Musician Michael Blakey spotted wearing a Rolex

Michael Blakey, the British record producer and entrepreneur best known for managing acts including Hanson and working across decades of international music business, was recently photographed wearing one of the most visually arresting watches in Rolex's current catalog — the Cosmograph Daytona 'Rainbow' in 18k Everose gold, reference 116595RBOW.

The 116595RBOW is built on the standard 40mm Daytona case in Rolex's proprietary 18k Everose gold alloy, an in-house formulation engineered to resist fading over time. The bezel is set with 36 baguette-cut precious stones — sapphires, rubies, emeralds, tsavorites, and citrines — graduating through the visible spectrum from red to violet. The dial is fully pavé-set with round brilliant diamonds, and in this high-specification configuration, the center links of the five-piece Oyster bracelet receive the same diamond-setting treatment, adding considerable weight and visual density to the wrist presence. Power comes from the Calibre 4130, Rolex's in-house chronograph movement featuring a column wheel, vertical clutch, and approximately 72-hour power reserve.

First unveiled in a yellow gold iteration at Baselworld 2012 and subsequently released in Everose and white gold variants, the Rainbow Daytona has become a genuine cultural artifact within the collector world — a piece that divides opinion sharply between those who view it as the pinnacle of integrated gem-setting craft and those who consider it too overt for serious horology. The market has answered that debate conclusively: demand consistently outstrips supply by a wide margin.

For Blakey, a figure whose career has been defined by bold aesthetic decisions and cross-Atlantic commercial acumen, the Rainbow Daytona reads as an entirely coherent choice. The watch aligns with his documented appetite for high-visibility luxury and functions as both personal statement and industry signal.

On the secondary market, the 116595RBOW commands substantial premiums over its already significant retail price. Auction results and grey-market platforms regularly place this reference — particularly in the fully pavé bracelet configuration — well above list, reflecting both extreme production scarcity and sustained collector appetite. It remains one of the most liquid ultra-luxury Rolex references in private sales.