The green-tinted sapphire crystal fitted to the reference 116400GV Milgauss has quickly become one of the defining characteristics of Rolex’s anti-magnetic line of watches. The Rolex Milgauss was first introduced in 1956; however, it was not until 2007 that it received its now-signature, green sapphire crystal – an exclusive feature that was originally introduced as a way for Rolex to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their Milgauss line.No other watch in Rolex’s current catalog is fitted with a green-tinted (or any other color) sapphire crystal. However, at the present time, all Milgauss watches that are currently in production leave the factory with green sapphire crystals. Rather than simply being a layer or coating, the light green tint is present throughout the entire material of the crystal, and will not fade or discolor after prolonged wear and use.Rolex claims that it took them many years of research and development to master and perfect the secret procedure of manufacturing their green-tinted sapphire crystals and that the actual process of producing the crystals takes multiple weeks. What is most interesting is that despite a usual eagerness to patent their various in-house technologies, Rolex claims that the green sapphire crystal in the Milgauss is “not patented, as it is so difficult to make that no one else would even venture to try.”Rolex will never reveal their exact formulas and secrets about how they manufacture the green-tinted sapphire crystals fitted to the Milgauss; however, we do know some general information about green-colored synthetic sapphire and the production of sapphire watch crystals as a whole.There are a number of different ways to produce synthetic sapphire, all of which fall into the following general methods of production: melt growth, solution growth, and high-temperature/high-pressure growth. It is hypothesized that Rolex uses a hydrothermal method of production for its synthetic sapphire crystals, which is slow, expensive, and uses heat and pressure to imitate the conditions present deep inside the earth that is responsible for the production of naturally-occurring crystalline gemstones.
Are they likely to issue a Coke at some point in the future? It is impossible to tell, to be honest. There is already a decent amount of color in the range, with the blue and black ‘Batman’ pieces and the pair of ‘Root Beer’ examples. And with there actually being a total of three Pepsi’s – one in steel and two in white gold – maybe Rolex has decided that’s enough.That being said, the Fat Lady (that ref. 16760 original) turns 40 in 2023, and as already discussed, the brand loves a birthday. So, just maybe…Until then, we will have to content ourselves with the references available on the pre-owned market.Just about the rarest thing in the world (the world of horology at any rate) is for Rolex to succumb to audience pressure. Yet, in 2009, that’s exactly what happened when that venerable old warhorse, the Datejust, was issued in a new 41mm size. The largest Datejust option had been 36mm model since before the Earth cooled, but the trend for ever-increasing watch sizes was one the brand could only ignore for so long.However, the so-called Datejust II not only added a significant 5mm but also changed the proportions of the watch’s individual elements. The bezel grew broader, and while the case got wider, the bracelet didn’t, leading to thicker lugs. Overall, it traded the former model’s graceful, sweeping lines for a more muscular sporty profile, adding bigger hour markers on the dial to fill up the extra room.
