Rolex Milgauss · Reference 116400GV
Rolex Milgauss 116400GV
Known as Milgauss Green Crystal (GV = Glace Verte); the Z-Blue when fitted with the electric-blue dial
The Rolex Milgauss 116400GV is the green-sapphire-crystal version of Rolex's antimagnetic Oyster Perpetual. The name Milgauss comes from mille (thousand) and gauss: the watch is built to run true in a magnetic field of up to 1,000 gauss, the kind of field an engineer, a physicist, or a hospital tech would sit in all day. Rolex first built the Milgauss for scientists at places like CERN back in the 1950s, shelved it in 1988, then brought it back in 2007 in a modern 40mm Oystersteel case. The GV is the standout of that modern run: a sapphire crystal tinted a soft green, unique to this reference, sitting over a dial with a bright orange lightning-bolt seconds hand. It is the only Rolex ever made with a green crystal, and that alone tells you why collectors chase it now that the whole Milgauss line is discontinued. We buy and sell the 116400GV across the counter at 19 W 47th Street, and it moves fast when the right dial comes in.
Produced: The modern Milgauss returned in 2007 as reference 116400, and the green-crystal 116400GV launched alongside it that same year as part of the 50th-anniversary relaunch. The black-dial GV ran from 2007. The Z-Blue dial variant of the GV was introduced in 2014. Rolex discontinued the entire Milgauss line, including the 116400GV, in 2023. Last published Rolex retail was around $9,300.
In stock at Ultimate Diamond
3 pieces on the counter right now.
Specifications
- Reference
- 116400GV
- Collection
- Oyster Perpetual Milgauss
- Case
- Oystersteel (904L stainless steel)
- Case Diameter
- 40mm
- Thickness
- approximately 13.1mm
- Lug To Lug
- approximately 49mm
- Bezel
- Smooth, domed, polished steel
- Crystal
- Green-tinted sapphire crystal (Glace Verte), unique to the Milgauss line; scratch-resistant
- Dial Options
- Black dial (from 2007) or Z-Blue electric-blue dial (added 2014); both with orange lightning-bolt seconds hand and orange accents
- Movement
- Rolex Caliber 3131, self-winding perpetual, in-house
- Jewels
- 31 jewels
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power Reserve
- approximately 48 hours
- Hairspring
- Blue Parachrom hairspring (paramagnetic niobium-zirconium alloy)
- Antimagnetic System
- Inner soft-iron Faraday cage shielding the movement, plus paramagnetic Parachrom hairspring and amorphous nickel-phosphorus escape wheel and pallet fork; rated to 1,000 gauss
- Chronometer
- COSC-certified; Superlative Chronometer
- Water Resistance
- 100 meters (330 feet)
- Bracelet
- Oyster bracelet, Oystersteel, with Oysterlock safety clasp and Easylink 5mm comfort extension
- Crown
- Twinlock screw-down crown
Market & Value
When Rolex killed the Milgauss in 2023, the 116400GV went from a watch that sat in cases at $9,300 retail to one people were paying well over $13,000 for almost overnight. That is the classic discontinuation pop, and it stuck better than most because the green crystal has no replacement anywhere in the catalog. As of mid-2026, clean pre-owned examples generally trade in the low-to-mid five figures depending on dial, condition, and whether it is a full set. The Z-Blue dial commands a premium over the black dial; the turquoise shimmer you get when blue sits under green glass is the shot everyone wants, and it has appreciated harder since discontinuation. Box, papers, and an untouched bracelet stretch matter here. We write checks on these every few weeks, so we are quoting from what the watch actually clears at, not from a chart. Condition on the crystal is everything: a scratched or swapped green crystal is expensive to sort out and it shows in the offer.
What to Know Before You Buy
Buy the crystal first and the dial second. The green sapphire is the entire identity of this reference, so confirm it is the correct factory Rolex GV crystal and not a service replacement or an aftermarket tint; the color should read soft and even, not neon. Know which dial you are looking at: the original black dial with orange minute track, or the 2014 Z-Blue that glows turquoise through the green glass. Both are 40mm, both run the Caliber 3131, both are rated to 100 meters and 1,000 gauss. The lightning-bolt seconds hand should be crisp orange with clean printing; a faded or repainted hand is a tell. Check the bracelet stretch and the clasp; a stretched Oyster bracelet is common on a watch this age and it affects value. If you want the paperwork story to hold, a full set with card and box pushes the number. And remember the Milgauss wears a little thick at roughly 13mm with a domed crystal, so it sits taller on the wrist than a Datejust of the same diameter.
Rolex Rolex Milgauss Encyclopedia
Read the full guide →Buying or selling a 116400GV?
Ultimate Watch buys and sells the Rolex Milgauss 116400GV, both the black dial and the Z-Blue, at our counter at 19 W 47th Street in New York. We have been on this block since 1959, and the Milgauss is exactly the kind of discontinued-but-in-demand Rolex we quote every week. If you have one to sell, bring it in and we will look at the green crystal, the dial, the bracelet stretch, and the papers in front of you and hand you a real number, or call us and request an offer before you come down. If you are buying, tell us the dial you want and we will source it. Either way, you are dealing with people who write the check, not a website.