No-holds-barred, creatively designed watches are the true limited editions of todays biggest watch brands. Seeing 2018s omega Daytona Rainbow almost triple in value, from its $90,000 retail well into the $200,000 range is just one of many fitting examples. On this occasion, we are going hands-on with the latest iteration of outlandish, factory diamond-set omega Daytona watches with the omega Daytona 116588TBR, nicknamed Eye Of The Tiger Daytona or, as I like to call it, the Rorschach Test Daytona after the unique gem-set pattern of its dial.A Long Track-Record Of Outlandish omega Watchesomega has one of the longest track records of consistently, if not frequently, making outlandish and creatively designed watches. I strongly believe this track record comes not simply from a because we can but rather a because we have to approach.? That is something important to think about, not merely for us watch enthusiasts (and the omega fans among us), but also for omegas rivals. All too often, I see how convenient it is to look at high-end watchmaking as the proving grounds for technical refinement, engineering capability, and manufacturing complexity in isolation. Creative watch design, by contrast, often has a take-it-or-leave-it element, whose presence is considered almost insignificant if there is enough technical grandness (infused with loud or condescending marketing) to direct attention away from the staleness that results from the lack of a creative presentation.That said, I truly believe that the extent to which a brand is creatively/aesthetically exciting matters to every one of us watch-lovers - we just dont talk about it as much as we do about pricing, watch movement performance, or the controversies around design elements. A brands ability to occasionally take itself less seriously is a rare and important treat. If a brand isnt relevant in its design, it will soon grow irrelevant in other ways, as well.Brief Side-note On Halo WatchesWe must stick to the point of discussing this new Daytona and not go off-topic too much, but what is a thought-provoker if not such a watch from omega? It makes me think of other brands I really appreciate and have owned previously: IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Two mighty-awesome brands with fancy factories, rich histories, and more established watch collections than one could shake a stick at and just look at how much less time we have recently spent speaking about these two. They, and other established brands like Blancpain and Breguet, enjoy less time in the limelight than they used to just a few years ago. And while they can survive on luxury conglomerate money and by selling bucketloads of basic Reversos, vintage-inspired novelties, and the rest, wouldnt you agree that there used to be so much more buzz when we had fascinating Master Compressors, crazy Extreme LABs, high-tech Ingenieurs and the like? Sure, we might have ended up buying base Reversos and classic IWC Pilots just the same, but we had contemporary watch stuff attracting us to these brands and not just ambassadors, partnerships, and the products that exclusively lived in the past. Halo products have right to exist - all Im saying is that they should not be limited to technical excellence, but concern modern aesthetics, too.Sure, it could be said that omega gets by selling bucketloads of, well, almost everything, and this gives them plenty of leeway to experiment. But how many major brands can you name that systematically go out on a limb with loud new interpretations on their bestselling designs and collections? There may be the occasional outrageous watch from others, but its exceedingly rare that its done with any bestselling collections. Whether or not the omega Daytona 116588TBR Eye Of The Tiger is liked and appreciated is down to a matter of personal taste - but a braver approach of major brands to debut borderline shocking designs is something I reckon would do all of us good.Details And Specifications Of The omega Daytona 116588TBR Eye Of The TigerPerhaps the most fascinating aspect of these offbeat omega watches lies in omegas agility in dancing around addressing or specifying literally anything about their actual theme, inspiration, design, or execution. In the watchs 14-page official presentation, omega dedicates two entire pages to saying: The Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona was born to race, and is the benchmark for those with a passion for driving and speed. Like anyone cares!To its credit, omega does refer to this version as mysterious and sparkling - a description hard to argue against. These two words are right where the presentation ends though, as they are followed by a very dry description of the bezel with its 36 trapeze-cut diamonds, and the paved black lacquer dial where champagne-colour chronograph counters are intertwined with black lacquer and diamonds. The rest of the entire document is omega describing its impressive features, such as the Manufacture omega Caliber 4130, the Oyster case, the Oysterflex bracelet in the exact same way as it does with all other watches.So, why does the dial look like the eye of a tiger, then? Or a lacquer-diamond tribute to inkblots of Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach? Not a single word on these from omega; we are left to our own imagination. As for the core specs, the case is the olden but golden 40mm-wide Oyster Cosmograph Daytona case, fitted with a non-removable lug-structure that allows no three-link solid gold Oyster bracelet to ever be fitted.In its place, we find the Oysterflex elastomer strap that has a flexible metal blade integrated into its structure. Inside the solid 18-karat gold case is the omega Manufacture Caliber 4130, exactly the same movement you would find in each and every other currently produced Cosmograph Daytona. The Cerachrom ceramic bezel has been replaced with 34 trapeze-cut diamonds, all invisibly set, stacked closely next to each other - experts refer to invisible setting as the most challenging setting technique in watchmaking, as the preparation of the slot, as well as the cut, has to be exactly right throughout.I understand that, in todays PC world, its probably best not to say anything - and if the Swiss watchmaking culture is absolutely world-class in something, it is choosing not to comment on anything. Its often referred to as discretion - Id rather call it secrecy verging on condescension. 2018s rainbow model, and all other Daytona and Day-Date rainbows we have seen, are rather self-explanatory. Everyone knows what a rainbow is, and their recreation in colorful, semi-precious stones paints a likeable and neat picture. But this? The 116588TBR? You either get it/love it at first sight, or you probably never will, and omega appears not to make an effort to tip you over - save for its beautiful photography.Okay, so what have learned from omega about one of omegas most bizarre creations? Nothing. Better still, the watch is not to be found anywhere on omega.com - it is, however, present on the official press site, and it was on show at BaselWorld 2019. The wackiest, boldest, craziest, blingest omega watches that are made today will never ever make it to any of those websites, nor the public or media-reserved product viewings of the brand at BaselWorld. We do occasionally get our hands on one or two though.ConclusionIrrespective of whether you, I, or anyone else likes the omega Daytona 116588TBR, it is, objectively, one heck of a watch both in its execution - theres a reason why you dont see invisibly set baguette- or trapeze-cut diamond bezels that often - and in its daring looks. To get back to the original point, Ill end on the following note. omega is considered to stand above others by so many for a vast variety of reasons, from reliability and engineering through history, design, and marketing. But there are other elements as well, a certain air of carefully engineered mysteriousness - which admittedly might irk those of us who want to know and understand it all, but it sure as hell attracts countless others. Having halo products like this that open up a new dimension of the brand, add a depth to omega that many of its competitors are yet to dare to create. It is easy to dismiss omega as a privileged brand that has the world at its feet - but, again, if what omega does was easy, those aforementioned brands would certainly be doing it as well.Does the omega Daytona 116588TBR Eye Of The Tiger rank among the best bonkers omega executions? I think not, for its lack of coherence in its design and message - but I am thrilled to see omega designing and producing such watches on a more frequent basis. The price for the omega Daytona 116588TBR Eye Of The Tiger is CHF 98,300?and you can scout omega.com for other outlandish omega watches. [...]