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189

Rolex

Ref. 6541

Milgauss

A fine and very rare stainless steel wristwatch with rare honeycomb "Tropical" dial and 'lightening flash' hand

Estimate
CHF150,000 - 300,000
CHF245,000
Lot Details
Manufacturer
Rolex
Year
1958
Reference No
6541
Case No
412'102
Model Name
Milgauss
Material
Stainless steel
Calibre
Automatic, 1066
Bracelet/Strap
Stainless steel Rolex Oyster, end links stamped 65
Clasp/Buckle
Folding deployant clasp, stamped 2. 55
Dimensions
38mm. Diameter
Signed
<em>Case, dial and movement signed, inside case back stamped IV. 1958</em>
Stainless steel
Catalogue Essay
To meet the demands of scientists and engineers working in magnetic environments, in 1954, Rolex launched the Milgauss, reference 6541. Rolex designed a case with a secondary, soft iron cage within that surrounded the caliber 1066M to shield it from magnetic forces of up to 1000 Gauss. The cases were therefore larger and thicker, making them perfectly sized for today’s modern tastes. Due to their highly specialized nature, few were produced, making them exceptionally rare. The most prominent feature of the reference 6541 Milgauss is its unusual and delightful seconds hand in the shape of a lightning bolt. Other distinguishing features include a rotating bezel with a red-colored triangle and a honeycomb-patterned dial with non-luminous, circular hour markers and faceted, triangular hour markers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. The present example, manufactured in 1958, features a dial that has aged to a beautiful and uniform, so-called ‘tropical’ brown color, and includes all of its original parts and extremely well preserved case with sharp lines and beveled edges. A superb example of this highly coveted reference.

Rolex

Swiss | 1905
Founded 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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