THE HERITAGE
The original Milgauss was introduced 1954, the same year as GMT-Master and Explorer. It was developed to withstand large quantity of magnetism for environmental such as power plants, hospitals and research laboratories.
CERN (European Centre for Nuclear Research) in Geneva was a main force in the
development of the original Milgauss. The watch is good for magnetic forces of 1000 gauss (1000=Mille, and thats why the watch is named Milgauss).
The production of the original Milgauss seized in 1975 after 21 years of production. It was later re-released in 2007. The older Milgauss (that was unpopular when it was produced) is among the most sought after, and expensive vintage-Rolexes there is. From 2007 it comes with white face, black face and black face with a green sapphire.
Verdict 4/5
THE PACKAGE
The same old Rolex-package, outer box, manual, COSC- and pricetags. Somewhat new is the guarantee-card, that before hade been a paper.
The guarantee is for two years, worldwide. Nothing unique, unless that there are several more places you could service your Rolex compared to Panerai and IWC.
Nothing fancy - Panerais, IWCs and other competitors have nicer package, with wooden boxes etc. But this is rather unimportant to me - the watch, thats whats count.
Verdict 3/5
THE LOOK
40mm and 14mm thick (which makes the watch the thickest of all Rolex except
SeaDweller). The thickness depends on the movement is protected by two cages - the
normal outer-one and the softer irons of the Faraday cage. In short - with Milgauss you have two cases, and with the extra thickness due to that.
This result is a rather big watch, some have called it a Datejust-on-steroids. Fine by me - the size and the weight is a big plus for me. It feels solid.
The lightning bolt second-hand on the dial have been quite a subject. Either you love it, or hate it. I like it. A lot. This is one of the things that seperate this watch to others, and besides: the lightning bolt doesnt appear that striking in real life. Plus - this is a heritage from the vintage Milgauss. It adds character to the design, and is loyal to its history.
The polished links is another popular subject in the forums. With this watch its working very well I think (but I dont want it on the Submariner though). Easy to scratch - yepp. But that doesnt bother me, scratces adds character too, and is something that makes the watch more of a natural companion.
The dial is absolutely stunning. Probably the cleanest among Rolexes today, and wonderful combination of orange and black. Easy to read, and the lack of the date is making the dial more symmetric.
Verdict 10/10
THE FEEL
In three words: Heavy, Solid and Comfortable. You feel the extra weight compared to the GMTs and Subs, but it doesnt bother me - on the contrary, it add solidness to the feeling.
But the most striking thing about the feel of the watch is that its so comfortable. Of all Rolexes I have owned (two Subs, a vintage from 70ies, and a modern from 2007, a GMT2 and a Explorer2) its by far the most comfortable. No sharp edges, no crown thats get in your skin etc. Its just on your wrist, and you barely dont feel it. Except for the weight…
The bracelet is nothing but a miracle compared to those I tried before by Rolex. Easylink is very useful when you quick want to change the size (for example in the sweaty summer). The clasp, the details, the feeling - top notch!
Verdict 10/10
THE MOVEMENT
Movement 3131 with about 44 hours power reserve. Milgauss is the only Rolex that use this calibre, but its based on the older versions - with some extra developments.
The biggest USP is of course the anti-magnetic. And by Milgauss its not just another commercial one-liner - its for real. A watch is normally considered "antimagnetic" (DIN 8309) if it can ignore about 60 gauss - ie 6% of what the Milguass is rated for! The Milgauss achieves this by (1)encasing the movement in soft iron, which is known as a Faraday cage. The new (2) hairspring material, Parachrom-Blu, also helps as this is unaffected by magnetism.
It runs flawless, about -0,5 second a day (which makes about 15 sec per month - top class in other words).
Verdict 10/10
IN SHORT
+ Heritage
+ Antimagnetic is not just another commercial one-liner - its for real.
+ Weight and size
+ Movement
+ The look - elegant yet sporty and solid. A perfect combination.
- Rather boring package
- Rolex-Rolex-writing inside the dial
Total verdict 37/40