Rolex Milgauss Ref. 1019 Circa 1970 – Original and Exceptionally Well-Preserved

This 1970 Rolex Milgauss Ref. 1019 is a textbook example of the reference at its best—clean, correct, and quietly spectacular. The 38 mm stainless-steel case shows only light, honest wear and retains its original proportions and crisp factory-finish edges. Its silver brushed dial is near perfect, with nicely aged tritium lume and matching handset. Notably, the watch remains fitted with its rare, original Rolex 7836 folded-link Oyster bracelet and 280 end links – an early bracelet style that was routinely swapped out during service but survives here in very good condition with minor stretch. Crown and movement are likewise factory original. Under the dust cap beats Rolex’s automatic Caliber 1530 with 26 jewels with hacking mechanism, that is running strong and keeping perfect time. The Milgauss occupies a unique niche in the Rolex universe. In the mid-1950s CERN scientists needed a watch that could shrug off intense magnetic fields—conditions that would send most mechanical movements ha