Watch Paparazzi

Actor Sylvester Stallone spotted wearing Rolex

Sylvester Stallone has never been shy about his affinity for watches that make a statement, and his latest sighting confirms the actor is operating at the very top of the collector tier. On his wrist: the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 'Rainbow' in 18-carat yellow gold, reference 116598RBOW — one of the most coveted and difficult-to-source modern Rolexes in circulation.

Rolex introduced the 116598RBOW in 2012 as part of the Daytona's gem-set lineage, a tradition stretching back to the model's earliest exotic-dial iterations of the 1970s. The watch is powered by the in-house Calibre 4130, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch and a 72-hour power reserve — widely regarded as one of the most reliable and well-engineered chronograph ebauches in Swiss watchmaking. The 40mm yellow gold case houses a black lacquer dial with baguette-cut diamond hour markers, while the three sub-dials display a meteorite finish, lending the piece a geological texture that contrasts sharply with the chromatic fireworks above it.

The defining feature, of course, is the bezel: 36 baguette-cut sapphires graduated in a deliberate spectrum from deep violet through blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Rolex's gem-setting team must match each stone for cut, clarity, and color graduation — a painstaking process that contributes directly to the watch's scarcity and its persistent ability to hold, then exceed, its already steep retail positioning.

For collectors, the Rolex Daytona Rainbow 116598RBOW occupies a specific gravity point: it is a manufacture piece with serious technical credentials that also functions as wearable jewelry. That dual identity attracts both complications-focused collectors and fashion-forward buyers, compressing supply further. Authorized dealer allocations are essentially nonexistent for private clients without substantial purchase history.

Stallone, whose collection has publicly included Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, and various high-jewellery Rolexes, is precisely the profile this watch was designed for. On the grey market, the 116598RBOW commands significant premiums well above retail — a figure that shows no sign of softening as long as demand continues to outpace the handful of units Rolex releases annually.