ROLEX MILGAUSS. The story behind!

I am personally in love with Rolex Milgauss History and this amazing watch that was discontinued in 2023 had his glory days in that year as everyone start looking more carefully this amazing and unique watch with his unique design and quite poetic hands. Maybe with Milgauss in this article you can find me exaggerating but honestly I can hide my love for this absolutely amazing watch were everything is unique.

ROLEX MILGAUSS Reference 6451

Rolex Milgauss was introduced in 1956 under the reference 6451, designed to serve the specific needs of the science and had the need of an antimagnetic watch. The scientist till then has a specific problem to face the time was disrupt due to the electromagnetic field that was greater than 50 to 100 gauss. That had as a result the scientists either not to wear a watch or to have a watch that was not working properly.

The need of a watch that would overcome this difficulties was vital, and Rolex as always accepted this challenge and Milgauss was created that took its name after Mil that comes from the French world 1000 and Gauss- that is used in order to measure the magnetic field.

ROLEX MILGAUSS European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

In the 1950s Rolex Milgauss was tested by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is one of the world’s largest and most respected centres for scientific research that started operating in 1952. CERN results were important not only for both scientific and watch community as they were able to identify that Milgauss resisted magnetic fields up to 1000 gauss.

Nevertheless the watch was not particular popular to the rest of the world and was discontinued in 1988. In 2007 Rolex decided to give one more chance to this iconic and special watch under the reference 116400 that was discontinued again in 2023.

ROLEX MILGAUSS Reference Numbers

• 1019: One of the most sought-after vintage Milgauss. Without luminous dots as requested by CERN who needed watch which wouldn’t interfere with their experiments since the tritium used as the luminous material emitted radioactive ”signals”. Because of this non-lune version, the 1019 Milgauss has become one of the more desirable vintage Milgauss models.
• 6541:  Similar to an early Submariner in its case design. 25-jewel, self-winding movement. Featuring a black rotating bezel. lightning bolt-shaped seconds hand.
• 116400GV: The anniversary Milgauss edition “glass verte” with green sapphire glass.
• 116400: The first model in Rolex’s revived Milgauss collection which launched in 2007 after nearly two decades of absence.

Want to learn more about how everything started? Check out this interesting article regarding ROLEX HISTORY