Black Dial 1019 Rolex Milgauss

The Milgauss has always been the forgotten stepchild of the four-digit professional world, cast aside for the family-favorite Sub or Daytona who bathe in attention. Now, it’s gone entirely, at least for now. But it’s quietly excellent, austere, and massively handsome. While the refs. 6541 and 6543 are setting record highs at auction (up to 2.5M), the following 1019 remains firmly overlooked. The 1019 was produced from 1960 until 1989ish, which is why it will never command million-dollar auction sums. But that also means there’s much to learn, much nuance to appreciate, and relatively understandable values. Think of it like Luke Hemsworth in a lab coat.

Many consider the 1019 to either have a vertically brushed silver dial or this slightly rarer black matte alone. It’s way deeper than that. The rarest and earliest 1019s have gloss black dials, nicknamed the ‘Black Swan’ with silvered gilt print. Three of these are known, the last went for 150K CHF. Then there are CERN dials, which lore holds were an order placed by the nuclear research organization with black enamel in place of tritium to not interfere with sensitive equipment. Is that true? We’re still waiting for some real journalism to check that story out. Then, of standard production, dials are segmented between two main types. Early ones had a smaller Rolex, 1/5 seconds increments, and larger SCOC. This latter dial is the opposite. Usually, the earlier dials are the more collected. But you should always buy on condition primarily, and this one sings.

The 1019 was never popular. Interestingly, when Loupe This sold a true NOS 1019 in this exact dial type in ’22 for 75K, the serial dated to ’79 but it wasn’t sold until ’90. It’s the same today, the 1019 isn’t the sexy tool watch Rolex lovers think of first. There’s never been a photo of Bond, Newman, or McQueen wearing one. But that’s kind of for the best; it’s more cerebral and purely function. That lack of glamour means silver dials hover perennially around 20-40K and black dials 30-50K watch only. They’re dependable and likable, without ever seeking the spotlight: a sort of Michael Fassbender of sport Rolex. The future of the Milgauss remains unclear. But that’s fine. Even Rolex are incapable of doing better than they did in the late 60s anyway.

This example is truly lovely. Its case looks quite original and still with defined bevels and a sharp bottom edge. The dial is lovely, with great tritium and clear print. This example even comes with papers, from a well-regarded California retailer.