The Rolex Rainbow Daytona Returned in 2024: Thoughts on the 3rd-Generation 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) also exist. Here’s what you should 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

Rolex Daytona Rainbow Timeline

• 1994: The first Rainbow Daytona ever was actually a unique piece, ref. 16599SAAEC, with a white gold case and a leather strap. It sold for $6.3 million in 2024.
• 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: Rolex Daytona Rainbow ref. 116598 and 116599 discontinued.
• 2018: Ref. 116595 RBOW (Everose Gold) debuts with a starting list price of $96,900 and an updated dial design. Baguette-cut sapphire hour markers replace the 15-30-45 markers. This is the only Rainbow Daytona reference ever offered with a diamond-set bracelet.
• 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), 126598 RBOW (yellow gold) and 126599 RBOW (white gold) released with an updated movement and case.

2024 Rainbow Daytona Price

MSRP of the current Rainbow Daytona 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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