Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Du Rhône, Nov 12, 2006

LOT 325

Stainless Steel Ref. 1019, ?Milgauss? Rolex, ?Oyster Perpetual, Milgauss, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified?, Ref. 1019. Case No. 1615790. Made in 1970. Very fine and rare, antimagnetic, water-resistant, center seconds, self-winding, stainless steel gentleman?s wristwatch with a stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet.

CHF 23,000 - 28,000

EUR 15,000 - 18,000 / USD 18,000 - 22,000

Sold: CHF 28,320

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back and crown, inclined bezel, gilt soft iron antimagnetic cap forming a Faraday cage. D. Matte black with faceted steel baton indexes, outer minute/seconds divisions. Luminous tapered steel "baton" hands and red-tipped center seconds hand. M. Cal. 1570/80, rhodium-plated, 26 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to 5 positions and temperature, shock-absorber, self-compensating free-sprung white metal Breguet balancespring, microstella regulating screws. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 38 mm. Thickness 12 mm. Property of an Asian Collector


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Ref. 1019 Production of this reference started in 1966. The reference 1019 is made only in stainless steel with a polished bezel. Milgauss The name 'Milgauss', combines 'Mil', meaning (a thousand), and 'Gauss', for the unit of measure of magnetism. A normal movement can withstand up to 70-80 Gauss; over that its working order is compromised. Most good watches resist magnetic fields of 60 to 70 Gauss, but the 'Milgauss' keeps its astounding precision in magnetic fields up to 1000 Gauss. Yet with its dial, ring and the cover of its movement in soft iron forming a Faraday cage, Rolex created a model which brilliantly solved the problem. Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777 - 1855) German astronomer, mathematician and physicist. Author of important works on celestial mechanics, geodesy, magnetism, electromagnetism and optics. Michael Faraday (1791-1867) English chemist and physicist, known for his pioneering experiments in electricity and magnetism. Many of his concepts, derived directly from experiments, such as lines of magnetic force, have become common ideas in modern physics. Gauss A magnetic induction unit, symbol g in the C.G.S. system. A similar watch is published in ?Rolex, Collecting Modern and Vintage Wristwatches?, by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, 2005, vol. I, pp. 402, 404, and 405.