Important Collectors' Watches, Pocket...
Geneva, Mar 16, 2008
LOT 724
Ref. 1019, Milgauss Rolex, ?Oyster Perpetual, Milgauss, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified?, case No.1915027, Ref. 1019. Made in 1968, sold on April, 7 1982. Very fine and rare, anti-magnetic, water-resistant, center seconds, self-winding, stainless steel wristwatch with a stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet. Accompanied by the original silver ?Milgauss? dial, booklets, certificate (now void) and a 2007 Rolex service invoice.
CHF 27,000 - 32,000
USD 24,000 - 30,000 / EUR 17,000 - 20,000
Sold: CHF 87,600
C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back and crown, inclined bezel, soft iron gilt metal antimagnetic protecting cap forming a Faraday cage. D. Black over soft iron with luminous steel baton indexes, outer white minute/seconds divisions, ?Milgauss? in red. Luminous tapered steel baton hands and red-tipped center seconds hand. M. Cal. 1580, 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 balance spring, Microstella regulating screws. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 37 mm. Thickness 13 mm. Approx. overall length 175 mm.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 2 |
Very good |
Movement: 2 |
Very good |
Dial: 1-34-02 |
As new Restored by the manufacture HANDS Service hands |
Notes
The name: "Milgauss", combines "Mil", meaning "mille" (a thousand), and "Gauss", for the unit of measure of magnetism. A normal movement can withstand up to 70-80 Gauss, but over that its working order would be 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, which represent extreme conditions. Yet with its dial, ring and the cover of its movement in soft iron -a true "oyster"- Rolex created a model which brilliantly resolved the problem.