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| Movement | In-house swiss automatic | Automatic | Swiss automatic | Automatic |
| Case Size | 40mm | 39mm | 42mm | 41mm |
| Lug to Lug | 48mm | 48mm | 49mm | 49mm |
| Band | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Cordura fiber strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Water Resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m | 30m |
| Key Benefits |
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| Get It |
Buy Now at Bob’s Watches
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Buy Now at AliExpress |
Buy Now at Ball
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Buy Now at Amazon
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Rolex Milgauss
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| Movement | In-house swiss automatic |
| Case Size | 40mm |
| Lug to Lug | 48mm |
| Band | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Water Resistance | 100m |
| Key Benefits |
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| Get It |
Buy Now at Bob’s Watches
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Phylida Milgauss Homage
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| Movement | Automatic |
| Case Size | 39mm |
| Lug to Lug | 48mm |
| Band | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Water Resistance | 100m |
| Key Benefits |
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| Get It | Buy Now at AliExpress |
Ball Magneto S
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| Movement | Swiss automatic |
| Case Size | 42mm |
| Lug to Lug | 49mm |
| Band | Cordura fiber strap |
| Water Resistance | 100m |
| Key Benefits |
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| Get It |
Buy Now at Ball
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Benyar Milgauss Homage
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| Movement | Automatic |
| Case Size | 41mm |
| Lug to Lug | 49mm |
| Band | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Water Resistance | 30m |
| Key Benefits |
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| Get It |
Buy Now at Amazon
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The Rolex Milgauss boasts a recognizably unique look.
Between the bold orange lightning hand and model-specific green sapphire, it’s an uncommon design for the brand, and the watch world in general.
It’s also the first watch of its kind, originally able to withstand magnetic fields up to 1000 gauss.
Between its premium Rolex-stamped build and its status as a heritage model, a Milgauss can easily set you back 10k. That’s definitely worth considering an homage over.
Our six Rolex Milgauss homages are the best in the market. Read on to figure out which of them, or the three alternatives, is the best for you.
How Did I Come Up With My List?
The bold and distinct design of the Milgauss casts a smaller net of would-be buyers than more universal models like the Submariner or the Explorer. Still, the admirers are ardent, often bestowing this watch with top-grail status.
The downside to this is that there aren’t many options for Milgauss homages, but there are a lot of conversations around the few that are out there.
The choices here come from hours of scouring forums and reviews, and deliberating with colleagues and experts in my field. As an auction house professional, I also used my hands-on experience with several Milgauss references.
6 Best Rolex Milgauss Homages
Image Source: AliExpress
Phylida’s Milgauss homage is visually striking, sporting a lot of its source material’s features in an almost mirror-polished body. It comes in a blue dial variation, the aesthetic most associated with the model, as well as a white dial colorway.
The white dial variation is reminiscent of the 116400 reference, a popular version that comes in black or white, helping the orange accents stand out.
You can choose between two movements. The Japanese Miyota movement comes at a slight premium. It isn’t necessarily better than the Chinese DG2813 automatic when it comes to reliability. In fact, many prefer the Chinese movement because it’s quieter.
Miyota movements are just more common, so there’s more of a chance you can keep this watch alive for longer since there are far more places you can get it serviced.
Besides the movement, this watch displays other functionalities seen in much more expensive timepieces, including 100 meters of water resistance and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.
What I Like
- You can choose between a reasonably reliable Chinese automatic movement, or a robust and easily-serviced Miyota automatic.
- Comes in a standard blue dial or a white dial like the Milgauss 116400, both with the orange lightning second hand.
- The short dive extension and screw pins on the bracelet offer easy fitting for all wrist sizes.
What I Don’t Like
- The lume on the hands are weak, and virtually non-existent on the indices.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
The Phylida is arguably one of the most recommended Milgauss homages in the watch forum world, though reviewers are split down the middle regarding which movement is best.
Many reviewers mention how the highly-polished surface makes the watch a fingerprint magnet. It certainly makes it a more premium-looking timepiece than it actually is, but you might want to carry around a mini glasses cloth.
The Verdict
With its remarkable level of shine and well-applied dial, Phylida’s Milgauss homage is certainly an impressive watch, especially for its price point. It has the most important visual features of the Milgauss: Its lightning second hand, the clean bezel, and the index shapes.
On top of that, you’re given choices when it comes to the dial color and the movement, allowing for a level of customization.
With its remarkable level of shine and well-applied dial, Phylida’s Milgauss homage is certainly an impressive watch, especially for its price point. It has the most important visual features of the Milgauss: Its lightning second hand, the clean bezel, and the index shapes. On top of that, you’re given choices when it comes to the dial color and the movement, allowing for a level of customization.
Image Source: Ball
The Ball Magneto S takes all of the Milgauss’s recognizable features, heavily rearranges it to create a compelling new design, then tops it off with signature touches specific to the brand. Ball’s green second hand isn’t exactly an orange lightning bolt, but it combines elegance with boldness the same way the Milgauss does.
And like Rolex, the Magneto S flaunts a premium Swiss build and some in-house qualities of its own. It has a durable patented anti-shock system, and a patented antimagnetic system developed from the brand’s years of experience as a go-to for railroad watches.
Moreover, you can actually watch the complex COSC-certified Chronometer movement via the caseback, which is something Rolex never does.
What’s cooler, is that the movement is framed by an iris mechanism that looks like the gun barrel sequence of a James Bond film. You can shrink and expand the aperture of the iris using the bezel.
What I Like
- The signature green second hand and indices are beautifully applied on the sleek dial, and are lumed with a powerful multi-color tritium-tube source.
- The iris-framed exhibition caseback displays the Swiss-made COSC Chronometer movement.
- Ball’s special antimagnetic system goes up to 80,000A/m and is fully patented by the brand.
What I Don’t Like
- The buckle bracelet is a bit inconvenient, considering the back of the watch is just as important as the front. A folding clasp unit would have made more sense, as it would have made slipping the watch on and off quicker and easier.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
Reviewers praise the Magneto S for its creativity, and how it takes the classic anti-magnetic watch template, and turns it into its own unique design. In fact, many watch collectors consider Ball to be one of the most underrated brands on the market, using the Magneto S as an example of why it deserves more praise.
The Verdict
Like the Milgauss, the Ball Magneto S is an antimagnetic Swiss-made Chronometer watch. Other than its lower price point, Ball goes with a more architectural approach, opting for less shine and flash, and more structure.
If you’re looking for a high caliber engineer’s watch that’s less bold than a Milgauss but equally as distinct, the Magneto S is for you.
Like the Milgauss, the Ball Magneto S is an antimagnetic Swiss-made Chronometer watch. Other than its lower price point, Ball goes with a more architectural approach, opting for less shine and flash, and more structure. If you’re looking for a high caliber engineer’s watch that’s less bold than a Milgauss but equally as distinct, the Magneto S is for you.
Aesthetically, Benyar’s Milgauss homage is essentially a legal copy. It’s even close in size and wears on your wrist similarly.
One notable quality is how deep the silky blue dial is, which gives the crystal a thicker look. Most importantly, Benyar employs a green watch mirror in lieu of the proprietary Rolex green sapphire. This combination gives the sides of the dial a slight glow effect.
Of course, it has about zero of the actual Rolex’s functionalities, but that doesn’t mean it’s not functional at all. It runs on a Chinese automatic movement, which is reasonably reliable for the price, but at least you can watch it work through the see-through caseback.
What I Like
- The green color-fast watch mirror, meant to imitate the Milgauss’s green sapphire, is a nice attention to detail that gives the dial edges a slight glow.
- The dial design looks exactly like Milgauss, minus the Rolex branding.
- For under $50, the automatic movement is a fun extra, that’s sure to satisfy you if you’re both budget-minded and a horology fan.
What I Don’t Like
- The mid-tier stainless steel isn’t as durable as the standard 904L that most tools watches are built with.
- It’s not actually antimagnetic.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
Reviewers are impressed with how close this watch looks to the Milgauss, as well as with the glossy dial and indices, considering how cheap it is.
There are a few complaints about Benyar’s customer service—or lack thereof. One reviewer mentions that one of the US numbers was disconnected when he called, and several others report that it can take weeks to hear back via email.
The Verdict
If your main priority is visuals, the Benyar Milgauss homage has the Rolex look down pat. Unlike look-alikes with higher price tags, this watch even makes an attempt at a green dial protector.
It doesn’t have any of the Milgauss’s capabilities, but it wears like one and even runs on an automatic. Not too shabby for the price.
If your main priority is visuals, the Benyar Milgauss homage has the Rolex look down pat. Unlike look-alikes with higher price tags, this watch even makes an attempt at a green dial protector. It doesn’t have any of the Milgauss’s capabilities, but it wears like one and even runs on an automatic. Not too shabby for the price.
When it comes to the SNX997, it looks like Seiko took the Milgauss template and stripped it of all the bold features. This makes the SNX997 an excellent choice for you if you fall into two categories of homage seekers.
If you love the general form of the Milgauss, but wish it was more versatile and understated, the SNX997 is perfect.
Second, if you wish you could mod a Milgauss without having to actually mod a 10k watch, this model is a trusted go-to. It’s also a great option if you love modding in general. This is the more common category, which we’ll talk more about under the Other Reviewers section.
Plus, it’s a Seiko 5, which means it’s a bang-for-buck automatic that’s well-built and well-respected.
What I Like
- The simpler look allows you to wear this watch in more situations, and makes it easier to modify if you want to.
- It runs on the in-house 7S26 caliber that offers a smooth second-hand movement and over 40 hours of power.
- Seiko has a large and supportive online community prevalent in watch forums, for any questions or support.
What I Don’t Like
- The water resistance is pretty weak. It’s actually the same as the $50 Benyar’s.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
This Seiko model line is notoriously popular for Milgauss-transforming modders, and that’s why people love it and hate it. The modified watches range from slightly remixed versions of the Milgauss to pure replication, which some people are really into, and others find strange. One Reddit poster describes the “Milgauss in a Seiko case” as being “unnerving.”
While the movement is reliable, some reviewers are dissatisfied with its inability to hack.
The Verdict
If you love the Milgauss, but wish it were simpler, the Seiko SNX997 is for you. It’s also for you if you’re a modder, and wish the Milgauss had one or two slight differences. After all, no one wants to mess with an actual Rolex dial.
Most importantly, you can have a Milgauss look-alike with the tried-and-true build of a Seiko, which is more reliable than most Chinese homage makers.
If you love the Milgauss, but wish it were simpler, the Seiko SNX997 is for you. It’s also for you if you’re a modder, and wish the Milgauss had one or two slight differences. After all, no one wants to mess with an actual Rolex dial. Most importantly, you can have a Milgauss look-alike with the tried-and-true build of a Seiko, which is more reliable than most Chinese homage makers.
The Kadloo Millennium looks like a white-dial Milgauss, infused with an Explorer, and topped off with dive watch capabilities.
Good looks aside, Kadloo actually builds a high-quality tool watch, and a jack of all trades here. It checks all of the prereqs for a premium timepiece, including the anti-reflective scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, 200m of water resistance, and a Swiss automatic movement.
The Millennium runs on an ETA-2824, a true workhorse of a movement, that you can see through the caseback. The rotor is completely unobstructed, displaying the beautiful jewels, silver and gold-toned pieces, and the moving cogs.
What I Like
- With its white dial, orange accents, and sizable 12-marker, this watch looks like a fun combination of signature features from several Rolex models.
- The ETA-2824 movement offers topnotch durability and reliability.
- Infused with dive watch qualities like 200m of water resistance and an effective lume, the Millennium is the watch version of a Swiss multi-tool.
What I Don’t Like
- Kadloo is defunct, so this watch isn’t always on the secondary market. You’ll have to keep an eye out on places like Amazon and eBay.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
The Millennium is one of the most highly-esteemed Milgauss homages because it combines thoughtful similarities with thoughtful differences, while staying within the world of Rolex design languages. In fact, it could have been our top pick here if it weren’t so elusive.
The Verdict
Go for the Kadloo Millennium if you’re looking for a Milgauss-esque watch that’s premiumly-built and stylish in its own right, or if you like a good hunt.
It isn’t always easy to find at its original $300-$500 price range. But if you get lucky, it’s a unique-looking timepiece that few people have, that’s also durable and reliable.
Go for the Kadloo Millennium if you’re looking for a Milgauss-esque watch that’s premiumly-built and stylish in its own right, or if you like a good hunt. It isn’t always easy to find at its original $300-$500 price range. But if you get lucky, it’s a unique-looking timepiece that few people have, that’s also durable and reliable.
Image Source: AliExpress
The Steel Bagelsport’s take on the Milgauss is one of few homages that comes in a black dial. Their other option is a white dial.
As with any Steel Bagelsport watch, the applications on the dial and the polishing on the static bezel are impressive for a sub-100 watch. It isn’t flawless, but you’d need a magnifying glass to see the imperfections.
Also, the 36mm case suits a range of wrist sizes. It’s small enough for thin wrists, but the style is bold enough that the watch dial wouldn’t look too dainty on a bigger wrist.
What I Like
- They offer a black dial, which isn’t that common since most homage-makers stick to the more ubiquitous blue dial.
- The Chinese-made movement is roughly-finished, but offers high-value reliability.
- Steel Bagelsport watches often come with free shipping regardless of where they’re being delivered.
What I Don’t Like
- The bracelet is flimsy and rattly, especially at the clasp.
- This watch is 0% waterproof.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
As with most Steel Bagelsport homages, reviewers are impressed with how good this watch looks and functions for its price.
Few mention that they wouldn’t recommend it to serious collectors, but think it’s cheap enough to use as a Milgauss “tryout” since it looks and feels so much like it.
The Verdict
Steel Bagelsport offers a nuanced value middle-ground when it comes to Milgauss homages. It’s only slightly more expensive than the Benyar, while also offering different color options. And, it’s notably less expensive than the Phylida, which also comes in a white dial, is better-finished, and offers a choice of two movements.
Steel Bagelsport offers a nuanced value middle-ground when it comes to Milgauss homages. It’s only slightly more expensive than the Benyar, while also offering different color options. And, it’s notably less expensive than the Phylida, which also comes in a white dial, is better-finished, and offers a choice of two movements.
3 Quality Rolex Milgauss Alternatives
Milgauss homages are designed to be affordable look-alikes, while alternatives are often competitor watches. They’re comparable to the Milgauss in function or category, meaning they’re also antimagnetic watches for scientists and engineers. However, they aren’t necessarily modeled after it.
Born from Omega’s and Rolex’s constant attempts to one-up each other, the Aqua Terra > 15,000 is the first fully antimagnetic watch in the world.
It features a beautiful lacquered black dial, with bright yellow accents throughout, offering a visual pop not unlike the Milgauss. Meanwhile, the scratch-resistant sapphire caseback showcases the exquisite co-axial 8508 movement.
Image Source: Panerai
Panerai’s antimagnetic offering, the Submersible Amagnetic PAM01389, resists fields between 4.800 A/m up to 40,000 A/m.
This guy is a lot more robust and hearty than the Milgauss, not just because of the real estate it takes up on your wrist, but in its construction too. The bezel is fade-resistant ceramic and durable titanium, which is almost half as light as steel.
Image Source: IWC
Though the IWC Ingenieur is a true scientist’s watch able to resist magnetic fields up to 1000 gauss, it has a dressier look than most engineer watches.
The polished baton indices, silky silver, and black alligator strap allow you to wear this timepiece with a lab coat or a full-on suit. If you want a sleeker and more elegant take on the antimagnetic watch, IWC’s got you covered.
Which Rolex Milgauss Homage Should You Get?
Our top pick, the Phylida, is affordable and offers options in dial color and movement.
With its remarkable level of shine and well-applied dial, Phylida’s Milgauss homage is certainly an impressive watch, especially for its price point. It has the most important visual features of the Milgauss: Its lightning second hand, the clean bezel, and the index shapes. On top of that, you’re given choices when it comes to the dial color and the movement, allowing for a level of customization.
Other excellent low-priced homages include the Steel Bagelsport and the even cheaper Benyar.
If you want something a bit less bold, or a canvas for modifications, the Seiko SNX997 is a trusted option. Meanwhile, the Ball Magneto S and the Kadloo Millennium are both premium timepieces, with the Ball being way more expensive and the Kadloo being way more elusive.
Like the Milgauss, the Ball Magneto S is an antimagnetic Swiss-made Chronometer watch. Other than its lower price point, Ball goes with a more architectural approach, opting for less shine and flash, and more structure. If you’re looking for a high caliber engineer’s watch that’s less bold than a Milgauss but equally as distinct, the Magneto S is for you.
By going the homage or alternative route, you can have a lot of your favorite Milgauss qualities in a watch for a fraction of the cost.
FAQs
What is special about the Milgauss?
The Milgauss is historically important for being the first watch to withstand magnetic fields up to 1000 gauss. It’s also uniquely designed, with its green sapphire and orange lightning bolt hand.
Is the Milgauss a good investment?
As most Rolex models, the Milgauss is a sound investment. The superior and easily-serviced movement means it will last you decades or more. Additionally, stainless steel rolex watches fetch large numbers on auction.
Ever since I received an Omega Seamaster for my 16th birthday, I fell in love with watches. Professionally, this led me to work for New York and LA’s leading auction houses. Personally, it led to a life as a collector, my Seamaster and my Explorer II being my favorite timepieces.
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