Short on time? The 126598RBOW is the Rainbow Daytona on Rolex's current Daytona platform. 40mm of 18k yellow gold, a bezel set with 36 baguette-cut sapphires running through the spectrum, diamonds on the lugs and crown guards, sapphire hour markers on a black dial, and the calibre 4131 inside. Subtle it is not.
Backstory
The Daytona started life as a tool for racing drivers. Somewhere along the way, Rolex decided it was also the perfect canvas for some of the most extravagant gem-setting in watchmaking. Strange evolution? Absolutely. But it works.
The Rainbow idea arrived in the early 2010s with references like the 116598RBOW. The concept sounds simple: set the bezel with sapphires that move smoothly through the colours of the spectrum. Doing it well is anything but simple. Every stone has to be matched to its neighbours so the gradient looks continuous, and that means sorting through a huge number of sapphires to find the ones that belong together. That's a big reason these are so scarce.
Key Details
The 126598RBOW brings the Rainbow onto the current-generation Daytona, the 126500 family Rolex introduced in 2023.
The case is 40mm in 18k yellow gold, water resistant to 100 metres like any Daytona. The bezel carries 36 baguette-cut sapphires in a rainbow gradation. Look closer and you'll find brilliant-cut diamonds set into the lugs and crown guards too. The black dial has sapphire hour markers in matching colours and gold-framed chronograph counters.
The Movement
Inside is the calibre 4131, Rolex's latest automatic chronograph. It's an evolution of the legendary 4130, with Rolex's Chronergy escapement and around 72 hours of power reserve. The older 116598RBOW used the 4130, so the movement is the main mechanical difference between the two generations.
On the Wrist
Here's the thing people don't expect: underneath all the stones, it still wears like a Daytona. Same 40mm proportions, same screw-down pushers, same Oyster bracelet. It's heavy, because it's solid gold, but it doesn't feel like jewellery that happens to tell the time. It feels like a Daytona that went out for dinner.
The black dial is doing a lot of quiet work here. It keeps the watch legible and stops the whole thing from tipping into too much. Is it for everyone? No. Is it one of the most impressive pieces of gem-setting Rolex makes? Easily.
Final Thoughts
The Rainbow Daytona is Rolex having fun, and the 126598RBOW brings that fun up to date with the latest movement. It's not a watch you buy because it's sensible. It's a watch you buy because nothing else feels quite like it.
Ours is an unworn 2026 example, a full set. See it here.
