
Jonathan Darracott
Global Head
Sold for £13,812.50 inc. premium
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Head of sale, Knightsbridge
The Milgauss model was designed for use in areas of high electro-magnetic fields found in laboratories and electro-engineering. In particular it was Rolexs' partnership with the world renowned Nuclear research centre CERN (Centre Européen de Recherche Nucléaire) that resulted in such a technically advanced watch. Its name is derived from the Greek "Mil" for thousand and "Gauss", the unit to measure magnetism. A normal watch movement can withstand to 70-90 Gauss whereas the Milgauss keeps its incredibly precision in a magnetic field up to 1000 Gauss. In production from 1966 to 1990, the model was only available in stainless steel with a choice of silvered or black dial.
At first glance the Milgauss 1019 can appear rather unassuming when put in comparison with its cousins in the Rolex line up. In fact, during its original production period the enthusiasm for the model was only ever lukewarm. This lower level of success translated into lower production numbers making the model rarer. For the 21st century collector, the 1019 now shines as an example of how Rolex sometimes were ahead in combining design with function.