King of non-mainstream, Milgauss

King of Non-mainstream, Milgauss

Not every model in the Rolex collection is always the object of everyone’s desire like the Daytona or GMT. There are quite a few models that divide opinions and repeatedly experience sharp price drops and rises.

The Milgauss 116400GV, Which made users anxious due to its fluctuating price graph. Today, Let us talk about the Milgauss.

Milgauss 116400GV

40mm, Z-Blue, Oyster

The Birth of Milgauss

Mil - means one thousand in French
Gauss - a unit of magnetic field

Launched in 1956, The Milgauss was developed to withstand a magnetic field of 1, 000 gauss, Meeting the needs of engineers and scientists. The model we see today is the third generation, Which was introduced in 2007.

Surge in Demand after Second Generation Production Ended

The second generation model, Ref. 1019, Ended production in 1988. The collection itself disappeared rather than making way for a next-generation model. It would be correct to say it was discontinued for a while. As time passed, More fans wanted to remember the Milgauss, So by the 2000s, The price rose significantly. Supply was cut off and demand remained, So it was only natural for the price to rise.

The Revival of the Third Generation Milgauss

Then, At Baselworld 2007, Rolex announced the return of the Milgauss. It was probably the hottest issue of the year. Three models were introduced: black, White, And green sapphire.

Milgauss 116400GV

40mm, Intense Black, Oyster

Milgauss 116400

40mm, Black, Oyster

Milgauss 116400

40mm, White, Oyster

What is surprising is that at the time, The price overseas surpassed even the Daytona, Which is called the “KING OF ROLEX.” Many foreigners visited Korea to purchase the Milgauss. The Milgauss, With a retail price of about 7 million KRW, Soared to 16 to 18 million KRW and became an object of admiration. Looking back, It is truly astonishing.

Entering a Stable Phase

The price of the Milgauss, Which seemed to rise endlessly, Gradually stabilized at around 13 to 15 million KRW. Although this was still higher than the retail price, It seemed to be an amount that was generally accepted. However, The golden age of the Milgauss did not last long.

2008 was a year full of events. There was the Beijing Winter Olympics, A global festival, But there were also issues that left deep scars. The Lehman Shock. The Lehman crisis in September 2008 was a huge blow to the watch market. Not only the Milgauss but also the Daytona could not withstand it and collapsed. As a result, By around 2012, The Milgauss fell below its retail price. Many people who bought the Milgauss at that time suffered losses, And it gained a reputation as an unpopular watch.

What about now?

Movement 3131 / ⓒ Chrono24

The black and white dial Milgauss models ended production in 2015, And currently, Only the Z-Blue dial released in 2014 and the black dial with orange indexes remain. Although not at the 2007 level, They still maintain a high premium in the secondary market and, Like previous generations, Are likely to be discontinued. This is because it is one of the few products that still uses the 3100 series movement instead of the new movement. Regardless of price increases, The Milgauss, With its green sapphire glass and distinctive lightning-shaped second hand, Is undoubtedly a very attractive watch.