The Rolex Rainbow Daytona is Back for 2024: First Thoughts on the 126595 RBOW

The extravagant Rolex Rainbow Daytona made its debut in 2012 to mixed reactions. Its bezel, made of sapphires comprising the entire spectrum of the rainbow, was impressive–but it just seemed over-the-top to most people. Slowly, though, the Rolex Daytona Rainbow models have become some of the most seriously sought-after luxury watches in the world. The Rainbow Daytona was discontinued twice, but as of 2024, a third generation has emerged. We’ve got pics of the rose gold version (126595 RBOW) but white gold (126599 RBOW) and yellow gold (126598 RBOW) should be coming soon too. Here’s what we know about Rolex’s latest Rainbow Daytona.

The Rolex Rainbow Daytona started a trend of rainbow luxury watches that has spread to several other brands–even ones as serious as Patek Philippe. Aside from the spectacular gem-setting, though, the 126595 RBOW is basically the same as a regular Everose gold Daytona, ref. 126505. The current platinum Daytona, and the Le Mans Daytona, were both given exhibition casebacks, so some people might expect one here–but apparently this 2024 Rolex Daytona Rainbow has a solid caseback. Let’s go over the specs.

Rolex 12659x RBOW Specs

Model Name	Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow
Reference Number	126595 RBOW (Everose Gold) 126598 RBOW (Yellow Gold) 126599 RBOW (White Gold)
Case Diameter	40 mm
Case Thickness	12 mm
Dial	Black with gold flake subdials, or pave diamond
Lug-to-Lug	47.8 mm
Movement Caliber	Rolex Caliber 4131
Power Reserve	72 hours
Caseback	Solid
Water Resistance	100 meters
Bracelet/Strap	18k Everose Gold Oyster bracelet
Market Price (2024)	Approximately $400,000-$500,000 USD

Rolex Daytona Rainbow Timeline

• 2012: Ref. 116598 RBOW (yellow gold) and Ref. 116599 RBOW (white gold) are introduced at Baselworld. They have applied 15-30-45 minute markers.
• 2016: Original Rolex Daytona Rainbow (116598 and 116599) discontinued.
• 2018: Ref. 116595 RBOW (Everose Gold) debuts with an updated dial design featuring baguette-cut sapphire hour markers. The 15-30-45 markers are gone.
• 2022: Ref. 116598 RBOW and Ref. 116599 RBOW rejoin the lineup, now also with updated dials.
• 2023: All Rainbow Daytona models (116598, 116599, and 116595) discontinued again.
• 2024: Ref. 126595 RBOW (Everose Gold) released with an updated movement and case. White and yellow gold versions expected soon.

2024 Rainbow Daytona Price

Although we haven’t seen an official US price list for the 2024 Rolex Rainbow Daytona, our best info is that MSRP starts just a bit under $200,000. The pave diamond dial will increase the price. On the secondhand market, we expect them to go for somewhere in the ballpark of $450,000. Although you might see some previous Rolex Rainbow Daytona variants listed on Chrono24 for $600,000 or even more, those usually have diamond-set bracelets (which adds a lot to the price). Plus, Rainbow Daytona prices have been buoyed by the fact that they were discontinued–but that’s not the case anymore.

12659x RBOW vs. 11659x RBOW

It’s not easy to tell apart the discontinued 116595 RBOW from the new 126595 RBOW in photos. One of the only differences is that, on the pave diamond dial versions, the 2024 Rolex Daytona Rainbow releases do not have painted chrono hands–they’re simply gold. The little subdial hands on the original Rainbow Daytona were painted red, and on the “mark 2” they were painted black. Plus, the new ones have slightly slimmer subdial rings.

Where Can I Buy One?

The Rainbow Daytona is something even a big-spending VIP would be extremely lucky to get from an authorized Rolex dealer. Unless you’re an absolute whale, don’t expect to even get on a Rolex waiting list for one. You can reach out to a trusted grey market dealer like Luxury Bazaar to source one for you, and even for us, these are hard to dig up. With so many exotic rainbow watches already on the market now, from brands ranging from Hublot to Audemars Piguet, it will be interesting to see if the Rainbow Daytona hype will rage on.

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