Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 2012 Reference No: 116598RBOW Movement No: 0’667’777 Case No: 7'9U43'2U9 Model Name: Cosmograph Daytona “Rainbow” Material: 18K yellow gold, sapphires and diamonds Calibre: Automatic, cal. 4130, 44 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 190mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex Oyster deployant clasp Dimensions: 40mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee stamped The Time Place Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta dated 14th September 2012, product literature, green card holder, outer packaging and fitted presentation box.
Catalogue Essay
In the 1980s, Rolex began to adorn their sports watches with precious gemstones for its most exclusive clientele. Among these first early gem-set sports watches are the manually-wound Daytona references 6269 and 6270 (the former with brilliant-cut diamonds at the bezel and the latter with baguette-cut diamonds). Sparking a new trend for gem-set timepieces, Rolex continued to bedazzle their prestigious lines of watches with various combinations of gemstones, cuts, settings and designs over the years. Examples with large baguette-cut bezels, pavé diamond dials, emeralds, rubies or sapphires to name a few combinations have been produced, always in very small quantities and with extreme attention to quality and execution.
Adorned with 36 rainbow-hued sapphires on the bezel and 56 diamonds set on the lugs and crown guards, the dial features diamond-set indexes to complete the superlative and vibrant Daytona. With tremendous efforts to source the world’s highest quality of gems, each stone is cut specifically to be fitted on the bezel, with each gemstone examined thoroughly for its cut, clarity and most importantly, colour. Hence, with its tedious process resulting in an extremely low production of all Rolex gem-set pieces, with the Rainbow being one of the toughest to execute.
Today, the Daytona Rainbow family has been released in yellow gold, white gold and pink gold. Marking the 60th anniversary of the Daytona this year in 2023, rare and special Daytona models including the present example are highly demanded in the market. A true icon and the first of them do have gone under the rainbow treatment, the present ref. 116598RBOW from circa 2012 is complete with its original guarantee and presentation box. A perfect way to celebrate the important anniversary of one of the most beloved wristwatches of all time.
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.
Ref. 116598RBOW A very rare, attractive and playful yellow gold, diamond and multi-coloured gem-set chronograph wristwatch with bracelet, guarantee and presentation box
Circa 2012 40mm diameter Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed