Rolex Milgauss 1019

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The Milgauss is one of the four legendary toolwatches introduced by Rolex in the 1950s, alongside the Submariner, Explorer, and GMT-Master. The Milgauss was one of the very first watches able to withstand intense magnetic fields, making it especially useful for scientists and engineers working in medical facilities, power plants, and laboratories.The 1019 is the successor to the exceedingly rare 6541 and 6543 Milgauss references. Introduced in 1960, the 1019 got rid of the rotating bezel that was found on the 6541/6543. The 38mm steel case with domed bezel gives the 1019 an elegant and modern look, even though the one we are offering was produced in 1968. The steel case is thick and even shows the original chamfered edges; just the way we like it. The watch sports cool cigarette hands with wonderful custard-colored tritium lume and a funky red-tipped arrowhead seconds hand that matches perfectly with the red font Milgauss text on the horizontally brushed silvered dial. The watch comes on a stainless steel folded Oyster bracelet and even includes the original box and papers!

Introduction

Rolex MilgaussThe Milgauss is the least-known of Rolex’ legendary toolwatches. After the Genevan powerhouse released a dedicated diver’s watch (the Submariner), a field watch (the Explorer), and a pilot’s watch (the GMT-Master) in the first half of the 1950s, it turned its attention to the needs of engineers and scientists. These men and women often worked in environments with intense magnetic fields, such as power plants, hospitals, and labs. Strong magnetic fields have an adverse effect on the accuracy of watches. This meant that the people that worked in such environments either had to accept a malfunctioning watch or forgo wearing one in the first place. Rolex solved this problem by introducing a soft iron inner case that protected the movement from harmful magnetism. The name of the watch, Milgauss, was derived from the French word ‘mille’ (meaning thousand) and ‘Gauss’ (the scientific unit for magnetism). Tests by the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) in the late 1950s showed that the Milgauss was indeed able to withstand strong magnetic fields; an amazing technical accomplishment!The first iterations of the Milgauss, the ref. 6541, was introduced in 1956. The 6541 and its successor the 6543 were cased in submariner-like cases, with rotating bezels. These references were only produced for a handful of years and due to their specialized nature less than two hundred were produced and sold, making them exceedingly rare.

Specifications

Shipping

Packages are generally dispatched within 2 days after receipt of payment and are shipped within the Netherlands by Registered Mail through the Dutch carrier PostNL and for other countries by Fedex. Consult us if you prefer another method of shipping. For most destinations tracking is available.