Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Eric Bailly spotted wearing Rolex

Eric Bailly was spotted on New Year's Day wearing what is arguably the most visually arresting watch in the entire Rolex catalogue, celebrating a Manchester United victory with his wrist telling a very particular kind of story. The 18KT Everose Gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow, reference 116595RBOW, is the kind of timepiece that stops a room — and for good technical reasons.

At its heart, the 116595RBOW houses the Rolex Calibre 4130, the manufacture's in-house chronograph movement featuring a column wheel mechanism and vertical clutch. The 4130 is widely respected by collectors for its reliability, ease of service, and the elimination of the hand-jump at start that plagued earlier horizontal-clutch designs. The movement offers a 72-hour power reserve and operates at 28,800 vph. The 40mm Everose gold case — Rolex's proprietary rose gold alloy formulated to resist fading — houses a dial set with 11 baguette-cut sapphires as hour markers, each calibrated in a spectral colour progression from violet through to red.

The defining feature of the 116595RBOW is its bezel, pavé-set with 36 individual baguette-cut sapphires arranged in a seamless rainbow gradient. Each stone must be individually selected for hue, cut, and size to maintain the unbroken colour sequence — a process Rolex's in-house gem-setting atelier takes exceptionally seriously. The result is a bezel that functions almost as a jewellery piece in itself, yet remains anchored to a serious chronograph instrument.

Bailly, born in Ivory Coast and a seasoned Premier League performer, has consistently shown a preference for statement luxury on and off the pitch. Wearing the Rainbow Daytona on a matchday — and a winning one at that — aligns neatly with the footballer's confident aesthetic. It is a watch that rewards attention, and Bailly clearly knows it.

On the market, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116595RBOW carries a UK list price of £92,100. On the grey market, demand dramatically outstrips supply, and authenticated examples routinely trade between $200,000 and $280,000 USD, with exceptional condition pieces occasionally exceeding that range. This is not a watch you stumble into — it is one you pursue.