The Vault › All references › Milgauss
Milgauss · 1960 to 1988
“Vintage Milgauss”
Grade A · 83/100Today's call: Buy
A: strong buy-and-hold. Ranked #23 of 129 references in The Crown Index vault.
| Original retail (1970) | $290 |
|---|---|
| Market today | $30,000 – $45,000 |
| Vs original retail | +12831% |
| 1-year trend | +5% |
The scientist's Rolex that barely sold in its day, making survivors genuinely rare. CERN engineers wore them; almost nobody else did.
Black-dial examples can double the silver-dial price. Low production then means five-figure scarcity now.
The vintage Milgauss, the scientist's Rolex: a soft-iron cage shields the movement from magnetic fields, built for CERN researchers and lab techs of the atomic age. It flopped commercially, which is why so few exist.
Honest 1019s are genuinely scarce and CERN-dial examples (no lume, for radiation labs) are unicorns. One of the few vintage Rolexes where the science story is as good as the design.
Our verdict: Rarity-first vintage. Slow to trade but relentless over any long window.
| Sizes | 38mm |
|---|---|
| Case & bracelet material | Oystersteel (stainless) |
| Factory bracelet | Oyster |
| Factory bezels | Smooth steel |
| Notable dials | Silver; Black (rare, big premium) |
| Caliber | 1580 |
| Production | 1960 to 1988 (discontinued) |
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