2026) that is roughly USD 11,600 and USD 11,350 — a touch under the US retail of about USD 11,800 before discontinuation (Everest Bands, 2026).
| Steel Pepsi 126710BLRO (Jubilee) | Price | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|
| Japan retail (定価), from Jan 2026 | JPY 1,780,900 | ~USD 11,600 |
| US retail, before Apr 2026 | — | ~USD 11,800 |
The catch is obvious: nobody is selling this reference at retail anymore. It was allocation-only for years, and after April 2026 the retail channel is closed entirely. Retail is a reference point, not a buying option.
On the secondary market, the premium is global
On the pre-owned market the Japanese price sits in the same band as the rest of the world. In February 2026 the lowest Japanese listings for the steel Pepsi were about JPY 4.3 million on the Jubilee and about JPY 4.06 million on the Oyster (ZENMAI Tokyo) — roughly USD 27,900 and USD 26,400 at September 2026 rates. That is not a bargain relative to global secondary prices; it tracks them. On a reference this hyped, the “Japan is cheaper” rule of thumb largely does not apply.
Working out the landed cost of a Pepsi from Japan
Landed cost is the price you actually pay to get the watch to your door: the purchase price, plus your home country’s import duty and tax, plus shipping, insurance and handling. The worked example below is illustrative and uses the February 2026 Japanese secondary figure; run your own numbers with a current quote.
Step 1 — Start from the Japanese secondary price
Take the Jubilee example: about JPY 4,300,000, or roughly USD 27,900 at JPY 154/USD. This is the seller’s price before anything is added.
Step 2 — Add your home duty and VAT
Import charges are set by your country and your declared value, not by the seller, and they are paid on delivery (DDU). A wristwatch typically attracts low or zero duty in many markets, but consumption tax or VAT applies to the full value. Rates vary widely — see our detailed guides for the UK, EU, Canada and Australia and for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Hong Kong. A 20% VAT on a USD 27,900 watch alone adds about USD 5,580.
Step 3 — Add courier, insurance and handling
Insured express shipping from Japan, plus the courier’s customs-clearance handling fee, commonly adds a few hundred dollars on a high-value parcel. Insurance on a five-figure watch is not optional.
Step 4 — Compare with buying the same reference at home
Because the Japanese secondary price already matches the global market, the landed total can end up close to — or above — a local pre-owned example that carries no import step. That is the opposite of an ordinary pre-owned piece, where Japan’s lower listing price absorbs the import cost and still comes out ahead. Always compare the fully-landed Japan figure against a like-for-like local listing — same reference, same condition, same completeness — before you decide, rather than comparing a Japanese sticker price against a local landed one.
| Illustrative landed cost (Jubilee, example only) | Approx. USD |
|---|---|
| Japanese secondary price (Feb 2026) | ~27,900 |
| Example VAT at 20% of value | ~5,580 |
| Insured shipping + clearance handling | ~400 |
| Illustrative landed total | ~33,880 |
Figures are illustrative and dated; duty and VAT depend entirely on your country and declared value. The point is not the exact total — it is that on a hyped discontinued reference the Japan route rarely beats a local pre-owned example on price alone. Where Japan can still win is on availability of a clean, full-set example, not on headline cost.
Authentic vs authorized on a discontinued reference
Any pre-owned Rolex bought from Japan is authentic but not authorized — genuine, but sold outside Rolex’s official retail network. That is normal, and it is not a fault. But keep the two words apart: a seller can honestly say a watch is genuine without it being authorized dealer stock, and the two are not interchangeable. A discontinued reference cannot be bought new from an authorized dealer at all, so every route is now a grey-market one by definition.
Rolex’s own Certified Pre-Owned program is the exception that proves the rule; we cover how that interacts with the Japan market in is a pre-owned Rolex from Japan certified?. Inspection before payment is a substitute for the dealer relationship you no longer have — it is not brand certification.
How to buy a discontinued Rolex from Japan, step by step
If you decide the availability is worth it, work in this order:
- Fix the exact reference. “Pepsi” is a nickname; 126710BLRO is the search term. Confirm the reference and read it against the listing photos using our Rolex reference number guide.
- Check the seller type. A specialist or pawn shop that authenticates and invoices an export sale is a different risk from a private Mercari or Yahoo Auctions seller — see the shop-types guide.
- Confirm the set. On a discontinued reference, box, papers and an unpolished case materially affect value. Insist on photos of the guarantee card and serial.
- Use a payment route with recourse. Match the method to the protection you want, as set out in how to pay safely for a watch from Japan.
- Inspect before you commit. Have the actual watch examined before money moves — not a stock photo of the reference.
Frequently asked questions
Is the steel Pepsi 126710BLRO gone for good?
It was discontinued at Watches & Wonders on April 14, 2026, with no announced successor and no replacement red-bezel steel model in the catalog (SwissWatchExpo). New retail supply has ended; only pre-owned and unworn stock remains.
Will a discontinued Rolex go up in value?
Nobody can tell you that, and this article will not. Secondary prices for the steel Pepsi did climb after April 2026 to well above USD 20,000 (Everest Bands, 2026), but past movement is not a prediction. Treat a watch as a watch, not a guaranteed investment.
Is it cheaper to buy a discontinued Rolex in Japan?
Usually not by much. Japanese retail was slightly below US retail, but retail is closed. On the pre-owned market the Japanese price tracks the global market (about JPY 4.3 million for the Jubilee in February 2026, per ZENMAI Tokyo), so after duty, VAT and shipping the landed cost is often no lower than a local example.
Can I still get one unworn with box and papers?
Yes — full-set and even unworn examples circulate in Japan because of the large domestic base, though they carry the highest premium. Completeness is where the Japan route adds the most value on a discontinued reference.
Do I pay Japanese consumption tax on an exported watch?
A watch bought for export can be sold zero-rated by a business seller, so Japanese consumption tax should not be baked into the price — but a private seller cannot do this. We explain the mechanics in our guide to Japanese consumption tax on a watch bought for export.
Key takeaways
- Rolex discontinued the steel Pepsi 126710BLRO, the white-gold 126719BLRO, the 126619LB Submariner and the Everose Yacht-Masters (126655 / 268655) at Watches & Wonders 2026 (April 14, 2026).
- Two 2026 retail increases and then the discontinuation pushed the steel Pepsi’s secondary price to well above USD 20,000 (Everest Bands) — a record, not a forecast.
- Japan is a deep pre-owned pool for these references, but supply depth is not a price advantage.
- Japanese retail was marginally below US retail; the pre-owned price tracks the global market, so the Japan saving on this hyped reference is thin to negligible after duty and VAT.
- Where Japan wins is availability of a clean, full-set example — verify the reference, seller type, set and payment route, and inspect before paying.
All figures are dated and sourced; USD conversions use about JPY 154 per USD as of September 11, 2026 (Trading Economics). Import duty and tax depend on your country and declared value.
If you are hunting a specific discontinued reference, RYUZU WATCHES can locate and inspect it in the Japanese market on your behalf before you commit a single yen.
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