About TUDOR Watches
Born as an affordable alternative to Rolex watches, TUDOR is now a brand that proudly showcases its own design language and point of view. TUDOR has gained immense popularity ever since the start of its rebranding efforts in the late 2000s and official relaunch in the U.S. market in 2013. Whether vintage, retro or modern, TUDOR offers some of the most exciting watches for enthusiasts to discover, covet and collect in today’s market.
TUDOR Watch History
The founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, wanted to create a brand that would offer watches as reliable as Rolex but at more affordable price points. That brand was TUDOR, which was first trademarked as “The TUDOR” by watch dealer Veuve de Philippe Hüther for Hans Wilsdorf in 1926. A decade later, the brand was transferred over to Hans Wilsdorf. In 1946 he formed the Montres TUDOR S.A. company where Rolex would not only handle the distribution and after-sales service of Tudor watches but also guide the designs and functionality of the timepieces. Early TUDOR print ads included the “Made by Rolex” label under the TUDOR logo to ensure that potential clients understood that these were top-quality watches.
Over the five decades, TUDOR released a flurry of watches for men and women — some shared designs with comparable Rolex watches while others were exclusive to the TUDOR brand. Some famous models include the TUDOR Oyster Prince, TUDOR Prince Oysterdate, TUDOR Princess, TUDOR Submariner and TUDOR Oysterdate Chronographs.
By the 1990s, TUDOR took some significant steps to distance itself from Rolex to create its own identity. These steps included dropping names or design features associated with Rolex, such as the “Oyster” label or the famed Cyclops date magnification lens protruding from the watch crystals. Also during this period, TUDOR launched plenty of new watch models to further emphasize that it was no longer simply Rolex’s sub-brand. In 1996, TUDOR officially pulled out of the U.S. market. The following year, Rolex signed on Tiger Woods as an official brand ambassador for TUDOR, resulting in a series of TUDOR Tiger watches with “TIGER” branding on the dials of select models.
2010 marked a pivotal moment for modern-day TUDOR with the launch of the Heritage Chrono collection. It featured vintage-inspired chronograph watches that borrowed heavily from TUDOR’s archives — particularly the famed “Monte Carlo” chronographs. TUDOR continued using that formula with great success with models such as the Heritage Alarm, Heritage Ranger, Heritage Advisor and its most popular modern watch collection to date, the Heritage Black Bay. In 2015, TUDOR debuted its first in-house-made movement and has steadily rolled out in-house movements across many of its watch collections.
TUDOR Timeline and Milestones
- 1926: Veuve de Philippe Hüther registers the trademark “The TUDOR” for Hans Wilsdorf.
- 1936: The TUDOR brand is transferred to Hans Wilsdorf.
- 1946: Hans Wilsdorf creates the “Montres TUDOR S.A. company.
- 1952: TUDOR releases the Oyster Prince.
- 1954: TUDOR releases the Submariner.
- 1957: TUDOR releases the Advisor alarm watch.
- 1967: TUDOR releases the Oyster Prince Ranger.
- 1969: TUDOR drops the rose from its logo and replaces it with the TUDOR Shield.
- 1969: TUDOR releases the Oyster Prince Day + Date.
- 1970: TUDOR releases the Oysterdate Chronograph.
- 1970: TUDOR releases the automatic Prince Oysterdate Chronograph.
- 1991: TUDOR releases the Monarch.
- 1997: Rolex signs Tiger Woods as a TUDOR brand ambassador.
- 1999: TUDOR releases the Hydronaut.
- 2003: TUDOR releases the Chronautic.
- 2006: TUDOR releases the Hydronaut II.
- 2007: TUDOR releases the Classic Date and Classic Date + Day.
- 2009: TUDOR releases the Grantour, Glamour, Hydro 1200 and Hydronaut Chrono.
- 2010: TUDOR releases the Heritage Chrono.
- 2011: TUDOR releases the Fastrider, Clair de Rose and Heritage Advisor.
- 2012: TUDOR releases the Heritage Black Bay and Pelagos.
- 2014: TUDOR releases the Style, Heritage Ranger.
- 2015: TUDOR releases the North Flag, its first watch with an in-house movement.
- 2018: TUDOR releases the 1926.
- 2020: TUDOR releases the new Royal collection.
TUDOR Watch Models and Features
Much like Rolex, TUDOR is known for stylish yet robust watches that pair water-resistant cases with self-winding movements. These waterproof and automatic TUDOR watches were once called Oyster Prince watches (inspired by Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual watches), and date versions were named Prince Oysterdate. Although TUDOR has moved away from Rolex-inspired names and Rolex-made components in its lineup, many discontinued and vintage TUDOR models are still popular in the preowned market.
Key Discontinued and Vintage TUDOR Watch Models
- Oyster Prince: water-resistant time-only watches
- Prince Oysterdate: water-resistant time and date watches
- Oyster Prince Date: water-resistant time and date watches
- Oyster Prince Date + Day: classic watches with date and day indications on the dials
- Submariner: dive watches
- Oysterdate Chronograph: manual-winding chronographs
- Prince Oysterdate Chronograph: automatic chronographs
- Hydronaut: dive watches
- Monarch: elegant sporty watches, which are mostly quartz-powered but there are some automatic editions too
- Princess: smaller versions of select men’s Style, TUDOR watches made especially for women
A major draw of many current TUDOR watch models is an appealing combination of superb designs, in-house-made movements and value-driven prices. These are luxury watches for men and women at prices that are much more accessible than what’s offered by other high-end timepiece brands.
Key Current TUDOR Watch Models
- Black Bay (e.g., 79230, 79030, 79580, 79830): TUDOR’s flagship collection comprising mostly vintage-inspired dive watches but also home to sporty time-only models, GMT models and chronograph models
- Pelagos (e.g., 25600): titanium dive watches waterproof to 500 meters and equipped with a helium escape valve
- Heritage Chrono (e.g., 70330): vintage-inspired chronograph watches
- Fastrider Black Shield (e.g., 4200): ceramic chronographs inspired by the world of motorbike racing
- North Flag (e.g., 91210): adventure-ready watches inspired by TUDOR’s history of supplying watches for expeditions into extreme environments
- Glamour (e.g., 57100, 56000, 55000): elegant everyday watches available with an assortment of calendar indications
While a few TUDOR watch models are exclusively made in one material type, other collections offer a vast range of case metals, dial colors and bezel types, in addition to the choice between bracelets or straps.
TUDOR Watch Prices and Collectibility
Along with highly popular modern models like the Black Bay and Pelagos, certain vintage TUDOR watches, such as Submariners and “Monte Carlo” Chronographs, have become exceedingly collectible. For instance, it’s not uncommon in 2021 for watch collectors to pay anywhere from $15,000 to around $45,000 for a vintage TUDOR Monte Carlo Chronograph and $10,000 to $50,000 for a vintage TUDOR Submariner.
Some current production TUDOR watches hold value well in the secondary market, selling close to or even above official retail prices. Here’s a quick comparison of 2021 retail prices for popular TUDOR models compared to preowned prices.
- TUDOR Black Bay Fifty-Eight 79030 retail price: Starting at $3,375
- Preowned price: Starting at $3,500
- TUDOR Black Bay 79230 retail price: Starting at $3,475
- Preowned price: Starting at $2,700
- TUDOR Black Bay GMT 79830 retail price: Starting at $3,725
- Preowned price: Starting at $3,700
- TUDOR Pelagos 25600 retail price: Starting at $4,575
- Preowned price: Starting at $3,900
The most expensive vintage TUDOR ever sold was a vintage Submariner that was auctioned for $162,500 in 2018. However, the most expensive TUDOR ever sold was a unique Black Bay One model that sold for CHF 375,000 (about $400,000 dollars) at a charity auction in 2015.