Final month, a record-setting classic Rolex Milgauss 6541 bought for $2.5 million at public sale. And it actually regarded like Rolex purchased it. The end result got here simply a few months after Rolex discontinued the fashionable Milgauss that had been in manufacturing since 2007. Lengthy the oddball of Rolex’s skilled watches, the modest “scientist’s watch” has discovered itself making headlines this 12 months, all with out actually doing a lot.
The Milgauss has by no means been the sexiest Rolex. The classic fashions sat in instances, typically for years, earlier than they bought. It’s not a Pan-Am pilot flying a jet or a diver reaching the depths of the ocean, or Paul Newman driving a race automotive. However science might be horny, too. The Milgauss is maybe finest identified for its affiliation with Geneva-based CERN, the European Group for Nuclear Analysis, the birthplace of the World Broad Net, and the lab the place scientists found the Higgs boson.
The record-setting Milgauss 6541 that bought for $2.5 million at public sale.
With the confluence of headlines, it’s time to ask: What the hell is happening with the Milgauss? Earlier than we actually reply that query, although, we’ve to check out the historical past of the mannequin and all of the issues you must know earlier than you even take into consideration accumulating a classic Milgauss. Then, we’ll make some guesses as to what the way forward for the Milgauss may appear like. Possibly Rolex purchased that classic Milgauss as a reference for the subsequent era of the mannequin; perhaps we’ll see it in a future museum or advertising and marketing marketing campaign. Or, perhaps the advertising and marketing marketing campaign has already begun.
Scientific Methodology: Gathering The Classic Milgauss
6543 and 6541: The First Milgauss
The primary Milgauss ref. 6543 – with a Submariner bezel and no lightning bolt second hand, the Milgauss hadn’t fairly come into its personal but. Picture: Courtesy of Christie’s
Rolex launched the Milgauss in 1954-55 because the scientist’s watch, ready to withstand magnetic fields as much as 1,000 gauss (mil- from the French mille, or thousand). Quickly, it’d turn into identified for being worn by scientists at Rolex’s Geneva neighbor, CERN. It was amongst a wave of different anti-magnetic watches launched within the ’50s, together with the Omega Railmaster, Patek ref. 3417, Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic, and IWC Ingenuier. The primary Milgauss, reference 6543, adopted by the 6541, are a number of the rarest and most mysterious watches in all of classic Rolex.
“To me, the Milgauss 6541 and 6543 are probably the most elusive fashions in Rolex instrument watch historical past,” Jasper Lijfering of Amsterdam Classic Watches mentioned. Jasper’s lengthy known as the early Milgauss his private grail – his store at present holds a 6541 in its “museum,” and he owns one other instance personally.
Two examples of the early Milgauss 6543: the primary has an early Sub bezel, whereas the second has a later-added bezel from the ref. 6541. Each photos: Corutesy of Christie’s
Rolex produced the primary reference 6543 for simply a few years within the mid-’50s. The 6543 is admittedly extra a proof of idea – most imagine Rolex produced lower than a pair hundred, and solely a handful have appeared on the fashionable market. It has an odd lug width between 19mm and 20mm, which meant it didn’t match a conventional Oyster bracelet. Inside, it used a Faraday cage made of sentimental iron to guard the automated motion inside from magnetism, the identical method that Rolex would use in later classic Milgauss fashions.
In 2017, a 6543 bought at Christie’s for CHF 271,500. As this instance reveals, the 6543 began to ascertain the Milgauss as a definite reference – particularly with that attractive black honeycomb dial webbed with metallic for extra magnetic resistance – nevertheless it additionally has a rotating bezel that’s most related to early Submariners. Christie’s additionally bought one other 6543 in 2012, however this one has a bezel from the later 6541 and alternative fingers from the even later 1019. If a 6543 in all-original situation ever appeared once more in the marketplace – and it’s attainable it gained’t, that’s how few there actually are – there’s no telling what it might promote for.
A Milgauss ref. 6541 from the assortment of Morgan King.
After the 6543, Rolex launched the 6541, which is the place the Milgauss actually got here into its personal: it stored the honeycomb dial, but in addition obtained a bezel design of its personal, divided into six sections. In response to Rolex advertisements, this bezel, “calibrated into sixty divisions, serves as a easy stopwatch or for timing totally different operations.” Possibly it wasn’t probably the most practical factor ever, nevertheless it’s cool and bizarre and gave the Milgauss a glance all its personal. The opposite immediately recognizable trait is that lightning bolt seconds hand, completely not like something Rolex has accomplished on another mannequin.
“Way back to I can bear in mind, the Milgauss has all the time been an outlier,” says Andrew Shear, a seller who’s been specializing in classic Rolex for 20-plus years, “an oddity that I needed to be taught extra about. It’s all the time been very troublesome to acquire, particularly in nice situation.” He pointed to the unique 6541 as significantly troublesome to acquire in good, authentic situation, full with the lightning bolt hand, authentic rotating bezel, and honeycomb dial, all in a thick case with factory-original bevels. It measures 38mm, putting it in a candy spot proper between the Explorer or Daytona and the Submariner or GMT.
The 6541 examples which have appeared on the fashionable market all have case numbers beginning with 412, main collectors to imagine that manufacturing was extraordinarily restricted, in all probability to only a batch of a pair hundred watches. Most advertisements for the 6541 have been positioned in scientific journals or periodicals, with Rolex touting its anti-magnetism and bezel for timing as excellent for professionals.
A Rolex Milgauss 6541 with easy bezel, considered for the American market. Picture: Courtesy of Monaco Legends
Whilst you’ll generally see the 6541 with a rotating bezel, Rolex additionally produced a model with a easy bezel – most assume this was produced completely for the American market. Shear advised me a lot of the 6541s he’s discovered within the States have this easy bezel. Apparently, the Milgauss 6541 wasn’t an enormous vendor, with Rolex discontinuing it by 1960. However Rolex would proceed to offer the Milgauss to NASCAR and Daytona winners by means of the mid-’60s. Rolex Journal even unearthed an advert lately that confirmed 1962 Daytona 500 winner Glen Roberts carrying his Milgauss.
A distinct segment watch traditionally, the primary Milgauss stays largely simply as area of interest for collectors at present. First is the problem of even discovering one. It’s extremely troublesome to discover a 6541 in good and authentic situation. And when it does seem at public sale, it would gin up curiosity from onlookers, however few are really as patrons.
“It’s not for everybody,” Shear mentioned. “Some folks get it, some don’t.”
The Document End result
Due to the restricted provide of excellent 6541s and the missing intercourse enchantment of the “scientist’s watch,” (no matter how horny I’d discover a lab coat), the market on the Milgauss hasn’t moved a lot up to now couple of many years. Earlier than the $2.5 million lead to Could, the report for a Milgauss at public sale was a 6541 that bought for about $350,000, means again in 2013. Costs for glorious examples had hovered round this vary for years, which is why, when Phillips positioned an estimate of CHF 500,000 to 1 million on its Milgauss, everybody was asking, “Might the Milgauss actually be a million-dollar watch?” – no matter how glorious the situation was.
In the long run, it was a $2 million-plus watch, and it’s headed again residence to a fortunate purchaser in Geneva. However sellers Lijfering and Shear have been each fast to warning that this doesn’t actually change the fact of the Milgauss marketplace for the remainder of us. A giant, one-off public sale result’s advertising and marketing as a lot because it represents an actual market.
“It takes time for consideration to crystallize and subsequently present a brand new market worth,” Lijfering mentioned. “A end result like this does have an effect over time, nevertheless it doesn’t change the market dramatically straight away.”
Shear added that he obtained a couple of dozen calls within the few days after the sale, from shoppers trying to promote their classic Milgauss. He says we are able to in all probability anticipate extra Milgausses in the marketplace over the subsequent few months as house owners see it as a chance to money in.
“It doesn’t change the marketplace for me in any means,” Shear mentioned. “It simply bolsters the idea that distinctive watches are in very excessive demand. And Rolex is shopping for distinctive watches at public sale, which is good to listen to.” Extra on what may be subsequent for the Milgauss in a second.
The Milgauss 1019
In 1960, Rolex retired the 6541 for the Milgauss 1019. Produced till the late Eighties, it grew to become one of many model’s longest-lived references, even when it wasn’t the most well-liked. Just like the 6541, the metal case of the 1019 measures 38mm, and the caliber 1580 is housed inside an internal delicate iron Faraday cage. However the 1019 is little question extra staid than the 6541: it loses the rotating bezel, honeycomb dial, and, sadly, the lightning bolt hand. Mostly, you’ll see it with a silver dial with vertical brushing or a matte black dial, although there was some variation over time, as we’ll see. Rolex additionally made silver dials with out lume, putting black enamel as an alternative – these have been made for CERN, so that they’re known as CERN dials, with the tritium lume eliminated, so there wasn’t any radioactivity.
“The sooner the higher,” Shear mentioned of the 1019’s collectibility. “Early CERN dials with black enamel markers and fingers are fascinating when in good situation. So are all-original early black dials.” However Shear emphasised once more that situation needs to be prioritized above rarity.
An early 1019 dial in comparison with a later instance: observe particularly the a lot smaller “Rolex” wordmark on the sooner, ’60s dial. Each photos: Courtesy of Tropical Watch
An NOS Milgauss 1019, bought through Loupe This; initially bought in 1990, it has a later gen dial.
Typically talking, there are two generations of 1019 dials. The primary era, produced by means of the late Sixties, has a smaller Rolex wordmark at 12 o’clock, whereas later dials or service dials have “Rolex” in a lot bigger textual content. There are additionally different delicate modifications over the 1019’s run: the early examples can have a seconds observe with 1/5 second increments additionally marked, a element that’s misplaced on later dials. You’ll additionally discover the “Superlative Chronometer Formally Licensed” textual content is shrunk on later examples. Since Rolex produced the 1019 throughout three many years, these modifications actually turn into emblematic of the Crown’s evolution: the model title is printed a lot smaller on early examples, and there are these 1/5-second increments, theoretically (although maybe not virtually), making the Milgauss a useful gizmo for timing science stuff. By the Eighties, the Rolex font on the dial has turn into a lot greater. Actually, the print on your entire dial is crisper and sharper – the Milgauss had developed into a real luxurious watch, with its authentic anti-magnetic traits, whereas nonetheless there, now secondary. Later dials additionally lose the 1/5-second tick marks.
One other notable change over the lifetime of the 1019 is the fingers: Most examples are polished, with a ridge down the center, whereas examples in the direction of the very finish of the mannequin’s manufacturing (in addition to later service fingers) are flat and brushed.
As Shear says, early examples are rarer (and more durable to search out in good situation). Black dials are more durable to search out and command a premium over silver dials. At present, a silver 1019 in good situation may promote within the mid-20s, whereas the same black dial may promote within the mid-30s. That mentioned, situation issues quite a bit. Final 12 months, Loupe This bought a NOS black 1019 for $75,000.
A classic 1019 with shiny black dial; observe the “Milgauss” textual content printed in reduction.
Maybe the rarest 1019s are the three identified examples with shiny black dials – Phillips bought one in 2017 for CHF 150,000. It’s a real gilt, shiny dial: observe how the purple “Milgauss” textual content seems to be printed in reduction. On the matte black variations, the purple textual content pops off the dial as a substitute.
Like the unique 6543 and 6541, the 1019 wasn’t actually a well-liked watch, typically sitting at sellers for years. Take that NOS 1019 for instance: It has a serial quantity relationship it to 1979, however the gross sales receipt reveals that it didn’t promote till 11 years later, in 1990.
The Fashionable Milgauss
Picture: Creator
Rolex discontinued the Milgauss in 1988, and the mannequin sat dormant till 2007, when Rolex launched the reference 116400. Upsized to a contemporary 40mm case with a easy bezel, the brand new Milgauss continued to make use of an inside anti-magnetic cage, however the up to date caliber 3131 additionally featured Rolex’s Parachrom Blue hairspring, an alloy with elevated anti-magnetic properties. Most notably, it featured a brilliant orange lightning bolt seconds hand, a callback to the unique 6541.
At introduction, the 116400 got here in three variations: a white dial, a black dial, and the “anniversary” 116400GV, which featured a black dial with inexperienced crystal (GV stands for glace verte in French, or inexperienced glass). The inexperienced crystal was the primary of its variety from Rolex, and the model claimed it was so troublesome to make it didn’t even hassle to patent the method.
In 2014, Rolex added a blue dial to the glace verte, calling the colourful sunburst dial Z-Blue. Quickly after, Rolex discontinued the black and white dial, non-GV fashions. Regardless of, the GV was the most effective of the bunch anyway, a colourful watch that when appeared not possible within the somber years earlier than Rolex began placing emojis on its date wheels. The 116400GV grew to become a mainstay of Rolex’s catalog till it was discontinued in 2022. In direction of the tip of its run, it grew to become one thing of an in-joke, with fanatics clamoring for an up to date Milgauss yearly.
Picture: Creator
Yow will discover every kind of opinions on the most effective trendy Milgauss: Danny likes the black dial GV, whereas others have argued for the white dial or the Z-Blue GV. I can affirm Z-Blue is the right reply, backed up by not solely by my very own beautiful style, but in addition by a really unscientific Instagram ballot (55 p.c voting Z-Blue over white or black) and my pals within the Hodinkee Store, who appear to persistently value the Z-Blue model increased than the others.
The Future Of The Milgauss
Milgauss 116400
Then, similar to that, the Milgauss was gone. Fifteen years is a very long time for a contemporary Rolex to take a seat unchanged within the catalog, and the 116400 did begin to really feel a bit dated, even when in an enthralling late-2000s “extra is healthier” form of means. The colours are brilliant and in your face. And whereas we’ve turn into accustomed to that from Rolex over the previous few years, starting with the colourful Oyster Perpetuals, the Crown wasn’t all the time so kaleidoscopic.
Little doubt the Milgauss shall be again someday quickly – whether or not it’s two years or 20 years (just like the hole between the 1019 and the 116400) is not possible to know. It’s much more futile guessing what an up to date Milgauss may appear like. Did Rolex pay a record-setting value for that Milgauss to function inspiration for a future launch? Or perhaps it simply desires to make use of that 6541 in a future advertising and marketing marketing campaign, and it didn’t have a superb one in its intensive assortment but? I feel it’s additionally attainable the splashy end result was a part of the aim of bidding on the watch – to generate some headlines and curiosity within the mannequin simply after discontinuing it to get people enthusiastic about when it would come again. In any case, manufacturers have lengthy used auctions as advertising and marketing instruments.
Over time, Rolex has made delicate nods to its classic watches. Take the brand new Daytona, for instance, with its up to date bezel and subdials that appear like previous references (even more true with the new Le Mans Daytona). The brand new 1908 assortment attracts inspiration from a 1934 Bubbleback that Rolex had on show at Watches & Wonders. It appears doubtless that an up to date Milgauss can have some delicate nods to the 6541; Rolex doesn’t do outright fan service like Tudor, nevertheless it typically does this in additional delicate methods.
In the meantime, the secondary marketplace for the Milgauss will doubtless stay “regular as she goes,” as Shear put it to me. One end result doesn’t make a market, and that is much more true when the client is the very model that made the watch, and paid almost 10x what anybody else had ever publicly paid for a Milgauss. As Shear mentioned, the classic Milgauss has all the time been a curiosity to many, however relating to truly shopping for one, curiosity thins significantly. It feels as if historical past is sure to repeat itself – whereas the fashionable Milgauss, particularly the GV, has a cult following, a watch with a inexperienced crystal, lightning bolt hand, and a narrative tied to science is all the time going to be the oddball in comparison with the diver’s Submariner or the driving force’s Daytona. However for individuals who need one thing totally different, that’s additionally the enchantment.
