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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.
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