Short answer: An off-catalogue Rolex is a factory reference that Rolex makes but does not publish: no model page and no price on rolex.com. Almost all are 18 kt gold or platinum set with diamonds, coloured gemstones or stone dials, offered by retailers to chosen clients. The best known are the Rainbow and Leopard Daytonas, the Submariner 116659SABR and the GMT-Master II 126755SARU. Gem-setting alone does not make one: Rolex lists the diamond-set Daytona 126598TBR at $156,600. On October 19, 2026 Bizak asked from $338,482 for a white gold Rainbow 116599RBOW and from $73,469 for a Leopard 116598SACO; see the Rainbow Daytona collection.
Last reviewed on October 19, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Catalogue status and US list prices come from Rolex's 2026 online catalogue, read that day; Bizak prices are that day's asking prices, not quotes. Bizak & Co. is independent and not affiliated with Rolex. Sources: Rolex's Cosmograph Daytona and Day-Date collection pages and the full rolex.com model list, which is how you confirm that a reference is not in the published catalogue.
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What "off-catalogue" means
Off-catalogue, or off-catalog, is collectors' shorthand, not a Rolex term. It describes a watch Rolex makes under a full reference number, with its own papers and guarantee, that never appears in public: not under "View all models" on rolex.com, not in the configurator or the brochures, so it has no public price. Dealers say Rolex makes a small batch most years and publicises one or two.
The quick test: search the reference on rolex.com. A model page with a price means a catalogue watch, however many stones it carries; no page means off-catalogue or discontinued.
Gem-set does not mean off-catalogue
Rolex's own catalogue is full of gem-set watches. All of these had model pages and US prices on rolex.com on October 19, 2026:
| Reference | Model, metal and stones | Rolex US list |
|---|---|---|
| 126595TBR | Cosmograph Daytona, Everose: trapeze-cut diamond bezel, diamond-set lugs, Sundust dial with diamond markers | $160,900 |
| 126598TBR | Cosmograph Daytona, yellow gold, the same setting with a golden dial | $156,600 |
| 126589RBR | Cosmograph Daytona, white gold: round diamond bezel, white and black mother-of-pearl dial, Oysterflex | $80,450 |
| 128345RBR | Day-Date 36, Everose: diamond bezel, diamond-paved dial with 10 baguette rainbow-coloured sapphires | $101,400 |
| 228235JG | Day-Date 40 in Jubilee Gold: light green aventurine dial with 10 baguette diamonds, or a gold-leaf design dial | $65,700 or $61,000 |
The last two rows matter: dealers have called the rainbow-sapphire Day-Date 36 off-catalogue, and several articles in April 2026 said the same of both Jubilee Gold Day-Date 40s. Rolex now prices them on its website and says Jubilee Gold, an 18 kt alloy developed in its own workshops, was unveiled on "this exclusive version" of the Day-Date 40. Check rolex.com before you pay an off-catalogue premium.
The best-known off-catalogue references
None of these references is in Rolex's 2026 US catalogue.
| Reference | Model, metal and stones | Bizak ask from |
|---|---|---|
| 116599RBOW | Daytona "Rainbow", white gold: rainbow sapphire bezel, diamond-set lugs, black dial with diamond markers | $338,482 |
| 116598RBOW | Daytona "Rainbow", yellow gold, the same setting | $411,999 |
| 116595RBOW | Daytona "Rainbow", Everose: black dial with rainbow sapphire hour markers | $451,655 |
| 116598SACO | Daytona "Leopard", yellow gold: orange sapphire bezel, diamond-set lugs, leopard-print dial and strap | $73,469 |
| 116588TBR | Daytona "Eye of the Tiger", yellow gold: diamond bezel, tiger-stripe dial in black and diamonds, Oysterflex | $222,130 |
| 116659SABR | Submariner, white gold: blue sapphire bezel with diamond markers, diamond-set lugs, blue dial | $125,499 |
| 126755SARU | GMT-Master II, Everose: blue sapphire and red ruby bezel with diamond markers, diamond-set lugs, black dial | $179,220 |
| 116769TBR | GMT-Master II, white gold: diamonds on the bezel, case, dial and bracelet | $488,249 |
| 126679SABR | Yacht-Master 40, white gold: pink, purple and blue sapphires with diamonds on the bezel, Oysterflex | $144,149 |
| 228398TRU | Day-Date 40, yellow gold: ruby bezel, diamond-paved dial with ruby Roman numerals | $324,950 |
| 126599TRU | Daytona, white gold: baguette ruby bezel, black dial with ruby hour markers | $1,099,999 |
Dealers and the press date the white and yellow gold Rainbows to 2012, the Leopard to 2004 and the 116769TBR, with about 30 carats of diamonds, to 2007. The Everose Rainbow is the exception: Rolex presented the 116595RBOW among its 2018 new watches, with 36 baguette sapphires on the bezel and 56 diamonds on the lugs and crown guards. No Rainbow is in the catalogue today. Our 116588SARO guide covers another gem-set Daytona.
What the letters after the reference mean
Rolex references carry a letter code for the gem-setting, and the guarantee card shows the full reference:
- RBR: round brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel ("Brilliant diamond-set" in Rolex's catalogue).
- TBR: trapeze-cut diamonds on the bezel ("Trapeze diamond-set").
- RBOW: baguette sapphires graded through the colours of the rainbow.
- SACO: orange, cognac-coloured sapphires.
- SABR: sapphires with diamonds.
- SARU: sapphires and rubies, the red and blue GMT bezel in gems.
- TRU: rubies on the bezel.
A watch with a rainbow bezel whose card reads 116508 or 116505, plain gold Daytonas, had its stones added after it left Rolex.
The 2026 off-catalogue releases
Around Watches and Wonders in April 2026, dealers and the watch press reported this year's batch:
- GMT-Master II 126755EMSA, Everose with a chrysocolla dial and an emerald and sapphire bezel, and 126759SABL, white gold with a blue quartz dial and a blue sapphire bezel.
- Yacht-Master 40 126678SAJOR, yellow gold with a carnelian dial, a rainbow sapphire bezel and an Oysterflex strap.
- Seven stone-dial Day-Date 36s: thulite and amazonite (128148RBR, yellow gold), lepidolite (128149RBR, white gold) and Wyoming jade (128145RBR, Everose), each with a diamond bezel and a matching leather strap; turquoise with sapphire markers (128239); and pink opal with ruby markers (128238, 128235).
- Cosmograph Daytona 126502 in Oystersteel and platinum with a grand feu enamel dial.
On October 19, 2026 rolex.com had no model page for the 126502, 126755EMSA or 128145RBR. Press estimates of retail ran from about $58,000 for the enamel Daytona to $355,000-$379,000 for the chrysocolla GMT-Master II. Bizak lists the Wyoming jade 128145RBR from $91,999; more gem-set Day-Dates are in the Day-Date President collection.
How off-catalogue Rolex watches are sold
Rolex publishes nothing about allocation, so what is known comes from clients, dealers and the press:
- After a launch, a retailer's long-standing clients may see a private list of off-catalogue pieces with references and prices.
- Larger retailers may hold pieces for those clients; others order them from Rolex for a named client, and not every retailer receives any.
- The retailer usually picks the buyer on purchase history and loyalty, and delivery can take years.
Everyone else buys on the secondary market, where rarity, stones and condition set the price. Our Rolex waitlist guide explains allocation for catalogue models.
What off-catalogue Rolex watches cost
In Bizak's catalogue on October 19, 2026 the references in the table above ran from $73,469 for a Leopard Daytona to $1,099,999 for a ruby-set 126599TRU. Catalogue gem-set pieces trade above list too: our ask for a 126598TBR started at $200,178, about 28% over Rolex's $156,600. See also Rolex Daytona prices by reference.
Factory or aftermarket: checks before you buy
- Match the reference to the stones. The guarantee card should show the full reference with its letter code, such as 116599RBOW, and the watch should match it stone for stone.
- Distrust a price far below the factory level. Rainbow-style conversions of plain gold Daytonas sell for a fraction of what factory pieces fetch.
Our Rolex diamond bezel guide shows how to count and check factory stones.
Quick answers
What does off-catalogue mean for a Rolex?
It means Rolex makes the reference but does not publish it: no model page or price on rolex.com. Most are 18 kt gold or platinum set with diamonds, coloured gemstones or stone dials, and retailers offer them to chosen clients.
Is the Rainbow Daytona off-catalogue?
Today, yes: no Rainbow Daytona is in Rolex's 2026 US catalogue. Dealers date the white and yellow gold 116599RBOW and 116598RBOW to 2012; Rolex presented only the Everose 116595RBOW publicly, in 2018.
How do you get an off-catalogue Rolex?
New, only if a Rolex retailer offers you one, usually after years of buying there; the pieces are not displayed or advertised. Otherwise on the secondary market: match the full reference on the guarantee card to the stones on the watch.
How much does an off-catalogue Rolex cost?
Rolex publishes no prices. Press estimates for the 2026 pieces ran from about $58,000 to $379,000 at retail; on October 19, 2026 Bizak's asks ran from $73,469 for a Leopard Daytona to $1,099,999 for a ruby-set Daytona 126599TRU.
Are all gem-set Rolex watches off-catalogue?
No. Rolex's 2026 catalogue lists many, such as the Daytona 126598TBR at $156,600 and the Day-Date 36 128345RBR with rainbow sapphires at $101,400. A reference is off-catalogue only if rolex.com does not list it.
Does an aftermarket gem-setting void the Rolex guarantee?
Yes. Rolex's guarantee does not cover watches materially modified with non-genuine parts, the bezel and dial included, and Rolex says it does not approve aftermarket diamonds, bezels or dials.
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Related reading: Rolex Day-Date buying guide · Rolex authorised dealer vs grey market · Rolex diamond bezels
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