Rolex Ref. 6541 Milgauss

Introduced in 1954, the Rolex Ref. 6541 Milgauss was designed specifically for researchers and engineers working in environments with high electromagnetic radiation. Widely known to be one of the natural enemies of timekeeping, magenetic fields often affect the accuracy of a timepiece.

Through the principles of a “Faraday Cage”, the Ref. 6541 utilizes a secondary soft iron cage to shield the movement. Anti-magnetic alloys were also used to supplement the magnetic resistance. A portmanteau of the words “Mille” (French for a thousand) and “Gauss” (Unit to measure electromagnetic fields), the Milgauss was aptly named to reflect its high degree of anti-magnetism.

Apart from its distinctive rotating bezel with a red triangle, the Ref. 6541 is characterized by its lightning-bolt seconds hand and a webbed laminated copper ‘honeycomb’ dial for further magnetic resistance.