The “Rainbow” is the gem-set Daytona whose bezel carries 36 baguette-cut sapphires graduated through the colour spectrum. Three references exist: the yellow gold 116598RBOW and white gold 116599RBOW, both introduced at Baselworld 2012, and the Everose gold 116595RBOW of 2018. All three are discontinued.
Why is it called the Rainbow?
The name needs little explanation — the sapphires run from red through orange, yellow, green and blue and back towards pink, forming an unbroken rainbow around the dial. What the name undersells is the difficulty: each Rainbow bezel is set with exactly 36 baguette-cut sapphires, individually selected and colour-matched so the graduation flows without a visible step, and sourcing a complete matched run is widely cited as the production bottleneck. The 2018 Everose version pushed further, adding 56 brilliant-cut diamonds to the lugs and crown guard and sub-dials in pink Gold Crystals. Launched at around US$96,900, the 116595RBOW traded well above retail from the outset and has remained a six-figure watch on the secondary market ever since.
References
The three genuine Rainbow references:
| Reference | Years | Key spec | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 116598RBOW | From 2012 | 18 ct yellow gold, 36-sapphire bezel, calibre 4130 | Discontinued |
| 116599RBOW | From 2012 | 18 ct white gold, 36-sapphire bezel, calibre 4130 | Discontinued |
| 116595RBOW | From 2018 | 18 ct Everose gold, 56 case diamonds, Gold Crystals counters | Discontinued |
Super clone availability
Grand Watch Club does not currently list a Rainbow Daytona, and the reason is the bezel: a graduated run of 36 colour-matched baguette stones is the hardest single element on any Daytona to replicate convincingly, and a poorly graduated rainbow is instantly recognisable. Rather than offer one that falls short, the closest matches in stock are the other Daytona super clones — including the panda and reverse-panda 126500LN and 116500LN configurations and the white gold 116509 — priced from £434 to £1,125 across Japanese and Swiss movement tiers.