2019 Rolex Milgauss Black Dial 116400GV
Ref: 116400GV

Points of Mention

This watch is sold with its original Rolex box and paperwork. The watch comes paired on its original Rolex bracelet with all links provided. The watch is from August 2019 and is sold in worn but fair condition as you can see, a full case and bracelet refurb can be provided at an additional cost. The watch comes with its original Manufacturer Warranty.

The Watch

Hans Wilsdorf founded Rolex in 1905 at the age of 24, along with Alfred Davis in London. In 1919 they moved their operation to Geneva, Switzerland. This move was brought about by high wartime taxes on Gold and Silver in the UK after the Great war 1914-1918. They were now closer to their suppliers in Bienne.

The Rolex Oyster case was released in 1926. Marketed as the world's first “waterproof” watch. The notches on the bezel and case back meant they could be screwed down to the middle case with a special tool invented and manufactured by Rolex to hermetically seal the case. In 1927 a young swimmer Miss Mercedes Gleitz swam the English channel wearing the “Oyster”. Later in 1933 the team of the first expedition to fly over Everest wore them. It was also famously worn by Sir Malcolm Campbell, “King Of Speed”, on the 4th September 1935. An advert of the time made a big splash with him saying “The Rolex watch is still keeping perfect time- I was wearing it yesterday when Bluebird exceeded 300 mph” He broke the world land speed record 9 times between 1924 and 1936. 1931 saw the debut of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, their first self-winding watch that was also water-resistant and dustproof.

The Rolex Milgauss was developed in 1954 specifically for scientists working in laboratories and research centers who required a timepiece that wouldn’t stop working when they were subjected to levels above 100 gausses. Rolex tested at CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research, and the Milgauss was born. They are specifically designed to work in areas of up to 1,000 Gauss’. Its name was created from the  French word Mille, meaning thousand and gauss, which is the unit of a magnetic field. Rolex, in 1988 decided to discontinue the Milgauss. It wasn’t until 2007 that they decided to reintroduce three models of the ref. 116400.

Our Rolex Milgauss 116400 GV has a 40mm polished and brushed Oyster case. Inside the case is a shield made from ferromagnetic alloys specifically chosen by Rolex; this acts as a Faraday cage. A lug to lug length of 49mm and a thickness of 13mm gives the watch an impressive wrist presence. The gentle curve of the case ensures a comfortable fit. On the right side is a TwinLock screw-down crown. The polished bezel holds a flat sapphire crystal tinted green, giving it the suffix GV or Glace Verte French for Green Glass. The black dial has an outer minute track with orange numerals. Applied baton indexes with the batons at 3, 6, and 9 filled with orange marking the hours. Broad baton hands are coated in Chromalight luminescence the same as the indexes. The iconic orange lightning bolt sweeps around the dial. At 12 o’clock, the applied Rolex crown with text precisely printed and the orange Milgauss that stands out against the black dial. At 6 o’clock, text signifying its chronometer certification. On the reverse, a coin-edged screw-down case back. Inside a Rolex Automatic Cal. 3131, 31 jewels, 28,800 beats per hour. This movement has a magnetic alloy Parachrom-Blu hairspring, resistant to magnetic fields and up to 10 times more resistant to shocks. The watch comes fitted on a stainless steel Oyster bracelet with an Oysterclasp with an Easylink 5mm extension and comes with its box and paperwork.

Personal Note