Rolex Milgauss Review – The Most Underrated Rolex?
by Raman Kalra
Raman Kalra is the founder of The Watch Muse blog and has kindly agreed to share some of his articles with us here on Quill & Pad.
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Rolex has always been known for their tool watches, whether for divers, explorers, or racing drivers, but there was another tool watch in the lineup – the Milgauss. Known for being the scientist’s watch, with non-magnetic properties up to 1,000 gauss which is where the name derives from, it was designed for those working in power plants, laboratories, and the medical field.
Given the slightly more niche nature of the Milgauss, it was never a hugely popular model and was ultimately discontinued in 1988. However, Rolex surprised the watch world at Baselworld, in 2007, with a modern interpretation.
Unfortunately, Rolex decided to discontinue the Milgauss collection early 2023.
The modern Milgauss, despite being one of the longest-standing current offerings by Rolex (we are now well over a decade since last release!), remains one of Rolex’s more under-appreciated models. Having owned a black dial 116400GV since 2016, I am here to tell you why it might be time to start thinking otherwise.
Rolex Milgauss on the wrist (photo courtesy Raman Kalra)
Top Reasons for Being Underrated
The green glass!
How could it not be that green glass? No other watch brand has ever managed to create a colored sapphire crystal. Rolex is so confident in its creation that it is still not patented, even though Rolex are usually eager to protect their inventions. In their own words “it is so difficult to make that no one else would even venture to try.”
This is just super cool. Not even the most elusive and expensive watches in the world can claim this. The glass is made in such a way that it is not just a coating, but the tint is present throughout the whole crystal, taking weeks to manufacture. However, even on top of the material complexity, there are other benefits to the green glass. The main is light play. Looking at the watch directly, you only see a very faint green outline.
Rolex Milgauss ref 116400GV (photo courtesy Watchbox)
Tilt the watch and it becomes a richer, deeper accent. But hit the light correctly, and the whole watch glows. It becomes this luminescent feature, bringing a sense of intrigue and life to the watch. For me, it goes perfectly with the scientific heritage this watch has.
It may sound silly but if you were to imagine an image that represents nuclear science, I would bet at least some of you would think of a glowing test tube. The glass manages to replicate that in some sense and indirectly is a perfect way to give a nod back to why this watch was conceived.
The final point I will mention on the glass is the color – green. Rolex and green are synonymous. Green has a tendency to show up in many of the anniversary models – think the ‘Kermit’ 50th-anniversary Submariner (ref 16610LV), 60th-anniversary Day-Date with olive dial (ref 228235), 50th-anniversary gold GMT (ref 116718LN). Yes, this was the re-launch of the Milgauss and Rolex used their coveted green on the watch.
Rolex Milgauss ref 116400GV (photo courtesy Raman Kalra)
Every time I look down, the glass gives me something different to look at, something emotive about the level of engineering to produce it, and ultimately reminds me this watch could only be one brand – Rolex.
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Color Palette – 1970s
I know that the color palette won’t be for everyone. I am sure you know what the 116400GV looks like, but let me spell out the extent of color used. Black dial, green glass, white indices and minute markers, orange second-hand, orange 5-minute markers and a lighter, different orange for the 3-6-9 indices. It is a lot but pulling it all together works. There is enough color there to give off a sporty vibe, but still manages to be refined, giving you a versatile watch to wear for every occasion.
Taking a step back and considering the broader watch market, undoubtedly the fashion of the last 5 years has been centered around vintage-inspired watches, specifically focused on the 1970s. A lot of this comes down to the meteoric rise in demand for Gerald Genta designed steel sports watches with integrated bracelets – Patek Philippe Nautilus, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and IWC Ingenieur to name a few. Although, with this rise in demand, many of these watches are now unreachable for most.
This demand has moved away from just integrated stainless steel sports watches, and now you are finding more general 1970s-inspired watches at different price points e.g., Glashütte Seventies Chronograph or the Tudor Heritage Chrono. This is where the Milgauss comes in. The correct combination of colors found on the dial gives you a ‘70s vibe without following the crowd.
On top of that, the Milgauss is very much a modern watch, designed in modern times, which fits the current fashion without seemingly trying to. It manages to achieve a vintage look without clear intention – I’m looking at you fauxtina.
Versatility
I consider most, though not all, Rolex watches to be versatile. You can wear a Submariner at the beach and the office. Similarly, a Day-Date, which is naturally more formal, still doesn’t look out of place with a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. The Milgauss is no exception, although it falls in the middle of the spectrum between the Submariner and Day-Date.
Breaking down each individual feature of the watch into a scale between the generally accepted ideas of what dictates a formal or informal watch, it is easy to see how the Milgauss fits somewhere in the middle.
Below I’ll rate the elements of the Milgauss 3 categories: Formal, Neutral, and Casual.
Bracelet – Casual: Comparing the two bracelets on offer by Rolex – Jubilee vs. Oyster, the Milgauss comes on the Oyster bracelet which is traditionally seen as the more casual option. Yes, a leather strap should be the formal standard, but I’m only considering the two bracelet variations on offer.
Case Size – Neutral: The Milgauss case size is 40mm. Not what I would wear as a formal watch (I lean towards a 36mm), but it also isn’t a 44mm IWC Pilot’s watch.
Complication – Formal: It is a time-only watch; no date, no chronograph.
Bezel – Neutral: It comes with a smooth bezel. It isn’t a rotating GMT or diving bezel, but also it is not fluted.
Thickness – Neutral: The Milgauss has a case thickness of 13mm. It is not thin, but like case size, there are much thicker watches out there.
Crown Guards – Formal: It is a Yes/No question. Crown guards are saved for more casual tool watches given their purpose is to essentially protect the crown while the profession is carried out.
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Orange lightning bolt seconds
The modern Milgauss is made up of many unique parts, but the second hand is not only unique, but it is also a direct feature that descended from the original ref. 6541.
Rolex Milgauss hands
Other watches play around with individual second hands, whether by color or adding in certain elements near the tip (Tudor with the Snowflake and Omega Aqua Terra are rated above 15,000 Gauss for example), but none come close to the orange lightning bolt found on the 116400 rated to 1,000 Guass. Mille is French for 1,000 hence the name Milgausse.
It is one-of-a-kind, so much so, that you can see the second hand alone and know it can only come from one watch.
Whilst being both a homage and unique, Rolex achieved something great with the design originally by incorporating a symbol that signifies Energy. This reflects the scientists who the watch was made for, but also CERN, where the watch was tested.
CERN is the site of the Large Hadron Collider, which is the world’s highest energy particle collider. How better to pay respect to this than have a lightning bolt sweeping around the dial constantly, the main hand on the watch allowing you to visually see the release of energy from the mainspring at any time?
And all this in a magnificent orange. Again, all pointing towards one thing. Energy.
The Anti-Rolex
I love Rolex. I love everything that Rolex stands for in terms of precision, going above and beyond in your craft to make truly the best, most refined product possible. I love that their designs across the range are timeless. No other brand can trim down the lugs by a few millimeters and release it as a whole new model (with an extra waitlist nonetheless!).
But, sometimes this can be unexciting. Let’s take the new 2021 Explorer II as an example. With the 50th anniversary of the Explorer II in 2021, many expected something novel to be done with the model to commemorate the milestone, whether it was the addition of a ceramic bezel or a green GMT hand.
But this was not the case, with a watch that at first glance looked identical to the previous iteration. In situations like this, even though the Explorer II is a great watch and the changes made can only be considered improvements, it does lack in terms of excitement.
Rolex Milgauss ref 116400GV (photo courtesy Raman Kalra)
This is where the Milgauss, however, goes against the grain. For such a reserved company, that looks to create subtle variations in its iterations of original designs conceived, in most cases, long before the 21st century, the Milgauss is different. It is bold, it pushes the boundaries of what is to be expected from Rolex, and it has an element of fun. Granted some of their recent offerings have been more in this stride, such as the 2021 “palm” motif Datejust, the Milgauss was ahead of its time in this sense.
Further, despite the color and boldness of the watch, the Milgauss is not as widely “known” as some of the other offerings such as the Submariner and Datejust, which can allow it to fly under the radar to some extent. This to me is just an extra plus.
Where the Milgauss Could Be Improved
Thickness
The biggest wish for the next Milgauss iteration from me is to reduce some of its thickness which is currently 13mm. I am torn in writing this because the thickness comes from the faraday cage that Rolex uses in between the case back and the movement.
Originally, this was the defining factor in the watch being non-magnetic, and the fact that it was kept in the modern Milgauss is just cool. If you were to open up the back of the watch, which I don’t recommend and is fully reserved for Rolex-approved watchmakers, the Faraday cage has a B with an arrow above (the symbol for magnetic flux density) engraved on it. Yet another unique detail.
But, with modern technology in watch movements having non-magnetic properties such as the paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring in the 3131 movement, the faraday cage is now just there for bragging rights. Now, when it comes to wearing the watch daily whether it’s with a suit or just casually, the heft becomes noticeable when I compare it to some other watches in the collection. For pure convenience, I wouldn’t mind an extra 1mm in thinness. Yes, 1mm makes a difference.
Crown Guards?
I had not considered this until the new 2022 Air-King was released. I will go into my Air-King thoughts another day, but the crown guards definitely added something extra for me. It gave the Air-King a new sportiness, somehow now fitting better in the Rolex Professional category and what I would consider a tool watch.
Rolex Milgauss ref 116400GV (photo courtesy Watchfinder)
It got me thinking about the Milgauss, and I think crown guards could add that same something extra. Yes, they might take away some of the versatility that I mentioned above, but in return, you would be giving it a more go-anywhere, ruggedness. This could all be personal preference, but something I would watch out for on the next iteration.
Quick Facts Rolex Milgauss
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds
Case: Oystersteel
Dimensions: 40mm x 13 mm
Movement: Rolex caliber 3131, automatic winding, non-magnetic, Faraday cage rated to 1,000 Gauss, Parachrom-Blu hairspring, 4 Hz, COSC chronometer rated
Water resistance: 100 meters
Strap/bracelet: Oyster bracelet
Price: $9,150 in 2022
Notes: modern production 2007-2023 (discontinued 2023)
You can read more articles by Raman Kalra at www.thewatchmuse.com.
You might also enjoy:
Rolex Air-King: Cool Idea, Poor Execution
Rolex Submariner vs. GMT Master II: Small Differences, Difficult Decision
Tudor Pelagos 39 mm Thoughts: Blandly Exciting, or Excitingly Bland?
Rolex Case Study: How Many Watches and How Much Money Does Rolex Make?
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Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!
1. I dont love rolex – most of what the author sees as pros I see as cons.
2. What Im about to say is absolutely not original but I’ll say it regardless.
Really, in 2023 everybody, even people not into Rolex, know pretty much everything there is to know about Rolex. Rolex spends more on marketing than Omega and Cartier combined to make sure of this. The idea of an underrated Rolex seems kind of impossible.
“The idea of an underrated Rolex seems kind of impossible.”
And yet Rolex discontinued production of the Milgauss earlier this year so it appears that even the impossible can happen to Rolex.
Regards, Ian
Hi Pete,
Appreciate you views on the pros and cons. It’s good we all like different things!
People knowing about Rolex and their models does not equal to them all being loved/appreciated for what they are. I think the Milgauss is one that is more misunderstood. Breaking down the small details, I find it to be one of the more interesting references they produced. Thanks!
Rolex is allowing dealers to scam us. Rolex has more than enough of a supply of watches, dealers don’t release watches unless you start spending thousands at there store and buy other products. It’s not a supply and demand issue. It’s a hoarding issue to get you to spend on other things and later get rewarded with a Rolex. I’m going to look at Omega instead
That’s an interesting theory Rocco, but I find it difficult to understand the advantages to Rolex retailers of holding back stock.
If Rolex is already making enough watches to supply the demand and the shortages are just caused by dealers holding back stock, then why is Rolex spending a fiôrtune in Switzerland building 3 new temporary production facilities, and more than $1 billion dollars on a big new manufacture in Bulle?
If a dealer gets allocated 100 Rolexes, I can understand them offering first to their best customers (they would be silly not to), but if they have say 80 left, why – after spending money on buying them – would they not want to sell them as quickly as they can and bank the profits?
Especially knowing that Rolex is aware of how many watches they have so they would risk getting a smaller allocation in their next batch.
What is the advantage to a dealer to lie and tell a potential Rolex customer that they do not have the watch they want when they may not want an Omega (that’s anyway likely to cost less so generate less profit) and the potential customer is very likely to walk out the door and look elsewhere?
You might speculate that the dealers are holding back stock in the hope it increases in value, but that’s a risky bet bearing in mind that Rolex will soon be producing a lot more watches (which according to your theory they don’t need).
Every Rolex dealer worldwide holding back stock while Rolex is significantly increasing production makes no sense to me. Especially when the more likely explanation is simply demand far outstripping supply.
Regards, Ian
Ian,
It is useless to use logic with conspiracy theorists. And why are this way? Because they believe (and are told by youtube influencers) that it is their right to buy any Rolex at any time at an AD and then turn around and flip it at a considerable profit. And because they can’t there must be some nefarious reason why. So they get angry and in a huff say: I will buy an Omega. OK, try buying an Ed White 321 or Snoopy Speedmaster at retail. They are harder to get than a Rolex and surprise, being flipped for considerable profit. Which proves many Rolexes and certain Omegas are extremely popular and therefore availability is based on supply and demand and nothing more.
I know. I’m not replying with any naive belief that I will change any commenters own opinion: my goal is to ensure that anyone reading who hasn’t yet made up their mind will see an alternative opinion/explanation.
I live in hope!
Regards, Ian
p.s. and to let people like yourself know that you are not alone 😉
Rolex keep supply limited, excess production is branded Tudor, available off the shelf and not resold at a huge profit.
So you think that Rolex takes their ‘excess’ supply of Rolex watches and replaces the movements, cases and dials and sells them as Tudor watches?
Rolex is known as a very well run company, and their watches are in high demand so why would there be any excess supply?
Tudor has their own factory making their own movements and cases, there is little commonality in components in Rolex’s and Tudor, though they do share engineering and quality knowledge.
There is an obvious extremely high demand for Rolexes and Rolex is building factories to meet that demand.
Rolex is in the business of making and selling watches and could easily move upmarket and sell their watches at a higher price if they wished. They don’t have to mischievously limit production to increase prices.
Demand exceeding supply more than explains the shortage of Rolexes, we don’t need to spread unfounded conspiracy theories of holding back supply, which benefits nobody.
Regards, Ian
Sounds like alot of people have not had the privilege to be a rolex owner, I guess smart watches are cool to.
there is only one watch – ROLEX
I love the Milgauss! I own its cousin, the Air-King 116900 — Identical to the Milgauss except for the dial. I always tend to gravitate toward the less popular, overlooked offerings of a given brand. It’s easy to run with the herd, but taking the road less traveled requires a little more imagination. You need to be a bit of an iconoclast.
When it comes to watch collecting, today’s trash often proves to be tomorrow’s treasure. Think about the old Cosmograph. Back in the day, dealers couldn’t give them away. Now, certain examples bring upper six figures at auction. Some pieces are more of an acquired taste.
Time and again, I’ve heard some very astute Rolex collectors site both the Milgauss and 116900 Air-King as future classics. Regardless, I think they’re both wonderfully refreshing and a lot of fun — a couple of truly unique pieces with great character. A reminder that “The Jolly Green Giant” isn’t always as boring and predictable as some may think …
TCB
we all know why we get served always the same information.
it creates clicks, sure clicks and clicks is business (money, attention, whatever).
with or without relevant content. Here we’re slightly on the upside regarding a few details.
but it doesn’t change anything.
Why does QP not focus on their core interest, high luxury? because you need to remain relevant and that you only can if you pull enough readers in, with more common mainstream interests.
Those interests are diverse, but an easy choice is to play the rolex card, especially when there’s no actual news to tell.
good luck, it’s a successful business approach.
I like this article. Glad to see the Milgauss getting some love. Agree it is underrated. My Z-Blue is fantastic. Had a meeting the other day and someone was wearing the white dialed version. We had a good conversation. Disagree about the crown guards. It’s classic as it is.
There aren’t many modern Rolex that are conversation starters but the Milgauss is definitely one of them! Choosing between the z-blue and black dial was a tough one!
Maybe you are right about the crown guards. I have a feeling it is coming thought and will follow the Air-King…