Rolex’s famed and highly collectible Milgauss is a truly unique watch that was first produced in 1956. Production of these watches was discontinued in 1988, but they are available once again after being reintroduced in 2007 to an enthusiastic reception.
The Rolex Milgauss
The Milguass was and in fact still is designed as a watch suitable for people working in environments where strong electromagnetic fields can cause serious interference with standard watches. The Milgauss saw the introduction of a revolutionary antimagnetic design that allowed it to be used in environments such as power stations, medical facilities and research labs (much like CERN of Geneva) without any impact on the functioning of the watch.
The original Rolex Milgauss watches were very similar in appearance to the Rolex Submariner, only significantly larger. The larger size of the Milgauss watches was necessary in order to allow space for the Faraday Cage that enclosed the movement and protected it from magnetic interference.
Although Milgauss watches are still produced by Rolex today the original models are extremely collectible and are highly sought after by Rolex collectors. Despite being a very popular and iconic watch the original run of the Rolex Milgauss sold in relatively small numbers, presumably due its specialist nature, and as a result original examples can be quite hard to come by and often change hands for very large sums of money.
These watches were given the name Milguass due to the fact that it is capable of withstanding interference of magnetic fields with a strength of up to 1,000 gauss, the unit by which magnetic fields are measured. Thorough research by engineers of the CERN Institute has confirmed that Rolex Milguass is indeed the perfect watch for use in environments where electromagnetic interference is abnormally high.
The Milgauss is an unusual addition to the Rolex family, but it is this watch’s peculiar functionality combined with a classic, timeless design that makes it so popular with Rolex devotees.