What does “RBOW” mean?

RBOW is the Rolex suffix for a bezel set with sapphires in rainbow colours. The best-known RBOW models are the Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow references, such as the yellow gold 116598RBOW, the white gold 116599RBOW and the Everose gold 116595RBOW, whose bezels hold 36 baguette-cut sapphires graduated through the colours of the spectrum.

The suffix is important for authentication. Rainbow bezels are among the most copied designs and are often added aftermarket to standard gold watches, so a genuine RBOW piece should have the matching reference on its papers and a factory-set bezel whose stones are well matched in colour and cut. These watches are best examined by a specialist familiar with Rolex gem-setting. Rolex uses other suffixes for different gem-set bezels, so the letters tell you exactly which version a watch should be, and any mismatch between the watch, the suffix and the papers needs explaining.

Example: '116598RBOW, yellow gold Daytona Rainbow, full set, papers matching.'