Basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo spotted wearing a Rolex

Following the Milwaukee Bucks' Game 3 win in the 2021 NBA Finals, Giannis Antetokounmpo walked through the arena tunnel wearing a Dreamville crewneck and one of the most sought-after Rolex references on the planet: the Cosmograph Daytona 116595RBOW in 18k Everose gold, complete with its signature rainbow gem-set bezel and a black dial with rose gold chronograph subdials.

The 116595RBOW is built on Rolex's 40mm Everose gold Oyster case, housing the in-house Calibre 4130 — a column-wheel, vertical-clutch automatic movement with a 72-hour power reserve and a 28,800 vph beat rate. Rolex developed the 4130 entirely in-house after years of relying on modified Zenith ébauches, and it remains one of the most reliable and service-friendly chronograph movements in production. The skeletonized Daytona-pattern subdial bridges are finished in matching rose gold.

The gem-setting is where the 116595RBOW earns its legendary status. Rolex's gem-setters apply 36 baguette-cut sapphires — sourced and matched across the full visible spectrum — around the bezel, flanked by 56 brilliant-cut diamonds on the case lugs and flanks. Eleven baguette-cut rainbow sapphires serve as hour markers on the black lacquer dial. The total stone count and the precision of chromatic sequencing make this one of the most labor-intensive references Rolex produces. The Everose gold variant debuted in 2018 at Baselworld, joining earlier iterations in white gold (2012) and yellow gold, which were initially met with market indifference before exploding in collector demand.

Giannis, a two-time NBA MVP and 2021 Finals MVP, has cultivated a quietly serious watch taste. The Rainbow Daytona is a calculated flex — not a flashy diamond AP or a blinged-out Patek. It signals familiarity with the secondary market and an understanding of which references actually appreciate.

On the grey market, the 116595RBOW in Everose gold commands prices in the $400,000–$500,000 range depending on condition and provenance — roughly four times retail. Waitlists at authorized dealers are effectively non-existent; allocation goes to top-tier clients. For a reference that was once dismissed as gaudy, the Rainbow Daytona has become one of the defining grail watches of the modern era.