Important Collectors Watches, Pocket ...
New York, Jun 18, 2008
LOT 65
Ref. 1019 Milgauss Mark I Rolex, ?Oyster Perpetual, Milgauss, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified,? Ref. 1019. Made in 1968. Very fine and rare, anti-magnetic, water-resistant, center seconds, self-winding, stainless steel wristwatch with a stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet.
USD 25,000 - 35,000
EUR 16,000 - 23,000
Sold: USD 28,800
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. Brushed silver over soft iron with luminous steel baton indexes, outer 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. 38 mm. Thickness 12 mm.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 3 |
Good |
Movement: 2 |
Very good |
Dial: 3-01 |
Good HANDS Original |
Notes
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, but 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, which, until its creation, were intolerable conditions for any watch. 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.