Rolex
Milgauss
116400
The Milgauss reborn — antimagnetic sport watchmaking at 40 mm.
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Overview
The Rolex Milgauss ref. 116400 represents the modern revival of Rolex's dedicated antimagnetic line, reintroduced in 2007 after a lengthy hiatus and built around the 40 mm Oystersteel case that defined the brand's sport references of its era. Powered by the in-house Cal. 3131, the watch pairs a purpose-built soft-iron inner shield with Rolex's characteristic robustness. Dial options in black and white gave collectors a degree of choice within a relatively focused reference family.
History
The original Milgauss debuted in the 1950s as a tool watch engineered for scientists and engineers working in high-electromagnetic environments — its name referencing resistance to fields of up to 1,000 gauss. After decades of dormancy, Rolex relaunched the line at Baselworld 2007 with the ref. 116400, signalling renewed commitment to the antimagnetic concept. The reference ran through the mid-2010s alongside its more flamboyant sibling, the ref. 116400GV with its green sapphire crystal, before the line was eventually discontinued. Its production window coincided with a broader collector rediscovery of the Milgauss as a historically significant Rolex sport reference.
Notable points
- Cal. 3131 features an integrated soft-iron inner cage that shields the movement from magnetic fields up to 1,000 gauss — a specification carried forward from the original 1950s concept.
- The 40 mm Oystersteel case places the ref. 116400 squarely within the modern Rolex sport-watch idiom, sharing proportions with contemporaneous Explorer and Submariner references.
- Black and white dial variants offered distinct characters: the black dial reads as a classic tool watch, while the white dial lends a cleaner, more legible aesthetic.
- The ref. 116400 was produced without a date complication, a deliberate choice that keeps the dial uncluttered and aligns the watch with its scientific-instrument heritage.
- Reintroduced after a long absence from the catalogue, the 116400 rekindled serious collector interest in the Milgauss line and established a secondary market for earlier references.
