Deep audit: remove duplicate Milgauss category tag
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Milgauss 116400}}
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|title=Rolex 116400 Milgauss — Modern Revival 2007–2023 — BezelBase
|title=Rolex Milgauss 116400 and 116400GV Reference Guide | Rolexopedia
|description=The 116400 is the Milgauss revival: 2007 Baselworld launch, caliber 3131 with Parachrom Blu, four sub-references including the Glace Verte green-sapphire variants (Z-Black, Z-Blue). The only colored crystal Rolex has ever produced. Line discontinued Watches & Wonders 2023 with no successor.
|description=Reference guide to the Rolex Milgauss 116400 series, produced from 2007 to 2023. Covers the four dial and crystal variants, caliber 3131, and production changes.
The 116400 is the Milgauss revival. Rolex unveiled it at Baselworld March 2007, nineteen years after the 1019 production end and at the fiftieth anniversary of the 1956 6541 catalog launch. The brief inverts the 1019's: where the 1019 stripped the 6541's signatures for a dress-coded antimagnetic Oyster, the 116400 revives the lightning-bolt seconds hand and adds the green sapphire crystal that only the Milgauss line has ever worn. Four sub-references run across sixteen years — two with clear sapphire crystals (white dial 116400-0002 and black dial 116400-0001) and two with the Glace Verte green-tinted sapphire (Z-Black 116400GV-0001 and the 2014 Z-Blue 116400GV-0002). The line ends at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2023 with the 116400GV discontinuation. Rolex has not announced a Milgauss successor.
<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 116400 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Milgauss 116400GV Z-Blue with green Glace Verte crystal and orange lightning-bolt seconds hand.|Rolex Milgauss 116400GV Z-Blue.]]
</div>
[[File:Ref 116400 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 116400GV Milgauss with green Glace Verte sapphire crystal and orange lightning-bolt seconds|Rolex 116400GV Milgauss — green Glace Verte sapphire crystal, orange lightning-bolt seconds.]]
Rolex brought the Milgauss back in 2007 as reference 116400, after the 1019 left the catalogue in 1988. The 40 mm case kept the smooth bezel and internal magnetic shield, while the orange lightning-bolt seconds hand recalled the 6541. The range included clear-crystal black- and white-dial watches and the green-crystal 116400GV. Rolex added the blue-dial GV in 2014. The Milgauss line ended in 2023.
| orange lightning-bolt seconds — revives the 6541 signature
|-
|-
| bracelet
| bracelet
| 78690 Oyster three-link with Oysterclasp + Easylink 5mm extension
| Oyster bracelet with Oysterclasp and Easylink extension
|-
| predecessor
| 1019
|-
| successor
| none — line discontinued Watches & Wonders April 2023
|}
|}
==Where it sits in the line==
==Where it sits in the line==
The 116400 closes the Milgauss line. The 6541 opens the line in 1956 with the antimagnetic Faraday-cage architecture and the lightning-bolt seconds. The 1019 runs the dress-coded silhouette through 1988 and then the line sits empty for nineteen years. Rolex revives the reference in 2007 with the 50th-anniversary GV, runs four sub-references for sixteen years, and closes the line in 2023. No successor.
The 116400 followed the 1019 after a gap of about nineteen years. Its larger case and more conspicuous dial details updated the Milgauss, while the magnetic shield preserved the line’s defining construction. Rolex discontinued the 116400 series in 2023; the 2023 releases included no replacement.
The architectural continuity with the [[Reference:milgauss#Faraday cage — the line's defining feature|Faraday cage]] is direct: modern ferromagnetic alloys replace the original soft iron, and the case carries a "B with arrow" engraving on the inner cage assembly as the modern shielding signature, but the structural concept is unchanged. The case grows from 38mm to 40mm to match contemporary sport-line dimensions. The lightning-bolt seconds hand revives the 6541 signature in orange, and reads more cartoonish than its 1957 forebear (itself the design choice that pushed Rolex toward the dress-coded 1019).
Inside the 116400, caliber 3131 is the time-only sister of cal 3135. Same architecture without the date wheel and quickset. Parachrom Blu hairspring (paramagnetic niobium-zirconium alloy) sits on top of the Faraday cage's mechanical shielding; the 3131 is one of the most modern antimagnetic movements in Rolex's catalogue, and the Faraday cage at this point is partially redundant. The cage stays because the Milgauss without it is just an Oyster Perpetual.
==Production outline==
==Production outline==
===Launch — Baselworld March 2007===
===Launch in 2007===
Rolex revives the Milgauss at Baselworld 2007 with three variants: the white-dial clear-crystal 116400-0002, the black-dial clear-crystal 116400-0001, and the black-dial green-crystal 116400GV-0001 (Z-Black). The launch coincides with CERN completing the Large Hadron Collider, and Rolex sends pre-production 116400 examples to CERN for testing — a deliberate echo of the original 6541 development brief. The 2007 anniversary year frames the green crystal as the 50th-anniversary signal even though the 116400 is positioned as a continuous catalogue revival rather than a limited-edition release.
Launch retail: USD 6,200.
===Sub-reference cutoff (c. 2013 to 2014)===
The 116400-0001 black-dial clear-crystal is the first sub-reference to drop. Sources split between 2013 and 2014 — collector dates derive from catalogue absence and AD last-shipped reports rather than an official Rolex EOL announcement. The drop times to the Z-Blue launch.
===Z-Blue launch — Baselworld March 2014===
The 116400GV-0002 Z-Blue replaces the discontinued non-GV black in the catalogue. Electric blue sunburst lacquer pigmented with zirconium (hence "Z"), under the green Glace Verte crystal — the dial reads aqua/turquoise through the green tint, shifting from deep blue to aqua-blue with green reflections depending on light angle. Retail jumps to USD 8,200.
===White-dial clear-crystal end (2016)===
The 116400-0002 white-dial clear-crystal is the last non-GV Milgauss to leave production, in 2016. Sources align on 2016 with reasonable confidence; no Rolex announcement.
===Watches & Wonders Geneva 2023===
The entire Milgauss line is discontinued at Watches & Wonders 2023. The 116400GV-0001 Z-Black and 116400GV-0002 Z-Blue both leave production. Last published retail USD 9,150 to 9,300. No successor announced. Sixty-seven years after the 6541 entered the catalogue, the Milgauss line closes.
* Paraflex shock protection (Kif on earliest examples)
* Time only — no date (consistent across the entire Milgauss line)
* COSC chronometer certified
The 3131 is the time-only sister of cal 3135. Same architecture, no date wheel, no quickset. Differs from the cal 3130 (in the 14060M Submariner no-date and 114270 Explorer) primarily by the Parachrom hairspring and amagnetic material choices in the escapement, screws, and mainplate components. Differs from the cal 3132 (Explorer 214270) by retaining Kif rather than Paraflex on earliest production. The same cal 3131 is fitted to the 116900 Air-King between 2016 and 2019 before that watch moves to cal 3230.
One specification worth flagging: the 116400 never carried the post-2015 Superlative Chronometer ±2 seconds per day certification. It stays at the pre-2015 COSC ±4 / +6 standard across its entire production run.
==Sub-reference table==
Four sub-references. The split is crystal + dial colour.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! sub-reference
! nickname
! crystal
! dial
! production
|-
| 116400-0001
| black/clear (non-GV)
| clear sapphire
| black, orange minute track, orange lume plots at 3/6/9, white batons
| 2007 – c. 2013/2014
|-
| 116400-0002
| white/clear (non-GV)
| clear sapphire
| white, orange batons at all hours, orange minute track
| 2007 – 2016
|-
| 116400GV-0001
| GV / Glace Verte / Z-Black
| green-tinted Glace Verte sapphire
| black, orange + white batons, orange minute track
| 2007 – 2023
|-
| 116400GV-0002
| Z-Blue
| green-tinted Glace Verte sapphire
| electric-blue sunburst (zirconium pigment), reads aqua/turquoise through the green crystal
| March 2014 – 2023
|}
The "116400V" vs "116400GV" cataloguing confusion is real but means nothing — early warranty cards print "116400V" while the tag and reference plate on the same watch print "116400GV." Same production, no design difference. The "V" is shorthand the AD network used in some markets and never made it onto Rolex's later documentation.
The 116400-0001 black-dial clear-crystal is technically the rarest production-volume sub-reference because of its short c. 2013/2014 cutoff. The Z-Blue is the rarer of the two GV variants in absolute numbers because of its shorter nine-year run versus the Z-Black's full sixteen.
==Dial / crystal — Glace Verte==
[[File:Ref 116400 gv_dial.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex 116400GV dial under Glace Verte green sapphire crystal|Rolex 116400GV dial under the Glace Verte green sapphire crystal — the only colored crystal Rolex has ever produced.]]
The Glace Verte is the only colored crystal Rolex has ever produced. Synthetic sapphire with the green tint integrated through the full thickness — not a surface coating, not an AR film tint. Rolex states the process takes weeks per piece and is one of the most difficult aesthetic operations the manufacture has attempted.
Rolex deliberately did not patent the process. Its stated reasoning: the process is so difficult to reverse-engineer that publishing a patent would only help imitators. The AR coating sits on the inner surface only.
The color reads as faint lime / eucalyptus head-on, deepening at oblique angles, with a luminescent quality under directional light. Two niche notes from forum discussion:
* Fragility relative to standard sapphire. Genuine GV crystals are reportedly more fragile because of the kiln cycle used to develop the green tint. Documented chipping from countertop knocks exists in long-term ownership threads.
* Replica detection. Replica makers cannot clone the through-material tint. Most fakes use an external green AR coating that scratches off, leaving a colourless crystal underneath. The scratch test is a known authentication tell.
==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes==
===Case===
40mm Oyster, 904L Oystersteel from launch (Rolex completed the sports-line 904L transition pre-2007). Lug width 20mm, thickness ~13mm with the Faraday cage adding height versus a comparable Submariner. 100m / 330ft water resistance — sealed but not a dive watch. The 100m rating is the lowest in the modern Rolex sport line and the design choice that signals the Milgauss as a lab-bench tool rather than a dive watch.
The Faraday cage continues the 6541 and 1019 soft-iron shielding concept with modern ferromagnetic alloys. The cage carries a "B with arrow" engraving on the inner assembly — a manufacturing signature visible only when the caseback is removed for service. The 1,000-gauss antimagnetic rating that the 6541 set is preserved; modern movements with paramagnetic components would arguably hit the rating without the cage, but Rolex keeps it for both nameplate continuity and the additional safety margin in extreme magnetic environments.
===Bezel===
Smooth fixed polished steel. Continuation of the 1019. The 6541's rotating engraved bezel is not revived.
===Crown===
Triplock screw-down — three internal gaskets. Modern sport-line crown architecture, not the smaller Twinlock the vintage Milgauss line used.
===Crystal — two variants===
* 116400 standard sapphire: clear sapphire crystal, standard production hardness, modern AR coating on the inner surface.
* 116400GV Glace Verte: synthetic sapphire with green tint integrated through the full crystal thickness. Detailed above.
==Bracelet==
Reference 78690 Oyster three-link. Brushed centre with polished bevels on later production; earliest 2007-2008 examples were fully brushed. Solid end links from launch. Oysterclasp with Easylink 5mm comfort extension, the toolless quick-extension that arrived across the modern Rolex sport line in the late 2000s.
20mm lug width matches the case. 15.5mm link width. The 78690 reference is shared with the contemporaneous 114270 Explorer — same part number, same construction. A 116400 wearer who shifts to a 114270 inherits a bracelet they already own.
==Serial-era transition==
The 116400 production straddles Rolex's 2010-era serial-system transition.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! prefix
! years
! engraving location
|-
| M
| 2007 – 2008
| 6 o'clock between lugs
|-
| V
| 2008 – 2009
| 6 o'clock between lugs
|-
| G
| c. 2010 – 2011
| 6 o'clock between lugs (last sequential prefix run)
|-
| random scrambled
| c. 2010 onward
| rehaut (inner crystal ring) — lug-side serial discontinued
|}
The rehaut + random-serial transition lands during the 116400 production. The market sees pre-rehaut M / V / G-serial examples (marginally collectible to some buyers as the "older Milgauss" cohort) and post-2010 scrambled-serial examples in roughly equal supply for the GV variants. The 116400-specific cutover month within the broader Rolex 2010 transition is not surfaced in published research.
==Market — 2025 to 2026 bands==
Bands from aggregated dealer-market data and the live auction feed:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! sub-reference
! recent band
|-
| 116400-0002 white / clear (non-GV)
| USD 7,500 to 11,000
|-
| 116400-0001 black / clear (non-GV)
| USD 6,000 to 9,500
|-
| 116400GV-0001 Z-Black
| USD 9,000 to 14,000
|-
| 116400GV-0002 Z-Blue
| USD 11,000 to 15,000
|}
The Z-Blue commands a USD 2,000 to 4,000 premium over the Z-Black at retail-comparable condition. The non-GV clear-crystal black is the rarest sub-reference (shortest production run) but trades below the GV variants — the clear crystal is the discount, not a premium, in the modern market. Recent indices: 116400 +11.7% YoY; 116400GV +10.9% over five years.
===Recent auction lots===
Modern Milgauss does not appear in the Phillips / Sotheby's headline tiers — the vintage 6541 owns that space (one 6541 hit CHF 2,238,000 at Phillips Geneva May 2023, the reference's auction record). Modern 116400 lots track through specialist online sales:
Rolex introduced three versions at Baselworld in 2007: a white dial with clear sapphire, a black dial with clear sapphire, and the black-dial 116400GV with green sapphire. Rolex associated the GV with the Milgauss’s 50th anniversary. Its later brochure describes the green sapphire as “a first in watchmaking,” but does not give production totals.
* Phillips Geneva, 2024 — 116400GV Z-Blue full set, just under USD 16,000
* Bezel Auctions, March 2026 — two Z-Blue lots, USD 14,250 and 14,395
* Grailzee, April 2026 — Z-Blue band USD 13,650 to 14,070; Z-Black band USD 9,975 to 11,025
* Monaco Legend Group, April 2024 — 116400, USD 9,008 (beat estimate by 41%)
==Collector debate==
The 116400-0001 paired a black dial with clear sapphire; the 116400-0002 used a white dial and clear sapphire. Both had the orange lightning-bolt seconds hand. The GV added green-tinted sapphire over a black dial. Collectors commonly call this version “Z-Black,” though Rolex’s product material uses 116400GV.
===Milgauss without the diving baggage===
[[File:Ref 116400 zblue dial.webp|thumb|right|240px|alt=Blue dial of the Rolex Milgauss 116400GV Z-Blue beneath its green sapphire crystal.|The Z-Blue dial beneath the green crystal.]]
The dominant ownership reading treats the 116400 as a 40mm steel sport Oyster with everything that makes the Submariner heavy on the wrist removed — no helium valve, no diving-rotation bezel, no Cyclops, no maxi indices. The orange minute rail and lightning-bolt seconds give the watch its personality without leaning on the dive-watch language. Raman Kalra's 2023 Quill & Pad essay names 13mm thickness as the only real complaint and wishes Rolex had shaved a millimetre, given that modern movement amagnetism makes the Faraday cage partially redundant. The cage stays because the Milgauss without it is just an Oyster Perpetual.
Rolex introduced the 116400GV-0002, known as Z-Blue, in 2014. Its blue dial is viewed through the same green crystal. Published accounts place the end of the clear-crystal black version around 2013–2014; Phillips dates the end of both non-GV versions to 2016. Those accounts do not establish the exact last-production year of the black dial. The white-dial version was gone by 2016. Both GV dials remained until the line’s 2023 discontinuation.
===Z-Blue vs Z-Black===
The image gallery below shows the Z-Blue dial and a second GV dial view. Dial colors can look different under the green crystal and changing light; color descriptions alone do not identify a service or replacement dial.
The Z-Blue runs hotter on the dealer market post-discontinuation. Z-Black collectors argue the black-dial GV is the more enduring choice: it carries the same green crystal but without the polarising electric-blue lacquer that some owners report reads washed-out under overcast daylight. Z-Blue collectors respond that the colour-shift behaviour through the green crystal — deep blue to aqua to green reflections depending on angle — is what makes the watch interesting, and that the Z-Black reads as a standard black-dial sport Oyster from any angle that doesn't catch the crystal's tint.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 116400 zblue dial.webp|Z-Blue dial beneath green sapphire
File:Ref 116400 gv_dial.webp|116400GV dial and Glace Verte crystal
File:Ref 116400 z-blue.webp|116400GV Z-Blue
</gallery>
===Discontinuation as a collector pivot===
===Movement===
Watches & Wonders 2023 closed the Milgauss line with no successor announced. The owner discussion splits between a "future classic" reading (production is fixed; demand is stable; pricing will follow Daytona and Submariner discontinuation patterns) and a sustained-correction reading (the 2021-22 peak is the high; the 2025-26 mid-teens band is the new normal). Aggregate market data — single-digit-percentage YoY declines on the indices, faster-than-median time to sell, fixed inventory — supports the second reading more than the first.
Caliber 3131 is an automatic, time-only movement with a date-free dial. Rolex’s brochure lists a Parachrom hairspring, bidirectional winding, stop-seconds, about 48 hours of power reserve, and a Superlative Chronometer specification of −2/+2 seconds per day after casing. It also describes the movement as protected by an internal magnetic shield. Monochrome reports 31 jewels and a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour.
==Where the 2026 market sits==
==Case and bracelet==
The 116400 in 2025–2026 trades by sub-reference and crystal. The Z-Blue 116400GV-0002 leads the line at USD 11,000 to 15,000 with full set, carrying a USD 2,000 to 4,000 premium over the Z-Black 116400GV-0001 at retail-comparable condition. The non-GV white-dial 116400-0002 sits USD 7,500 to 11,000; the non-GV black-dial 116400-0001 — technically the rarest sub-reference because of its short c. 2013/2014 cutoff — trades USD 6,000 to 9,500. The clear crystal is the discount, not a premium, in the modern market. Indices read +11.7 percent year-over-year on the 116400 and +10.9 percent over five years on the GV; the line has recovered the 2022–2023 dip but not its 2021 peak. No Phillips or Sotheby's headline-tier results exist — modern Milgauss does not appear in the auction-podium space the 6541 owns. Specialist online sales (Phillips Bacs & Russo April 2026 Z-Blue at USD 15,240, Phillips Geneva 2024 Z-Blue full-set just under USD 16,000, Bezel Auctions March 2026 Z-Blues at USD 14,250–14,395) bracket the active band. The 2023 Watches & Wonders discontinuation closed the line with no successor; the forum-tier "future classic" reading and the aggregate-data "sustained correction" reading both have data behind them.
The Oyster case measures 40 mm and is made from Rolex Oystersteel, an alloy in the 904L family. The green-crystal GV and clear-crystal versions share the same case dimensions, smooth bezel, Twinlock crown, and 100 m water-resistance rating. Rolex describes the shield as ferromagnetic alloys surrounding the movement; the shield carries a “B” with an arrow, the symbol for magnetic flux density.
==What to check when buying one==
Rolex specifies an Oyster bracelet with flat three-piece links, an Oysterclasp, and a 5 mm Easylink comfort extension. Contemporary parts references identify bracelet 72400 for the 116400. Bracelet parts can be replaced during service, so a bracelet number alone does not establish original delivery on an individual watch.
* '''Sub-reference matches catalogue: 116400-0001 black/clear, 116400-0002 white/clear, 116400GV-0001 Z-Black, 116400GV-0002 Z-Blue.''' Warranty cards from early production sometimes print "116400V" instead of "116400GV" — same watch, no design difference, the V is shorthand the AD network used in some markets. Cross-check the reference plate engraving.
==Dating notes==
* '''Glace Verte through-material green tint.''' Genuine GV is synthetic sapphire with the green integrated through the crystal thickness — not a surface coating or AR film. Replica makers use external green coatings that scratch off, leaving the crystal colourless underneath. A scratch test is the canonical authentication tell.
* '''B-arrow Faraday-cage engraving.''' "B with arrow" engraving on the inner cage assembly is the modern shielding signature, visible only when the caseback is removed for service. A watchmaker can confirm during a service interval.
* '''Orange lightning-bolt seconds.''' Revival of the 6541 signature in orange. Standard across all four sub-references. A 116400 with a plain straight seconds hand has had a hand swap.
* '''Cal 3131 — time-only sister of cal 3135.''' Same architecture, no date wheel, no quickset. Parachrom Blu hairspring from launch. The 3131 is one of the most modern antimagnetic movements in the Rolex catalogue. A 116400 quoted with quickset or with a date is wrong.
* '''Pre-2015 COSC certification.''' The 116400 stays at the pre-2015 COSC ±4 / +6 standard across its entire 2007–2023 production run. It never received the post-2015 Superlative ±2/day re-certification. Dealer claims of "Superlative" on the 116400 are wrong.
* '''Serial transition at random scrambled c. 2010.''' Pre-2010 production carries M / V / G prefixes engraved between the lugs at 6 o'clock. Post-2010 production carries scrambled-serial random eight-character alphanumerics engraved on the rehaut, with the lug-side serial discontinued. A scrambled serial between the lugs is wrong; an M / V / G serial on the rehaut is wrong.
* '''78690 Oyster bracelet shared with 114270 Explorer.''' Same part number, same construction. Solid end links from launch. Oysterclasp with Easylink 5mm comfort extension.
* '''No water resistance above 100m.''' The 116400 is sealed to 100m / 330ft — not a dive watch. A dealer marketing the 116400 as a 200m dive watch has the rating wrong.
==Sources==
The reference was sold during Rolex’s transition from letter-prefix serial numbers to random serials. A serial can help place a watch within a broad period, but the 116400’s full catalogue span is sixteen years and serial ranges overlap production and delivery dates. Use the [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial-number guide]] for the limits of serial dating; a serial alone does not establish the year a watch was made or first sold.
===Primary and specialist===
==Related references==
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/122097700/rolex-milgauss-vintage-1019-6541-discontinued Phillips editorial, "What's the Legacy of the Rolex Milgauss?", Phillips]
* [[Reference:6541|Milgauss 6541]]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2023/07/28/rolex-milgauss-review-the-most-underrated-rolex/ Raman Kalra, "Rolex Milgauss Review — The Most Underrated Rolex?", Quill & Pad, 2023-07-28]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-milgauss-collection-in-depth-review/ Monochrome Watches editorial, "In-Depth: The Complete History of the Rolex Milgauss", Monochrome]
== Sources ==
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2014/03/baselworld-2014-introducing-the-rolex-milgauss-with-an-electric-blue-dial-and-green-sapphire-crystal-with-specs-and-price.html SJX, "Baselworld 2014 — Introducing the Rolex Milgauss with an Electric Blue Dial", SJX Watches, 2014-03]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-rolex-milgauss/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of Rolex Milgauss", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.marklittler.com/a-complete-guide-to-the-vintage-rolex-milgauss/ Mark Littler, "A Complete Guide to the Vintage Rolex Milgauss", Mark Littler Ltd]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-milgauss-one-in-a-thousand/ Revolution Watches editorial, "Rolex Milgauss: One in a Thousand", Revolution Watches]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolex_Milgauss Wikipedia contributors, "Rolex Milgauss — Wikipedia", Wikipedia]
* [https://content.rolex.com/dam/media/brochures/milgauss/m116400gv-0002.pdf Rolex, Milgauss brochure for reference 116400GV-0002] — case, crystal, crown, movement, accuracy, magnetic shield, and bracelet specifications.
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-milgauss-collection-in-depth-review/ Monochrome Watches, “The Complete History of the Rolex Milgauss”] — reference chronology, dial variants, and movement specifications.
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/122097700/rolex-milgauss-vintage-1019-6541-discontinued Phillips, “What’s the Legacy of the Rolex Milgauss?”] — 116400 launch variants, Z-Blue introduction, and discontinuation chronology.
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-milgauss-is-now-discontinued Hodinkee, “The Rolex Milgauss Is Now Discontinued”] — 2023 discontinuation.
* [https://www.minus4plus6.com/RolexPricelist/2011/2011_usa_price_list.pdf Rolex USA price list, 2011] — reference 116400 and bracelet 72400.
Rolex brought the Milgauss back in 2007 as reference 116400, after the 1019 left the catalogue in 1988. The 40 mm case kept the smooth bezel and internal magnetic shield, while the orange lightning-bolt seconds hand recalled the 6541. The range included clear-crystal black- and white-dial watches and the green-crystal 116400GV. Rolex added the blue-dial GV in 2014. The Milgauss line ended in 2023.
Clear sapphire (116400); green sapphire (116400GV)
bezel
Smooth, fixed
crown
Twinlock screw-down
bracelet
Oyster bracelet with Oysterclasp and Easylink extension
Where it sits in the line
The 116400 followed the 1019 after a gap of about nineteen years. Its larger case and more conspicuous dial details updated the Milgauss, while the magnetic shield preserved the line’s defining construction. Rolex discontinued the 116400 series in 2023; the 2023 releases included no replacement.
Production outline
Launch in 2007
Rolex introduced three versions at Baselworld in 2007: a white dial with clear sapphire, a black dial with clear sapphire, and the black-dial 116400GV with green sapphire. Rolex associated the GV with the Milgauss’s 50th anniversary. Its later brochure describes the green sapphire as “a first in watchmaking,” but does not give production totals.
Dial and crystal changes
The 116400-0001 paired a black dial with clear sapphire; the 116400-0002 used a white dial and clear sapphire. Both had the orange lightning-bolt seconds hand. The GV added green-tinted sapphire over a black dial. Collectors commonly call this version “Z-Black,” though Rolex’s product material uses 116400GV.
The Z-Blue dial beneath the green crystal.
Rolex introduced the 116400GV-0002, known as Z-Blue, in 2014. Its blue dial is viewed through the same green crystal. Published accounts place the end of the clear-crystal black version around 2013–2014; Phillips dates the end of both non-GV versions to 2016. Those accounts do not establish the exact last-production year of the black dial. The white-dial version was gone by 2016. Both GV dials remained until the line’s 2023 discontinuation.
The image gallery below shows the Z-Blue dial and a second GV dial view. Dial colors can look different under the green crystal and changing light; color descriptions alone do not identify a service or replacement dial.
Z-Blue dial beneath green sapphire
116400GV dial and Glace Verte crystal
116400GV Z-Blue
Movement
Caliber 3131 is an automatic, time-only movement with a date-free dial. Rolex’s brochure lists a Parachrom hairspring, bidirectional winding, stop-seconds, about 48 hours of power reserve, and a Superlative Chronometer specification of −2/+2 seconds per day after casing. It also describes the movement as protected by an internal magnetic shield. Monochrome reports 31 jewels and a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour.
Case and bracelet
The Oyster case measures 40 mm and is made from Rolex Oystersteel, an alloy in the 904L family. The green-crystal GV and clear-crystal versions share the same case dimensions, smooth bezel, Twinlock crown, and 100 m water-resistance rating. Rolex describes the shield as ferromagnetic alloys surrounding the movement; the shield carries a “B” with an arrow, the symbol for magnetic flux density.
Rolex specifies an Oyster bracelet with flat three-piece links, an Oysterclasp, and a 5 mm Easylink comfort extension. Contemporary parts references identify bracelet 72400 for the 116400. Bracelet parts can be replaced during service, so a bracelet number alone does not establish original delivery on an individual watch.
Dating notes
The reference was sold during Rolex’s transition from letter-prefix serial numbers to random serials. A serial can help place a watch within a broad period, but the 116400’s full catalogue span is sixteen years and serial ranges overlap production and delivery dates. Use the serial-number guide for the limits of serial dating; a serial alone does not establish the year a watch was made or first sold.
Z-Blue dial beneath green sapphire
116400GV dial and Glace Verte crystal
116400GV Z-Blue
116400GV Z-Blue, full watch