No Reserve
8060
Rolex
Ref. 1019
Milgauss
A rare and attractive stainless steel anti-magnetic wristwatch with center seconds, black dial and bracelet
- Estimate
- HK$80,000 - 160,000•€9,500 - 19,000$10,300 - 20,500
HK$139,700
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1967
- Reference No
- 1019
- Movement No
- M712’627
- Case No
- 1’615’790, inside caseback stamped II.70
- Model Name
- Milgauss
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped “78360”, endlinks stamped “558”, max length 190mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp stamped “F” and “78360”
- Dimensions
- 38mm diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
- The Milgauss is a remarkable outcome of a direct collaboration between Rolex and CERN (Centre Européen de Recherche Nucléaire) in Geneva. This partnership aimed to create a wristwatch capable of withstanding intense magnetic fields, making it suitable for CERN engineers and laboratory workers who operate in highly magnetic environments.
- Named after the Latin word "mille", meaning a thousand, and "Gauss", the unit of measurement for magnetism, the Milgauss can endure exposure to magnetic fields of up to 1,000 Gauss without compromising accuracy thanks to the Faraday cage inside the caseback. In contrast, a typical watch movement can only withstand 70-90 Gauss.
- In the early 1960s, Rolex introduced the Milgauss reference 1019, which replaced the earlier references 6541 and 6543. Notably thinner than its predecessors, the 1019 was produced until 1990 and was offered exclusively in stainless steel.
- As an extremely niche tool watch, the Milgauss was never a commercial success, resulting in low production numbers. The present example features a black matte dial that highlights the striking red triangle on the seconds hand and the red "Milgauss" text at the 12 o'clock position, making it a sought-after piece among collectors.
- Named after the Latin word "mille", meaning a thousand, and "Gauss", the unit of measurement for magnetism, the Milgauss can endure exposure to magnetic fields of up to 1,000 Gauss without compromising accuracy thanks to the Faraday cage inside the caseback. In contrast, a typical watch movement can only withstand 70-90 Gauss.
- In the early 1960s, Rolex introduced the Milgauss reference 1019, which replaced the earlier references 6541 and 6543. Notably thinner than its predecessors, the 1019 was produced until 1990 and was offered exclusively in stainless steel.
- As an extremely niche tool watch, the Milgauss was never a commercial success, resulting in low production numbers. The present example features a black matte dial that highlights the striking red triangle on the seconds hand and the red "Milgauss" text at the 12 o'clock position, making it a sought-after piece among collectors.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.
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