Out of all the watches in my collection, it’s this simple Rolex Milgauss 1019 that seems to set off a sparkle in collectors eyes the most. Whether it’s by virtue of rarity, or by it’s simple, rugged but elegant aesthetic, it seems to capture the attention of enthusiasts like few other pieces.

So what is the 1019 Milgauss? The Milgauss has been around since 1956 with the 6451. This was the golden era of Rolex as far as I’m concerned, with innovations flowing in thick and fast. Watches were created for a purpose, out of pure necessity, and while a lot of us are familiar with the GMT’s being made for Pan-Am pilots, Sub and Sea Dwellers for Divers, the folks working around magnetic fields needed some love too. While we take it for granted that a lot of modern sports watches feature technologies that help fight against the damaging affects of magnetic fields on wristwatches, back in the 50’s this wasn’t the case and resulted in many professions not being able to wear a watch at all. Rolex solved this issue utilising an X spring which made the watch anti-magnetic to 1000 gauss – hence Milgauss.

The Milgauss hasn’t gone through many model changes over the years. The 1019 is the second version of the Milgauss, and ran all the way from the 60’s to the 80’s. It featured a 38mm case, black or silver dial, several tritium variations including one with no tritium at all, and a straight seconds hand featuring a beautiful red arrow tip. The 38mm case is extremely wearable and feels the perfect size on the wrist. the case profile is slender, and the raised plexi adding to its vintage charm. It feels very utilitarian, but the dial texture, smaller case, and flash of red makes it really interesting on the wrist.

Is the Rolex Milgauss 1019 the perfect vintage sports watch? For me, yes it is. The fact it’s a birth year too makes this a very special piece.