Rolex Milgauss ref. 1019 Full Set

Serial 61369**, 1979

Case:
in steel
Serial and reference are perfectly visible between the lugs
Perfect condition

Dial:
original Rolex Silver Dial
Perfect Condition

Case back:
original Rolex caseback 1019
perfect condition

Bracelet:
original Rolex Oyster ref. 78360/580
clasp k2
perfect condition

Accessories:
original Rolex box with 1019 sticker, Rolex punched papers, booklet, wallet, green tag, sealing wax tag.

Price: 44.000 €

The Milgauss is one of the four legendary toolwatches introduced by Rolex in the 1950s, along with the Submariner, Explorer, and GMT-Master.
Like so many other Rolex watches, the Milgauss watch was developed to serve a very specific audience. With its resistance to magnetism of up to 1,000 Gauss, the Rolex Milgauss was intended for scientists, engineers, and medical professionals who often found themselves in high magnetic fields. Magnetism is harmful to mechanical watch movements, so an antimagnetic watch is useful when exposed to high magnetic field environments. Rolex introduced the Milgauss in the mid-1950s, and the collection has undergone many changes since then.

During its period of production it was one of the most unpopular models in the Rolex catalog. Along with the Milgauss 1019, there were many other Rolex watches that were once considered failures only to re-emerge as sought-after vintage references (e.g., the Daytona).
The case diameter was 38mm ,enlarged from the then standard 36mm to accommodate the Faraday anti-magnetic cage that surrounded the movement. The Milgauss 1019 mounted the seconds hand equipped with a unique red arrowhead. None of these hands were ever used on other Rolex models. During these years there were variations in the dials; the early models had Half-Hash indices, that is, the circular seconds scale that divided each second in half. The dials were brushed silver and black with and without luminous material, close seconds scale (Half-Hash), baton hands with the arrowhead seconds hand. Later they became silver and black with seconds not close but placed on the perimeter.

The 1019 mounted the 1530-derived cal 1580, with about 30 modifications for anti-magnetism; waterproof to 50 mt. Production of the Milgauss 1019 lasted about 28 years, ending in 1988.
A watch that has sent even the most knowledgeable people into confusion for years, but as I always say, to know a reference you have to have had a chance to compare so many examples over the years of production. Very often you find Milgausses with serial numbers and characteristics much older than the date of sale, a subject I have covered and explained in my Blog. They were simply watches made and unsold , completed only at the time of sale.
In conclusion, the 38 mm case is extremely wearable and has the perfect size on the wrist. the case profile is slim and the raised plexi adds to its vintage appeal. It looks very utilitarian, but the structure of the dial, the shape of the case, and the red flash of the seconds hand make it really interesting on the wrist.