Rolex - STYLED. Timeless Watches & How to Wear Them New York Wednesday, December 5, 2018 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1970
    Reference No: 1019, inside case back stamped 1019 III.68
    Movement No: M’711’858
    Case No: 2’626’181
    Model Name: Milgauss
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, reference 78360, end links stamped no. 558, max length 220mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp, reference 78360, stamped F for 1981
    Dimensions: 37.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.
    Accessories: Accompanied by additional silver dial, punched guarantee papers from Schaap en Citroen Juweliers B.V. in Amsterdam, product literature, hang tag, original inner and outer box, with the serial number attached to the outer box.
    Literature: The present reference 1019 is documented and illustrated in 100 Superlative Rolex Watches by John Goldberger, p. 183.

  • Catalogue Essay

    The Milgauss is the result of a direct collaboration between Rolex and the Geneva-based nuclear-research organization, CERN - Centre Européen de Recherche Nucléaire (European Organization for Nuclear Research). Their aim was to develop a wristwatch that could withstand intense magnetic fields and thus be worn by the CERN engineers and laboratory workers constantly in highly magnetic environments.

    The result was the Milgauss, deriving its name from the Latin “mille” meaning a thousand, and “Gauss” representing the unit measure for magnetism, deriving its name from German mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss. In the early 1960s, the newly introduced Rolex Milgauss reference 1019, like the present lot, replaced the original two versions: references 6541 and 6543. Significantly thinner than its predecessors, it was manufactured until 1990 and was available only in stainless steel.

    The present watch is fitted with a flawless black matte dial that permits the desirable red “Milgauss” text at 12 o’clock to vividly stand out. An exceptional and complete example preserved in outstanding condition, it retains all its sharp edges and bevels. The presence of the original Rolex sticker on the case back suggests that this watch was rarely worn. Attesting to the quality of the present lot, it was selected as an exemplary example of the reference in John Goldberger’s tome, 100 Superlative Rolex Watches. Accompanied by its original guarantee, box and hangtag, as well as an additional silver Milgauss dial, it is a great find for the connoisseur of vintage wristwatches

  • Artist Biography

    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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Ο81

Ref. 1019, inside case back stamped 1019 III.68
A well-preserved and rare stainless steel anti-magnetic wristwatch with center seconds, black dial, caseback sticker, bracelet, additional silver dial, original punched guarantee, and original presentation box

Circa 1970
37.5mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.

Estimate
$30,000 - 50,000 
CHF29,900-49,800
€26,100-43,400
HK$235,000-392,000

Sold for $62,500

Contact Specialist
Paul Boutros
Head of Watches, Americas
+1 212 940 1293
pboutros@phillips.com

STYLED. Timeless Watches & How to Wear Them

New York Auction 5 December 2018