The Most Flamboyant Rolex Is Not for the Faint of Heart

Or for the thin of wallet. With its rainbow-colored sapphires, baguette-cut sapphires and brilliant-cut diamonds, it’s one of the flashiest, most colorful and visually impressive timepieces out there. It’s also quite expensive and hard to come by, so it’s a collector’s piece.

Imagine the discussion over at Rolex:

Horologists: How many precious stones do you want?

Rolex: YES!

The Rainbow Daytona is a version of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, from the Daytona line, which is described as “the ultimate tool watch for those with a passion for driving and speed” and was first introduced in 1963. The Rainbow version combines precision and eccentricity in a timepiece that is guaranteed to draw the eye.

It came out in 2012 in yellow and white gold, with an Everose version released in 2018. The more recent one is also the most expensive, but all 3 versions have tripled their value since release on the secondary market.

That’s partly because of the sheer number of gems on it, but mostly because it’s hard to come by. All 3 versions were released in limited numbers and all have proved a hit with celebrities, athletes and other public figures. Seeing how this watch can stand out like a sore thumb if it’s not worn with the right attitude, it only makes sense for stars to flock to buy it. Plus, everyone loves a Rolex, right?

In August 2019, singer Post Malone became the latest star to show it off, while on an appearance with Jimmy Fallon. Singer John Mayer and actor Kevin Hart have also been photographed with one such timepiece on their wrist, as was Adam Levine during his infamously shirtless Super Bowl LIII performance. Miley Cyrus and Mark Wahlberg are also fans of the Rainbow Rolex, though she got hers in white gold while he has both versions. The Everose version is newer, as mentioned above.

Rolex has always been a hit with celebrities, but the Rainbow Daytona seems to attract the most eclectic bunch. With its 40mm case, it’s proven a perfect fit for both (flashy) ladies and gents.

“On this 18ct Everose gold version, in lieu of the emblematic tachymetric scale, the bezel is set with a gradation of sapphires in rainbow hues,” Rolex says of the 2018 version. “The case is adorned with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds set into the lugs and crown guard, and the dial features 11 baguette-cut sapphire hour markers, each of which matches the color of the corresponding point on the bezel.”

It includes Calibre 4130, the self-winding mechanical chronograph movement developed and manufactured by Rolex, is resistant up to 100 meters and features approximately 72 hours of power reserve.

Everose is Rolex’s proprietary pink gold alloy, which contains 76% gold and a little over 2% platinum, and has been polished to maintain its unique color throughout time. Because finding gems that fit the Rolex quality standards is difficult, this version of the Rainbow Daytona has been made in limited numbers, with initial prices starting at over $96,000. As mentioned above, it’s now selling for thrice that amount on the secondary market.

The Rainbow Daytona is the first timepiece to use this much color and has inspired other horologists to be more creative with precious stones. It can come off as somewhat tacky at a first glance, but the handiwork and painstaking attention to detail elevate it past tackiness. It’s flashy, for sure, eccentric, playful and an obvious cry for attention, but at the same time, it’s a beautifully crafted piece of jewelry / horology.

If you wish to get blinged out, ice your wrist or whatever other slang comes to mind, you might as well do it with a massive pop of color, with the Rainbow Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.