Tennis player Mirka Federer spotted wearing a Rolex

Mirka Federer, the former professional tennis player turned one of sport's most recognisable courtside presences, was recently photographed wearing one of the most labour-intensive timepieces in Rolex's entire catalogue: the Cosmograph Daytona "Rainbow" in white gold, reference 116599RBOW. It is a piece that stops conversations in any room, and for good reason.

The ref. 116599RBOW sits at the extreme end of Rolex's high-jewellery ambitions. Its 40mm case is crafted in 950 platinum-content white gold and houses the calibre 4130 — Rolex's in-house chronograph movement, self-winding via a column wheel and vertical clutch, offering 72 hours of power reserve and certified as a Superlative Chronometer to ±2 seconds per day. The bezel carries 36 individually hand-selected baguette-cut natural sapphires, sequenced with obsessive care to create a continuous rainbow gradient. The lugs and shoulders are set with brilliant-cut diamonds, and the dial itself features eight diamond-set hour indices. The total gem count runs into the hundreds; the selection and setting process alone requires months of skilled atelier work at Rolex's Geneva manufacture.

Rolex introduced the Rainbow Daytona concept in precious metal in 2012, and the 116599RBOW — produced in both yellow gold and white gold variants — rapidly became one of the most coveted references in modern watchmaking. Collectors reacted immediately. The combination of the Daytona's irreproachable mechanical credentials with gem-setting execution that rivals dedicated haute joaillerie maisons created a category of its own. Production volumes are extremely limited, dictated not by Rolex's machining capacity but by the finite supply of matched, calibrated natural sapphires that meet the brand's internal standards.

Mirka Vavrinec Federer competed on the WTA Tour before a foot injury ended her playing career in 2002. She has since been a constant presence in professional tennis through her marriage to Roger Federer, attending Grand Slams and ATP events across two decades. Her personal style tends toward considered, understated elegance — which makes the Rainbow Daytona a deliberate and confident choice rather than an accidental one.

On the secondary market, the white gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow ref. 116599RBOW commands a substantial premium over its already significant retail price. Official retail sits in the region of $75,000 USD, but grey-market demand — fuelled by near-zero availability through authorised dealers — has pushed transaction prices considerably higher, regularly exceeding $150,000 USD at reputable auction houses and pre-owned platforms. It remains one of the clearest examples of a modern Rolex that functions simultaneously as a timepiece and a store of value.