The Milgauss is an unusual model in cheap Rolex replica watches‘ lineup and certainly a niche offering, generally classified as a watch for scientists. It didn’t have the cool factor of racecars, jets, and James Bond, and, like many models in their early years, tended to sit on shelves, attracting scant interest. The Daytona was also a rather hard seller early on, so that’s not an indictment of the model itself, but it did lack a more mainstream audience given its unique focus. The Milgauss was designed in the 1950s in partnership with CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire) to resist magnetic fields of up to 1,000 gauss. Surpassing most watches of the time with their limited 50 gauss magnetic resistance, the Milgauss name is a play on the French word mille, for thousand, and gauss from Carl Friedrich Gauss, the German physicist and geomagnetism scholar (among other disciplines).
1954-1957 – The proof of Concept, the Rolex Milgauss 6543
The first Milgauss, like many early Rolex models, was all about finding its footing and testing the waters in a prototype-like manner. Production only lasted for a handful of years, and most reliable sources indicate that the production numbers are somewhere between 75 and 200 examples at most. The CA best fake Rolex Milgauss 6543 watches is more of a proof of concept than a true production model, and finding an early Milgauss 6543 in its original condition is almost impossible. Only a handful of models have surfaced, such as this example sold by Christie’s in 2017. There were weird anomalies, such as a lug width somewhere between 19mm and 20mm (approximately 19.7mm), which ruled out standard Oyster bracelets at the time.
However, it was still a mature Rolex with a chronometer rating using the automatic calibre 1080 and a soft iron Faraday cage for its aforementioned anti-magnetic rating of 1,000 gauss. In this early model, it was more of an iron band than a container seen in subsequent models. Calibre 1080 was based on the first in-house Rolex calibre 1030 from 1950, and both beat at 18,000vph. The case was 38mm with an acrylic crystal, and it curiously featured an early black rotating Submariner bezel. Again, finding its legs.
The black dial had a honeycomb pattern that was more than just cool looking – it was woven with metal for additional magnetic resistance. The round indices appeared to have radium lume, but were actually void of lume, and the seconds hand was straight with a tiny counterweight – the seconds hand would alternate between straight and a lightning bolt shape throughout the high quality Rolex Milgauss copy watches‘ life, most notably with the modern references. The Dauphine hands did have lume inserts, and there were three faceted, triangular indices at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock that carried forward to the next reference along with the honeycomb dial. A metal bracelet was again not offered on the 6543, given the odd lug width.
CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire)
The European particle physics laboratory in Geneva partnered with Rolex in the 1950s after quantum physicists were frustrated that strong magnetic fields either disrupted or all but ruined their mechanical perfect replica Rolex watches. The original Milgauss was meant to address the issue, and its 1,000 gauss anti-magnetic resistance handily did the job. This partnership continues today with various initiatives, and Rolex sponsored the permanent Universe of Particles exhibition at the Globe of Science and Innovation building. CERN is best known for the Large Hadron Collider (the world’s largest particle accelerator) and its contribution to the development of the World Wide Web.
Large Hadron Collider
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider was a collaboration of over 100 countries and 10,000 scientists, all combining knowledge and resources to ultimately understand the building blocks of the universe. How exactly is this done? In layman’s terms, particles are accelerated to almost the speed of light around a giant 27-kilometre circular tunnel via superconducting magnets, specifically protons and ions, and then deliberately smashed together. This, in theory, paints a picture of conditions just after the Big Bang and also creates new particles to study. In 2012, for example, the Higgs boson particle was discovered, providing mass to other particles.
It became operational in September 2008, and while it is not the only particle accelerator in the world, it is the largest, highest-energy and most advanced. Given the use of high magnetism for such a project (and many others), the Milgauss is an ideal watch for CERN scientists.
1956-1960 – The Rolex Milgauss 6541
The next top fake Rolex Milgauss watches, reference 6541, is generally considered the first proper production model, and it adopted more familiar design elements of the series. It was, however, again produced in very small numbers, with virtually all case numbers starting with 412. Three big differentiators from the reference 6543 were a steel Oyster bracelet, a new and original bezel insert and a lightning bolt seconds hand, which became a signature element of modern Milgauss references. Calibre 1080 remained, along with the black metal-weaved dial. The new bezel insert had six sections to function as a stopwatch of sorts for scientific purposes. Its overall usefulness was perhaps debatable, but it brought a new look and personality to the Milgauss.
Interestingly (and maybe a bit of a knock to the new bezel), the American variant came with a non-rotating smooth steel bezel, which resulted in two distinctive ref. 6541 models. Before 6541 production ended in 1960, several other anti-magnetic 1:1 Swiss Rolex super clone watches had hit the market, including the Omega Railmaster, IWC Ingenieur, Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic and Patek Philippe ref. 3417.
Although this wasn’t a popular model with the Submariner, Explorer, GMT-Master and Datejust capturing more attention, Rolex gave the Milgauss to racecar drivers in the 1950s and well into the 1960s, including NASCAR and Daytona winners. Daytona 500 winner Glen Roberts was even featured in a Milgauss advertisement in 1962. Both the 6543 and 6541 are exceptionally rare today and nigh impossible to find – a particularly well preserved example of Milgauss 6451 recently sold for USD2.5 million at auction, even though this doesn’t represent the market (the buyer is supposed to be Rolex itself).
1960-1988 – The long-lived Rolex Milgauss 1019
The Swiss movements replica Rolex Milgauss reference 1019 watches was produced for almost 30 years and is, by far, the longest-running Milgauss and among the longest-running Rolex references in general. Many changes came with its debut, starting with calibre 1580. The frequency increased to 19,800vph with a 48-hour power reserve, and this automatic Rolex movement was exclusive to ref. 1019. The case remained at 38mm in diameter and water resistance was officially rated at 50 metres. The rotating timing bezel was dropped for a smooth steel counterpart, not unlike the American 6541, and the dial usually came in vertically brushed silver or matte black without the metal weave honeycomb pattern.
The faux lume circular indices and applied triangular counterparts at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock were replaced with more standard (for Rolex) applied indices with tritium tips, signified by T-SWISS-T at the bottom of the dial. Dial text had been consistent since the first 6543 with an applied coronet, ROLEX with OYSTER PERPETUAL underneath and MILGAUSS in red under that. SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED was printed in two lines above 6 o’clock. The straight seconds hand had a red arrowhead tip, while the familiar (kind of) Dauphine-style hands carried over, now with flat ends.
Subtle Variances
Although the 1019 remained fairly stable throughout its 28-year run, many subtle dial variances are notable. Starting with the minutes/seconds track, it went from a railroad track with five marks between indices to a more detailed half-hash mark design with a staggered series of long and short (half) marks providing ten marks between indices. Earliest models, however, had even more detailed 1/5 second marks and are predictably more collectible today. Early models also had square lume plots at the ends of indices, while round lume eventually became standard. The hands were polished with a central ridge for the first decade of 1019 production, shifting to a flat brushed style in 1970, although there was a mix of the two styles for some time, and all had tritium inserts.
“CERN dials” were silver ones without lume, removing all radioactive tritium from the dial at CERN’s request, leaving the hands with black enamel inserts. Then there’s the rare black dial models with a silver outer track and print (most black dials had white print). Both CERN and black/silver dials are very collectable (and expensive) today. A combination of rare and early features, like a black dial with silver print and square lume plots, is what collectors dream of. And finally, ROLEX was printed smaller on early 1019 dials through the late 1960s, while SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED curiously got smaller as ROLEX then got larger.
It wasn’t too uncommon for Rolex Milgauss fake watches for sale to sit on store shelves for a decade, so it was ultimately discontinued in 1988 as Rolex focused on more popular models. Similar to the Air-King, it would make a triumphant return after a seemingly permanent death. Unlike the Air-King, however, it took almost 20 years to resurface compared to just a couple with the more entry-level piece (that was no longer so “entry level” with its return).
2007-2023 – The Return and the end, the Rolex Milgauss 116400
Like the reborn Air-King, the cheap Rolex Milgauss replica watches CA returned as a different and more mature model, keeping enough specific features to remind you that it was, indeed, still a Milgauss. However, the Air-King only took a brief hiatus, while the Milgauss disappeared for 19 years, returning as the CERN Large Hadron Collider was finished (not yet “turned on”). It can be concluded that such a monumental scientific achievement by a historic Rolex (Milgauss) partner inspired the model’s return. Aesthetic changes were immediately clear, starting with the larger 40mm case (the fixed smooth bezel continued) on an Oyster bracelet. There were two dial colour options at launch, black and white, but a third option was an “anniversary” black dial with a green-tinted sapphire crystal (ref. 116400GV), known as Glace Verte or green glass. This crystal was a first for Rolex and was never repeated with another model. An “electric blue” or Z-Blue sunburst dial (coated in zirconium) joined the collection in 2014 with the green-tinted sapphire crystal. The green tinting process is said to be one of the most difficult aesthetic processes Rolex has ever attempted.
A major dial feature of top online copy Rolex ref. 116400 watches was the return of the lightning bolt seconds hand, last seen on ref. 6541 in 1960. It was orange on all dial variances, while that colour played other roles on dial elements, depending on the dial colour itself. The white dial had orange lume indices, while the black dial had square orange lume marks just after the indices. The blue dial simply had orange Arabic numerals on the minute/seconds track (same as the white dial). The black dial did not (yet) have Arabic numerals on the outer track (replaced by the square orange marks), and the track itself was white. MILGAUSS was printed in orange on all dials, no longer red. Although there was an inconsistency in colours on the dial variants, the overall design and dial layouts were consistent with the new Milgauss aesthetic. There was simply no mistaking any Milgauss variant for another model. Not long after the Z-Blue variant debuted in 2014, all clear crystal models were discontinued with the blue and black dials remaining under green crystals (the white dial disappeared entirely).
A note on the black dial – it evolved to be more in line with the other variants with orange Arabic numerals around the perimeter and yellow(ish) lume on the applied indices at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock.
Calibre 3131
The anti-magnetic soft iron cage remained shrouded around luxury 2025 Rolex replica watches‘ in-house automatic, but calibre 3131 also features anti-magnetic components of its own. For starters, there’s the proprietary, paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring comprised of niobium and zirconium, along with an anti-magnetic, amorphous nickel-phosphorus escapement. The new movement had 31 jewels, beat at a higher 28,800vph (4Hz) – the modern Rolex standard – and came with a 48-hour power reserve, unchanged from the older calibre 1580 in ref. 1019. It was a certified chronometer, but never featured the latest Chronergy escapement or boasted a Superlative Chronometer rating of +/-2 seconds per day.
The reborn Milgauss was somewhat unusual in the fact that it remained virtually unchanged during its 15+ year run with the same 3131 movement, not unlike the prior ref. 1019 with Cailbre 1580. Not neglected per se, but it certainly received less attention from Rolex than other prominent models, perhaps due to its more specific role as a “scientist’s watch” and being less of a mainstream model. It was (once again) discontinued in early 2023.
Collectors
Similar to the Daytona, the Rolex Milgauss fake watches site was unpopular for much of its life, but now commands serious attention from collectors. The fact that it’s recently discontinued (at least for now) naturally makes it more desirable. Early 6543 and 6541 models generally fall out of reach of collectors as they’re so rare today with seven-figure prices attached. As mentioned in 2023, a ref. 6541 sold at Phillips auction for CHF 2.24 million, which was a substantial record for the model. The last Milgauss record was in 2013 for CHF 317,000, so you can see where things stand today. That said, mere mortals can still afford many Milgauss models as ref. 1019 and ref. 116400/116400GV had sizeable runs. A nice white dial ref. 116400 with clear crystal can be found for around USD 7,500, while a black dial counterpart with square outer marks (no Arabic numerals) jumps a bit to USD 8,000. Not bad for a recent Milgauss that’s more interesting aesthetically than a Datejust or Explorer, not to mention that the last retail price was around USD 9,100.
Jump back in time to ref. 1019 and things certainly change, even though it had a much longer run. Prices start between USD 25,000 and 30,000 for nice examples, but can quickly double for more desirable models or those in pristine condition. That’s certainly not outrageous for a collectible Rolex, but it’s still serious money. The Milgauss is an unusual and niche Rolex that served a specific purpose, not unlike the Submariner or Explorer, but a “watch for scientists” never quite resonated like a diver or adventure watch. Interestingly, it was discontinued for a second time when a model like the Air-King had thrived in its second life. Time will tell if a third comeback is in the cards.
However, considering the latest innovations in watchmaking, such as silicon parts, including the possibly highly-antimagnetic Rolex Dynapulse escapement, and the METAS certification (with the need to pass a 15,000 gauss test), the very relevance of the perfect China replica Rolex watches is questionable. A watch named Milgauss, or 1,000 gauss, has become completely obsolete in the current state of the industry. That being said, we could see the concept of the scientific watch coming back – possibly a truly amagnetic watch, not only resistant to a certain level of magnetism, but unaffected by magnetic fields… It would, however, need another name. Or should it keep it for romantic purposes?
