Singer Elton John spotted wearing a Rolex

Sir Elton John made his presence felt at the first 'Midsummer Party' dressed head-to-toe in flamboyant Gucci, but the most technically remarkable item on his wrist was a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 'Rainbow' in 18k white gold — a watch that commands as much attention in any room as the man wearing it.

The reference in question is the 116599RBOW, introduced by Rolex in 2012 and representing the marque's most jewellery-intensive interpretation of the Daytona platform. The 40mm white gold case houses the calibre 4130, Rolex's in-house column-wheel chronograph movement offering a 72-hour power reserve and a free-sprung Parachrom hairspring for shock and magnetic resistance. The bezel is the centrepiece: 36 baguette-cut sapphires — reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, and violets — are arranged in a seamless chromatic graduation that encircles the tachymeter scale. The black lacquer dial is set with eleven brilliant-cut diamonds as hour markers, while the three subdial counters feature pavé-set diamond dials. Lugs and pushers are further dressed with additional brilliant-cut diamonds, bringing the total stone count to well over 100.

Among collectors, the Rainbow Daytona occupies a category almost unto itself. It is simultaneously a serious mechanical chronograph and a haute joaillerie object. Grey-market demand has consistently exceeded supply since launch, with the 116599RBOW routinely trading at two to four times its already substantial list price. It has become a benchmark 'statement' piece that transcends both the watch and jewellery markets.

Elton John is one of the few figures in popular culture for whom the Rainbow Daytona reads as entirely natural rather than performative. His decades-long association with extravagant eyewear, Versace and Gucci wardrobes, and unapologetically bold personal style makes the spectral Rolex a logical extension of his public identity rather than a conspicuous flex.

At a retail price in the region of $250,000 and grey-market transactions regularly exceeding $400,000 to $500,000 for pristine examples, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow 116599RBOW remains one of the most liquid and sought-after references in the entire Rolex catalogue — a watch that appreciates as reliably as the legend wearing it.