89 Rolex A rare, attractive and well preserved, Milgauss, automatic wristwatch in steel, with black honeycomb dial, guarantee and presentation box, reference 6541.

Estimate: € 200.000 –⁠ 400.000

Few watches in the history of Rolex speak as clearly to the brand’s spirit of technical experimentation and niche innovation as the Milgauss reference 6541. Introduced in 1956, this pioneering timepiece was purpose-built for an emerging class of professionals—scientists, engineers, and technicians—who found themselves increasingly exposed to high levels of magnetism in laboratories and power plants. To address this challenge, Rolex engineered a remarkable solution: a robust movement shielded by a soft iron Faraday cage, paired with components made from anti-magnetic alloys, granting the Milgauss resistance to magnetic fields of up to 1,000 gauss—hence the name, combining “mille” (Latin for one thousand) and “gauss,” the unit of magnetic induction. Not merely a marvel of engineering, the 6541 also possessed bold visual signatures, from the gilt dial to the now-iconic lightning bolt seconds hand, an irreverent design flourish that paid homage to the invisible forces it was built to withstand. Venerated by collectors and historians alike, the Rolex Milgauss reference 6541 stands as one of the most radical, avant-garde creations ever issued by the Geneva manufacture. The model’s most poetic feature, and arguably its most defining, is the lightning bolt-shaped seconds hand, a flourish of whimsical genius that adds kinetic energy and unmistakable flair to an otherwise utilitarian creation. The present example, manufactured in 1958, showcases the firm’s commitment to function-driven design with unmistakable style. Cased in stainless steel and bearing case number 412’454, this piece sits comfortably within the known serial range of its peers, reaffirming its authenticity and era. Its black “Honeycomb” dial – among the most visually magnetic and rarest dial configurations Rolex ever produced – remains in superb preservation, accented by faceted triangular markers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock and circular plots elsewhere, lending a dynamic and architectural rhythm to the dial. Exceedingly rare and unusually complete, this Milgauss is not only a historically important tool watch but a poetic relic of human ingenuity at the dawn of the atomic age.