What does “Rainbow” mean?

'Rainbow' refers to Rolex watches with a bezel set with baguette-cut sapphires in graduated colours that run through the spectrum like a rainbow. The best-known is the Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow, whose bezel holds 36 baguette sapphires. The concept appeared in 2012 on the yellow gold 116598RBOW, with a white gold 116599RBOW also made, and an Everose gold 116595RBOW followed in 2018; the design has continued on later references. Rolex marks these models with the RBOW suffix.

Rainbow Daytonas are made in small numbers and are very hard to obtain new, so they trade among a small circle of buyers. They are also a major target for counterfeiters and for aftermarket gem-setting, where an ordinary gold Daytona is fitted with a non-Rolex gem-set bezel. Authentication needs a specialist: the stones, their colour gradient and cut, the setting, the case and the papers should all be examined, and the reference on the papers should match the watch.

Example: 'Daytona Rainbow 116595RBOW, Everose, full set, papers matching the reference.'