I was inclined to include another watch on this list, even though it didn’t technically meet the criteria. This watch is the black leather strap replica Breitling SuperOcean ’57 Capsule Rainbow Edition. It’s a limited edition watch (released twice this year, once with a black dial and once with a blue dial) featuring a rainbow gradient on the hour markers and hands. Although it wasn’t part of a rainbow collection of the best replica watches, its dial design deserved a mention here.
I remember reading a quote from Alan Moore, the author of the iconic graphic novel “Watchmen,” about how his creation took on a life of its own once it was released. He said, “It was never my intention to start a trend for darkness. I’m not a particularly dark individual.” This is how trends often work. We may not always know where they originate (though we can make educated guesses), and we often don’t know why they start. In the watch industry, trends abound. They may not be immediately apparent but become clearer over time.
Regarding the rainbow watch trend, we can trace its popularity to the 2018 release of the rainbow bezel fake Rolex Daytona. While Rolex had been making the Rainbow Daytona for years, the 2018 version captured the attention of both watch enthusiasts and celebrities. Rolex collector John Mayer discussed this watch in his second “Talking Watches” appearance, expressing his admiration for it. In 2019, brands like Audemars Piguet, Hublot, and Parmigiani Fleurier followed suit. Rolex also released the Rainbow Day-Date that year.
However, this year, the concept of “rainbow” has evolved. Instead of high-end, diamond-encrusted watches, brands have introduced more affordable pieces. The waterproof copy Breitling Superocean ’57 exemplifies this shift. Furthermore, the rainbow theme has expanded to encompass entire collections in multi-colored arrays rather than being confined to single pieces. This trend appears to be unique to this year, as seen from the list.
What’s fascinating is how many brands released these multicolored collections seemingly independently. It could have been a massive coincidence, or perhaps it was the result of a clandestine meeting in Geneva (one requiring a super-secret handshake for entry) where it was decided that this would be the year of colorful replica watches. Anyone not conforming would be ousted from the group. While coincidence seems like a simpler explanation, it still leaves the “why” unanswered. So, while the exact reason behind the rainbow trend remains elusive, perhaps one day we’ll uncover the connection.