Now Live: Rolex Milgauss Ref. 1019, February 1970, Full Set

Now live: a Rolex Milgauss ref. 1019 from February 1970, complete with box and original papers. Built for scientists and engineers working in magnetic fields up to 1,000 gauss, the 1019 is one of the most specialized and least produced professional references Rolex ever made. This one has an early Mark 1 dial with fully intact square lollipop tritium plots, a sharp case and its dated folded-link bracelet.

Why It Matters

The Milgauss was Rolex’s answer to a problem most watch buyers never had. Laboratories, power stations and research facilities of the 1950s exposed watches to magnetic fields strong enough to stop them. Rolex wrapped the movement in a soft-iron inner shield and named the result for its resistance: mille, a thousand, and gauss.

The 1019 arrived around 1960, replacing the original 6541 with a cleaner dial and a straight seconds hand. It stayed in the catalog until 1988, but it never sold in volume, which is precisely why honest examples are scarce today. Rolex left the name dormant for nearly two decades after that and retired it again in 2023.

That makes the 1019 the long-running, purpose-built heart of the Milgauss story, and a reference that has only become more interesting as the model itself disappeared.

This Example

The case has barely been touched. The 1019 reference at 12 o’clock and the serial at 6 o’clock are crisp, and the caseback is stamped 1019 inside and dated 2/70. The early Mark 1 dial carries the rare square lollipop tritium plots, every one intact with no loss under a 10x loupe, and the hands match in tone. It wears its reference 7836 folded-link bracelet with 580 end pieces, the Oysterlock clasp dated to match, and it comes with box and original papers.

Specifications

Reference

1019

Year

1970, caseback dated 2/70

Case

38mm stainless steel Oyster, fixed bezel, Triplock crown

Movement

Caliber 1580, automatic, soft-iron magnetic shield

Dial

Mark 1, square lollipop tritium plots

Bracelet

Ref. 7836 folded link, 580 end pieces, dated Oysterlock clasp

Set

Box and original papers

Price

$49,000

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