Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 1980 Reference No: 1019 Case No: 6'159'021 Model Name: Milgauss Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, 1580 Bracelet/Strap: Rolex Oyster, reference 78360, end links stamped 580 Clasp/Buckle: Folding deployant clasp Dimensions: 37.5 mm. Diameter. Signed:Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Accessories:Rolex fitted presentation box Literature: For another example of a reference 1019, please see 100 Superlative Rolex Watches, by John Goldberger, page 183
Catalogue Essay
Reference 1019 is the second type of the Milgauss line after the original two versions, references 6541 and 6543. Constructed to resist high magnetic fields and aimed at a clientele working in laboratories and including engineers, it was never commercially successful and production numbers were consequently rather small. Logically, original and well preserved examples are today very sought after. The example here is in most probably unpolished condition, retaining excellent bevels to the lugs and sharp angles to the smooth polished bezel. Being from 1980 its dial has the luminous dots placed outside the applied hour markers and the hands are in matt finished aluminium. Thanks to its timeless design, large diameter and excellent wearability, crisp examples of the reference 1019 Milgauss are great value propositions to the connoisseur of vintage wristwatches.
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.