Shining bright! The NEW Rolex Daytona Diamond 126598TBR

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 126598TBR

This is an exceptionally opulent Daytona. 

Full 18ct yellow gold with a 36 trapeze cut baguette diamond bezel surrounding a gold dial adorned with baguette markers.
I tend to nickname these pieces “Pharoh” watches as this is the feeling I get, along with a huge grin, whenever I snap the clasp shut over my wrist.

Remarkably though, the majority use of baguettes really does calm down the all that glitters element, as this type of cut doesn’t refract the same amount of light as brilliant cuts, which have been fairly judiciously applied to the shoulders and crown guards only.
There’s no denying a certain amount of sparkle, but it isn’t overbearing.

The Crown has always had a good grasp of balance when it comes to its party pieces, and while this is an absolute showstopper, we aren’t into Jacob Billionaire territory just yet.

Rolex uses four traditional setting methods for their bejewelled offerings.
“Channel”, which is the setting of baguette cut stones between two bands of metal (in this case, the bezel) and reserved for “ultra” high-end pieces.
“Bead” is when brilliant diamonds (or other gems) are set directly into depressions in the dial sized specifically to match the stone, this creates the “pave” effect.
“Closed” uses a solid band of precious metal to encircle and set a stone into place
And finally “Claw” which is when the corner of a gemstone is held in place by thin and deliberately unobtrusive “claws” of metal and ensures that the factets of the stone are still free to catch and play with the light.

This particular Daytona uses a mix of channel setting for the bezel and claw for the shoulders and guards. Safe as houses.

As this is a 12 reference, it has been treated to the same case re-design as other post-2023 Daytona’s.
Its still 40mm but with broader straighter lugs, chunkier crown guards, a slimmer profile at 11.9mm
The dial is nicely executed in gold with black text taking care of contrast on the subdials and lumed hands which make it pretty easy to pick out the time despite a lack of luminova on the indexes. The baguette markers play with light anyway so you’re not really sacrificing legibility anywhere.

Theres also a tiny printed coronet on the outer track just below 6, which denotes that this Daytona is running a new movement - calibre 4131, which is a 47 jewel update to the previous and genius cal 4130.
It has 72 hours of power reserve and all the bells and whistles (Vertical clutch, Parachrom hairspring, Chronergy escapement) but with a reduced number of components which is designed to increase reliability.

Gem set Daytona's often receive some negativity from those with more restrained tastes, but the point of these pieces has never been “restraint”.
Quite the opposite.
They are designed to showcase Rolexes skill beyond that of classic lines, austere precision, robust calibre manufacture, surgical grade steel, and the unwavering mantra of evolution not revolution.

The chances are that if you’re considering a TBR, you’ve already developed an affection for the brand through enjoying some of their more somber and professional offerings and are looking for something a little different.

Jewellery pieces like these aren’t a conservative choice, but they are a testament to the versatility and enduring design of the Daytona which can be presented both in surgical steel or a dazzling array of gemstones and still be instantly recognisable.

This is the power of Rolex, and I believe it is one to be celebrated.