Watch Paparazzi

Singer John Mayer spotted wearing Rolex

John Mayer was spotted playing ukulele — naturally — while wearing what is arguably the most ostentatious production chronograph Rolex has ever released: the Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow in 18-carat white gold, reference 116599RBOW. The sighting reinforces Mayer's well-documented status as one of the few celebrity collectors whose taste is consistently taken seriously by the serious watch community.

The 116599RBOW is built around the 40 mm white gold Oyster case that houses Rolex's in-house calibre 4130, a column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph movement beating at 28,800 vph with a 72-hour power reserve. What sets this reference apart is the bezel: 36 square-cut sapphires arranged in a precise rainbow gradient — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet — totalling approximately 2.25 carats. The pushers and crown are set with additional baguette diamonds, and the black lacquer dial carries diamond baton hour markers at every position. Total stone count across the watch exceeds 40 carats when the bracelet diamonds are included on fully set configurations.

Rolex debuted the Rainbow Daytona at Baselworld 2012, first in Everose gold (116595RBOW) before releasing the white gold variant. The white gold execution sharpens the contrast between the cold case metal and the warm chromatic bezel, making the colour gradient pop more dramatically than on yellow or rose gold. Collectors immediately placed it in a separate tier from standard Daytonas — it is simultaneously a legitimate COSC-certified chronograph and a piece of high jewellery.

Mayer has spoken publicly and at length about watches, appearing on dedicated watch podcasts and maintaining a collection that spans Patek Philippe, F.P. Journe, and Jacob & Co. He understands reference numbers, dial variations, and movement architecture. His wearing of the 116599RBOW is not a stylist decision — it is a deliberate collector statement.

On the grey market, the Rainbow Daytona in white gold commands a substantial premium over its already significant retail price. Demand consistently outpaces allocation, and examples in unworn condition with full set of papers regularly transact above $150,000. The 116599RBOW has since been succeeded by the generation-two 116599RBOW updates, but values on original examples remain firm.