It’s no surprise one of the best luxury watch brands, Rolex, is known for their consistently rare and high-end timepieces. Every model, colour and material is planned and presented with precision, but there’s a side of the brand that most people never see, a small collection of watches that aren’t shown on the website or displayed in boutiques.
They’re called off catalogue pieces, and you’ve got to be pretty important to get your hands on one. These models are made in small numbers and are genuine Rolex watches built by the same craftsmen, with the same materials, only distributed privately.
While several models exist across the brand, the Daytona is where this practise has become the most famous.
In Rolex language, “off catalogue” refers to pieces produced in ultra-limited numbers, often crafted for VIP clients, high-profile ambassadors or long-standing friends of the brand. They aren’t prototypes or custom orders, rather full-fledged Rolex creations, but released without fanfare.
They don’t appear in Basel announcements or on Rolex’s site. They don’t even have product codes that can be traced through the usual channels. You can’t ask an AD for one, because officially, they’re not taking requests, it’s “if you know, you know,” made literal.
Rolex Daytona “Blue Sapphire”
At the 2025 Laver Cup in San Francisco, Roger Federer quietly made headlines for his wrist. He arrived wearing the off-catalogue Rolex Daytona “Blue Sapphire”, an ultra-rare white-gold Daytona featuring a silver obsidian dial, 54 diamonds on the midcase and lugs, and a bezel set with 36 baguette blue sapphires. During a backstage moment, Federer removed the watch and handed it to fellow Rolex ambassador Carlos Alcaraz, allowing him to inspect the piece up close.
Rolex Daytona “Rainbow”
This Daytona features a bezel set with violet-to-red sapphire baguettes in a seamless gradient and diamond-set lugs, powered by the Calibre 4130 chronograph movement. It’s one of the most flamboyant of Rolex’s secret-menu chronographs. Known wearers include high-profile collectors like Post Malone (rose-gold variant) and Macklemore. Secondary-market pricing routinely starts well above US$400,000.
Rolex Daytona “Barbie”
Another notable off-catalogue Daytona was Federer’s wife, Mirka, who was photographed at Wimbledon wearing a Rolex Daytona “Barbie” a yellow gold Daytona with diamond-set lugs, a pink sapphire bezel, a mother-of-pearl pink dial, matching pink chronograph hands and indices, all on a pink leather strap.
The nickname “Barbie” has stuck among collectors, and it’s one of the few pink Daytona configurations ever seen tied to Rolex’s off-catalogue lineup. Others who have been spotted with the Barbie include Lionel Messi, Mark Wahlberg, and Caroline Woznacki.
Rolex Daytona “SACO”
This version pairs yellow- or white-gold cases with cognac- or orange-sapphire bezels, often mother-of-pearl dials and matching straps. It’s a busy watch, embracing maximal design within the dial. Typical market listings show values between US$230,000 and US$350,000. Though a tightly allocated watch, it’s been seen on the wrists of Steven Tyler and Nicholas Cage.
Rolex Daytona “Eye of the Tiger”
This bold design uses a tiger-stripe diamond dial and gold case, frequently matched with an Oysterflex strap rather than a full metal bracelet. It’s been spotted on collectors and entertainers who favour standout pieces like DJ Khaled, Stormzy and Kevin O’Leary. Market values sit around US$180,000-300,000 depending on condition.
Rolex Daytona “Platinum Diamond Paved
A platinum case, full diamond pavé dial and bezel takes this Daytona into haute jewellery territory while retaining its chronograph function. It’s among the rarest modern variants and trades at very high, variable sums (often US$400,000+). It’s been notably worn by the likes of John Legend and Salman Kahn.
Rolex Daytona “Le Mans”
Launched to commemorate the 100th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this white-, yellow- or rose-gold Daytona features a reverse-panda dial and red “100” marker on the tachymeter scale. A white-gold example recently listed around US $215k-$240k on the secondary market. Notable wearers include Ed Sheeran, Michael Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Mayer and Kevin Hart.
Rolex Daytona “Ruby"
A white-gold case with baguette-cut rubies on the bezel and brilliant diamonds on lugs and crown guards. A purely private release, not publicly listed, making verified wearer information minimal, and worn by Jon Rahm, David Beckham and a select few others. Estimated secondary values begin in the US$200k-US$450k range depending on configuration and condition.
Rolex Daytona “Giraffe”
The “Giraffe” is one of the most recent off-catalogue Daytonas: rose-gold case, a patterned dial suggestive of giraffe spots in diamonds, and a rubber (Oysterflex) strap in brown, a departure from the typical metal bracelet. Market estimates place its value well into the US$250k+ range. Its sought after by collectors and has been seen on the wrists of Drake and Lionel Messi.
Why Rolex Does It
Rolex is famously private, but even within that privacy there’s a hierarchy. The brand uses these off-catalogue pieces as relationship tools, a way of rewarding long-term collectors, ambassadors, or even retailers who’ve been part of the Rolex family for decades.
They also serve a subtler purpose, which is cultural control. By never officially releasing these pieces, Rolex shapes its own mythology. It keeps collectors guessing and demand simmering while reinforcing the sense that not everything can be bought, at least, not with money alone.
It’s the same philosophy behind why Rolex doesn’t confirm production numbers or disclose waiting lists. They’ve built exclusivity into their operating system.
Because these pieces are never listed, they also hardly depreciate. If anything, the silence surrounding them inflates their value. When an off-catalogue Daytona surfaces on the secondary market, which is rare, prices can reach absurd levels (Multiple millions).
Dealers and collectors whisper about which celebrities have been “tapped” for one. There’s talk of configurations that have never been photographed, black dials with rainbow sapphires, or Arabic numerals in rose gold once rumoured to be made for Middle Eastern royalty. Whether half of them exist or not almost doesn’t matter. The speculation is part of the allure.
We’re in a time where brands scream for visibility, but Rolex’s subtlety when it comes to these off catalogue watches is perhaps where the real magic lies. While everyone else chases the algorithm, they keep us intrigued by giving us something we can’t Google.