While the Rolex saga is brimming with remarkable feats of adventure thanks to their inventive, durable and utilitarian timepieces made for specific purposes like diving, driving, sailing, and exploring, throughout history, Rolex has also created some of the world’s most luxurious, iconic gem-set watches.

If you live in Boca Raton or South Florida and you are looking for a diamond or gem-set Rolex watch at a competitive price, Diamonds By Raymond Lee and Raymond Lee Jewelers is the best place to buy a Rolex. We have a plethora of used gem-set Rolex watches that make for the ultimate status symbol and timepiece investment. Our collection of diamond and gemstone Rolex watches epitomize luxury on the wrist. In our opinion, there is no better way to bless your wrist than with a gem-set Rollie.

In this article, we are going to discuss the various facets of gem-set Rolex watches while also providing you with some examples of our favorite iced-out Rolex timepieces at Diamonds By Raymond Lee in Boca Raton.

Note: All of the gem-set watches in this feature, plus many more, are available at Diamonds By Raymond Lee in Boca Raton. If you like a specific watch, follow the associated link to see the full sales listing or contact us with any questions and requests. You can also shop our entire collection of gem and diamond-set Rolex watches here.

FACTORY-SET VS AFTERMARKET DIAMOND ROLEX WATCHES

diamond rolex in boca raton — Rolex 16030 Datejust Diamond Pave Diamond Black Roman Dial Watch

Factory-set diamond Rolex watches have diamonds that were added by Rolex themselves. The diamond embellishments were intentionally part of the original design by Rolex. However, aftermarket diamond Rolex watches have diamonds that were added by independent gem-setters or jewelers after the purchase of the watch from Rolex or an authorized dealer. They are real Rolex watches that have been modified with diamonds, so only the decoration of diamonds is not a Rolex design.

Often times, the difference between a factory-set Rolex and an aftermarket diamond Rolex is hard to spot. That is, if the gem-setter who made the aftermarket enhancements is highly skilled and you don’t know Rolex references like the back of your hand. A professional Rolex dealer will always know if a diamond Rolex is an aftermarket creation, instantly. This is because they know every single model Rolex has put out.

Now, there are some pros and cons to both Factory-set and Aftermarket Diamond Rolex Watches, so let’s go over that now…

Pros of Factory Diamond Rolex Watches:

A factory-set Rolex has great resale value.
The diamonds are guaranteed to be IF clarity and D-G in color. Rolex only uses perfect quality diamonds.
The diamond settings are the best in the world.
Rolex purists will never scoff at you for “defacing” a Rolex creation.

Cons of Factory Diamond Rolex Watches:

The price of a factory diamond Rolex watch is significantly more than an aftermarket diamond Rolex.
You have fewer options to choose from as Rolex only uses diamonds on select references.
You can not customize a watch to your liking, you get what you get.

Pros of Aftermarket Diamond Rolex Watches:

The price of an aftermarket Rolex is very reasonable as small diamonds don’t actually cost that much when it’s all said and done. Moreover, if you use a professional gem-setter and they use high quality diamonds, the effect is pretty much the same.
You can customize a Rolex with diamonds exactly to your liking. This means you have way more options and you can turn any Rolex you want into a stunning gemstone-adorned timepiece. Rolex only uses diamonds on their dress watches.
If you like more flashy timepieces, an aftermarket Rolex is the way as factory diamond Rolex watches are typically more subtle.

Cons of Aftermarket Diamond Rolex Watches:

The resale value is not great on aftermarket Rolex watches. If this is a concern, buying a pre-owned aftermarket diamond Rolex makes the most sense as you won’t lose value. You will likely be able to sell the watch for the same price to another buyer as long as you paid a fair price for it.
Rolex purists might scoff at your watch, but who cares, as long as you like it.
You need to pay close attention to the quality because some aftermarket diamond Rolex watches have poor quality gems and settings. If you know what to look for in an aftermarket diamond Rolex, then this issue becomes a non-factor. Overall, going with a trustworthy Rolex dealer for diamond-set watches makes the most sense. In Boca Raton, Diamonds By Raymond Lee is undoubtedly the most trusted store for gem-set Rolex watches.

ARE THE DIAMONDS IN A ROLEX REAL?

If you are dealing with a factory diamond Rolex, then you can absolutely be sure the diamonds are real. Every diamond is individually tested to ensure this. Rolex’s standards are incredibly rigorous. They use only IF clarity diamonds that are between D and G color. And if you know the 4Cs of diamonds, you will know that is the best of the best.

But what about aftermarket diamond Rolex watches?

We can’t say all aftermarket diamond Rolex watches have real diamonds, as the standards can’t be controlled. However, we guarantee that Diamonds By Raymond Lee and Raymond Lee Jewelers’ aftermarket diamond Rolex watches use real diamonds because we test every single diamond Rolex that comes into our facility with our state-of-the-art diamond testing machine. Our machine will instantly tell us if a diamond is lab-created or natural. We only buy and sell 100% natural, earth-made aftermarket diamond Rolex watches, as well as factory diamond Rolex watches.

As for our own aftermarket diamond Rolex creation (yes, we customize timepieces ourselves), we always aim to live up to Rolex’s extremely strict standards. We highly respect Rolex as a brand and we would only customize a Rolex with the highest quality diamonds and masterful gem-setting techniques.

All in all, this is why we are Boca Raton’s go-to aftermarket diamond Rolex retailer.

OPTIONS FOR GEM-SET ROLEX WATCHES

Both factory diamond Rolex watches and aftermarket diamond Rolex watches come in a variety of styles. Some diamond Rolex timepieces only have diamond indices, while others have extravagant diamond embellishements.

Moreover, it’s not all about diamonds. You also have gems like rubies, sapphires and emeralds to consider.

Below we will first discuss the types of gemstones and then the different diamond setting options you can expect to find, along with some examples of our gem-set Rolex watches in Boca Raton…

The 4 Precious Gemstones

While there are 200 varieties of natural gemstones in the world, there are only 4 precious gemstones. The 4 precious gemstones are diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald. Rolex only uses the most luxurious materials for their timepieces, so they stick to precious gems only. And with that, so do the vast majority of aftermarket diamond Rolex watches. Anything else wouldn’t be worthy of a Rolex.

rainbow rolex boca raton — Rolex 116655 Yacht Master 18k Rose Gold “Tutti Fruity” Aftermarket Bezel Watch

What about gemstone shapes?

Both Rolex and independent gem-setters stick to two shapes for gemstone settings – round brilliants and baguettes. Round brilliant diamonds and baguette-cut diamonds create a very unique look. Round brilliants are icy and immensely brilliant, while baguettes are almost watery with their exquisite clarity.

Diamond Appliques

If the dial is the face of a watch, the appliqués are the facial appendages. They add depth to the personality of the watch.

Appliqués include the Rolex crown, the hour batons, indices or numerals. They are the features that are applied to the dial. Rolex states there are no fewer than a thousand different types of dial combinations available thanks to the extraordinary diversity of their appliqués.

As for diamond Rolex watches, one of the most common types of diamond embellishments on a factory-set Rolex is diamond hour markers, which can be Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, batons, and so on. For many factory diamond Rolex watches, the hour markers are special-made to be diamonds.

Overall, diamond appliqués are a subtle, sophisticated touch of diamonds for a Rolex dress watch.

Aftermarket Rolex’s tend to be more flashy, so if someone wants to add diamonds, it is typically not only the appliqués.

Pave Diamond Dial

If a Rolex watch has a diamond dial, it’s a diamond-paved dial one hundred percent of the time. The precious metal of the dial is carefully carved and hand-shaped to seat each gemstone. Whether it is a factory or quality aftermarket creation from Diamonds By Raymond Lee in Boca Raton, you can be sure that the orientation, position, regularity, strength and proportions of the setting are superb. The diamonds on your dial will be there holding their beauty forever.

aftermarket diamond rolex in boca raton — Rolex 116300 Datejust Ii 20Ctw Diamond Pave Roman Dial Stainless Steel Watch

Diamonds Bezel

The bezel is one of the most eye-catching areas of a watch. Adding diamonds to the bezel is like wearing diamond earrings and a diamond necklace, it accentuates and pulls you into the face.

Rolex dress watch bezels are best suited for diamond adornment, as their purpose is purely aesthetic-based. However, when it comes to Rolex sports watches, most of the bezels are two-fold, meaning function and aesthetics.

For example, the Submariner’s bezel measures time underwater, the Daytona bezel has a tachymeter scale for race cars, and the Yachtmaster bezel measures regatta racing times. Even so, it still doesn’t stop people from forgoing function for the highly sought after diamond aesthetic.

With that understanding, you can see why Rolex saves diamonds specifically for their dress watches, which includes the Day-Date, Datejust and Pearlmaster collections. Pearlmaster being the collection that MUST have diamonds (every Pearlmaster is decorated with some kind of gemstone), as it is their most prestigious collection.

pearlmaster boca raton — Rolex 80319 Datejust Pearlmaster 18K Two Tone Gold Diamond Watch

The point…if you see a Rolex sports watch with diamonds, you can be sure they are aftermarket…

People like to embellish Rolex sports watches with diamonds because Rolex sports watches are some of the most iconic watches in the world. And while Rolex sports watches are tools, they transcend “utilitarian timepiece”. In fact, they transcend being a timepiece in general. They are status symbols.

Rolex sports watches can be worn all day every day, both dressed-up and dressed-down. So, while in theory diamonds don’t make sense, in practice, it has a stunning effect.

Diamond Case & Bracelet

The majority of the volume of a timepiece is in the case and bracelet, so adding diamonds to the case and/or bracelet is a wonderful way to add immense lavish beauty. There are a variety of ways in which both factory-set and aftermarket Rolex watches embellish cases and bracelets. It may only be the lugs of the case or the entire case, including the flanks. It may only be the center links of the bracelet or the entire bracelet and clasp. There are many ways to go about it.

For factory-set diamond Rolex watches, the only collection that fully floods the watch with diamonds is the Pearlmaster. The rest of their dress watches pick and choose their diamond enhancements.

But for aftermarket diamond Rolex watches, the options are endless. From Daytona to Submariners to Day-Date and Datejusts, you can find plenty of fully iced out diamond Rolex watches thanks to the popularity of aftermarket gem-setting.

Does everyone appreciate this? No. But do you? That’s the question you should ask yourself.

In our experience, a lot of people love to rock a Rolex with both the case and bracelet covered in diamonds. Why? Because it looks out of this world. Pictures really can not even do it justice. When you see a Rolex completely flooded with high quality, vibrant diamonds, it is guaranteed to stop you in your tracks.

Stainless Steel vs Gold & Platinum Gem-Settings

Rolex has never made a stainless steel watch with diamonds. They feel diamonds should only be set on precious metal watches.

However, aftermarket diamond Rolex watches don’t have this barrier. There are a lot of stainless steel diamond-set Rolex watches on the secondhand market. At Diamonds By Raymond Lee in Boca Raton, we don’t turn our nose up at stainless steel diamond Rolex watches. In fact, we sell quite a few of them.

Combining the above diamond settings

With all the options above, you can choose specific embellishments or you can completely flood your Rolex with diamonds.

Factory diamond Rolex watches will determine the combinations for you. And if you want a fully flooded factory diamond Rolex, look to Pearlmaster specifically.

HOW MUCH DOES A GEM-SET ROLEX DIAMOND WATCH COST IN BOCA RATON?

It really depends on the diamond setting. Are there only diamond hour markers or is the bezel, dial and even the case and bracelet set with diamonds? Prices will vary greatly depending on the diamond setting, the specific reference, and, of course, if it is aftermarket or factory-set.

Factory diamond Rolex watches range from $50,000 to $500,000+ new.

For already-created, pre-owned aftermarket Rolex watches on the secondhand market, the price can be as low as $5,000-10,000. A full diamond-set Rolex sells for as little as $20,000 (sometimes even lower).