Rolex Chocolate

A Hallmark Chocolate Dial

As its name suggests, the most important feature of any Rolex Chocolate is its warm brown dial. Collectors have come to define "chocolate" watches as vintage models with a "tropical dial" (i.e., dials that have faded from black to brown due to outside influences) and newer gold timepieces with a chocolatey brown dial. Some of the most popular Rolex Chocolate models belong to the Cosmograph Daytona, Day-Date, and Datejust collections. The Sky-Dweller and Yacht-Master lines are also home to several chocolate watches.

Rolex usually combines these brown dials with cases made of their proprietary 18-karat rose gold alloy, also known as Everose gold. That being said, they also offer some two-tone models that combine stainless steel and gold. Rolex embellishes the dials of certain women's chocolate watches with diamond indices. You can also take the term "Rolex Chocolate" quite literally, as the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer also makes their own pralines.

Features of the Rolex Chocolate

• Brown dial nicknamed the "chocolate dial"
• Popular models: Cosmograph Daytona, Datejust, Day-Date
• 18-karat rose gold or two-tone stainless steel and rose gold
• Diamond-set women's watches

Prices at a Glance: Rolex Chocolate

How much does a Daytona Chocolate cost?

The Daytona has been a staple of the Rolex catalog since 1963. After a rocky start, this chronograph has gone on to become one of the manufacturer's most beloved models. Vintage editions, such as the Paul Newman Daytona from the 1960s, are especially highly coveted. These rare timepieces often sell for well over 235,000 USD.

Of course, a Daytona Chocolate is not nearly as expensive. These models feature cases made of 18-karat Everose gold, and their dials are available with your choice of black Arabic numerals or glow-in-the-dark indices. Rolex offers these timepieces on a three-piece link Oyster bracelet in Everose gold or a black Oysterflex bracelet. The latter consists of metal inserts coated with elastomer, a synthetic rubber material. Daytona Chocolate watches on this type of bracelet feature a matching black Cerachrom bezel, while the version on a gold bracelet comes with a bezel in 18-karat Everose gold.

As with every recent Daytona, the in-house caliber 4130 powers these timepieces. This movement boasts a column-wheel chronograph and a 72-hour power reserve. The movement is also a certified Superlative Chronometer, meaning it never deviates by more than 2 seconds per day from the reference time.

You can purchase a pre-owned Rolex Daytona Chocolate ref. 116515LN with an Oysterflex bracelet for about 30,000 USD pre-owned. Mint-condition watches are a few thousand dollars more expensive at roughly 35,000 USD. A used Chocolate Daytona with a rose gold bracelet (ref. 116505) costs approximately 39,000 USD, while a never-worn version demands around 43,000 USD.

Features of the Daytona Chocolate

• 18-karat Everose gold case
• Comes on an Oysterflex or Everose gold bracelet
• In-house caliber 4130 with a 72-hour power reserve
• Maximum daily deviation of +/- 2 seconds

A True Classic: Datejust Chocolate

The Datejust is a classic Rolex watch and was the first automatic chronometer to feature a date display. The Genevan manufacturer first introduced this model in 1945. Defining features include a fluted bezel and a Cyclops lens over the date display. The watch is available in countless versions and sizes, ranging from a 28-mm platinum women's watch with diamonds and a 36-mm stainless steel model to a 41-mm gold edition. One of the Datejust's most famous wearers was President Eisenhower. Rolex has produced several Datejust Chocolate watches over the years. With such a wide selection of timepieces with chocolate-colored dials, there is truly a watch to suit every taste.

Set aside around 14,000 USD for an unworn 41-mm two-tone model in stainless steel and Everose gold (ref. 126331). A pre-owned model is only slightly less expensive at 13,000 USD. The 36-mm unisex ref. 126231 with ten diamond indices goes for prices between 10,500 USD and 14,500 USD. If you prefer the 31-mm Datejust Chocolate in 18-karat rose gold, be prepared to spend at least 35,500 USD. The same watch with diamond indices costs around 45,000 USD.

Rolex Day-Date Chocolate: Prices

The Rolex Day-Date has been displaying the time, date, and full day of the week since 1956. It was the first wristwatch that offered this type of functionality. To this day, the Day-Date is only available in gold or platinum. In the past, the so-called "President Watch" found many fans among those with power and influence, including Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro and investor Warren Buffett.

A 40-mm, solid gold Day-Date Chocolate ref. 228235 with a President bracelet costs about 38,500 USD new, with pre-owned pieces demanding only marginally less. The President bracelet debuted alongside the Datejust in 1956 and is defined by its rows of three hemispherical links. With diamond indices, the price of this watch rises to nearly 47,500 USD. The addition of diamonds to the bezel causes the price of a mint-condition Day-Date 40 Chocolate to climb to around 57,000 USD.

The 36-mm unisex version also features ten diamond indices and changes hands for roughly 36,500 USD. This timepiece bears the reference number 128235. A large number of diamonds on its bezel and bracelet make the ref. 128345RBR a particularly luxurious women's watch. You can call this model your own for about 61,500 USD.

Water-Resistant to 100 m: The Yacht-Master Chocolate

The Rolex Yacht-Master is geared toward fans of watersports and skippers. The collection's most classic models have case diameters of 37 or 40 mm. The newer Yacht-Master II measures in at 44 mm in diameter, making this regatta chronograph one of the largest watches in Rolex's catalog.

The Rolex Yacht-Master Chocolate is currently only available as a two-tone model made of stainless steel and rose gold, a combination known as Rolesor. Other variants are made of 18-karat Everose gold or the exclusive material Rolesium, a combination of stainless steel and platinum. Inside modern 40-mm editions, you'll find the caliber 3135 or 3235, while the smaller caliber 2236 ticks away inside the 37-mm versions. All three movements are certified chronometers. Rolex has been outfitting the Yacht-Master 40 with the caliber 3235 since 2019. This movement has an improved power reserve of about 70 hours.

The Yacht-Master's design is reminiscent of the world-famous diving watch, the Submariner. Both models have a date display at 3 o'clock, as well as Rolex's characteristic Cyclops lens. However, the Yacht-Master is only water-resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft), while the Submariner is water-resistant to 300 m (30 bar, 984 ft). Another difference is the Yacht-Master's bidirectional bezel, which you can use as a timer. On a diving watch like the Rolex Submariner, the bezel can only rotate counterclockwise. This mechanism ensures safety while diving since you can't accidentally turn the bezel and increase your dive time, you can only shorten it. The Rolex Yacht-Master Chocolate has an 18-karat Everose gold bezel. Its numerals and markers are raised and polished, while the background has a matte finish.

A Rolex Yacht-Master 40 Chrocolate ref. 126621 requires an investment of about 16,000 USD in mint condition and 14,500 USD pre-owned. The prevous model, the ref. 116621, features the caliber 3135 and costs about 1,200 USD less. The 37-mm edition has the reference number 268621 and sells for between 12,500 and 14,000 USD.

Features of the Yacht-Master Chocolate

• Rolesor case: stainless steel and rose gold
• 37 or 40 mm in diameter
• Since 2019: in-house caliber 3235 with a 70-hour power reserve

About the Rolex Sky-Dweller Chocolate

The Sky-Dweller is one of the most complex watches that Rolex has ever developed. The manufacturer introduced this wristwatch with a GMT function in 2012. Like the GMT-Master, one of the most famous wristwatches with a second time zone, the Sky-Dweller can display the time in two time zones at once. The local time is displayed using the three normal hands. When traveling between time zones, you can easily set the hour hand forward or backward in one-hour increments using the crown. The second time zone is displayed via an additional 24-hour ring and a red triangle. The 24-hour scale ensures that you only need a glance to tell whether it's day or night.

The Rolex Chocolate Sky-Dweller has a 42-mm pink gold case. You have the choice between a brown alligator leather strap or an Everose gold Oyster bracelet with polished middle links. This finish gives the band a more elegant look than the Oyster bracelets found on the Submariner and Sea-Dweller. These diving watches exclusively feature satin-brushed links. The leather strap also has a very refined look and goes well with classic outfits. A folding Oysterclasp keeps the watch securely on your wrist.

You can purchase a mint-condition Sky-Dweller Chocolate ref. 326135 on an alligator leather strap for around 34,500 USD. Pre-owned pieces cost about 3,600 USD less. If you'd prefer the version on an Everose gold Oyster bracelet, be sure to set aside roughly 51,000 USD, regardless of its condition.