A few years ago Tudor finally came out from big brother's shadow and began building a brand of its own. Out in the wild, Tudor flourished and delivered an exciting line of heritage watches at Baselworld. The brand has been building on that success ever since and now, for those in the know, it's a real alternative to the big boys.
Rolex founder Hans Wildorf conceived of the Tudor Watch Company to create a product for authorized Rolex dealers to sell that offered the reliability and dependability of a Rolex at a lower price. By delivering on this idea, Tudor swiftly made a name for itself, to the point where it soon completely separated from the brand with a crown.
"For some years now I have been considering the idea of making a watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches and yet one that would attain the standards of dependability for which Rolex is famous It is called the Tudor Watch Company” - Hans Wilsdorf
In 1952 the Tudor Oyster Prince was born. It was accompanied by an original advertising campaign that featured men at work in extreme conditions, emphasizing the strength and quality with which the brand had come to be associated. Born from the Rolex brand but appealing to a new audience, Tudor watches came to reflect both modernity and reliability, its wearer being a person of both style and substance.
In 1954 Tudor created the legendary Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner reference 7922. Designed from the ground up to fulfil a demanding criteria of durability, reliability and precision it quickly proved itself as the tool watch of choice for professionals, and was given the seal of approval by the French Marine Nationale who chose the Tudor Submariner as their standard issue dive watch. The hard use the watches received with Marine Nationale was an important proving ground for the Tudor and it cemented a 25 year relationship of mutual collaboration and respect between Tudor and the MN.
Since its inception, Tudor utilised the same cases, crown and bezels as Rolex and the Tudor Submariner followed the same general design as its Rolex counterpart. However, the conditions the MN submariners were exposed to began to take a toll, prompting Tudor to create an even more robust watch. Perhaps even more legendary than its predecessor, the ref 7928 came with squared off crown guards to better protect the stem and crown from the rigours of MN diving. Over the next 45 years this original tool watch continued to evolve to meet the changing requirements of a range of divers from both military and commercial worlds.
The Oyster Prince Ranger was introduced to the line up in the late 1960s and it remained in the catalogue until 1988. The Ranger had a 34 mm waterproof steel case with a matte black dial with the luminous rectangular hour markers and numerals at 3 6 9 and 12 o’clock. This was Tudor’s answer to the Everest watch - the Rolex Explorer.
By the early 00s, however, Tudor's popularity had waned and in 2004 sales were discontinued in the United States. But the brand's reputation for quality and style meant that there was still a seat at the horological table. Tudor returned to the US market in the summer of 2013 having reinvented itself as a premium competitor, whose new Heritage Line sat comfortably alongside those by Omega, Longines, Brightling and Rolex itself.
By the early 00s, however, Tudor's popularity had waned and in 2004 sales were discontinued in the United States. But the brand's reputation for quality and style meant that there was still a seat at the horological table. Tudor returned to the US market in the summer of 2013 having reinvented itself as a premium competitor, whose new Heritage Line sat comfortably alongside those by Omega, Longines, Brightling and Rolex itself.
With its updated reissues of the classic ranger and the big crown submariner as well as the brand new Black Shield, The Heritage line has transformed the brand into a new and exciting proposition for hard core watch enthusiasts and new comers alike. Tudor recently appeared at the New York Pop Up Flea - surprising for a such a big name swiss watch brand. But this kind of small scale interaction with the customer has proved popular with an ever evolving customer base, many of whom desire to connect with a brand on a more personal level.
For nearly half a century, Tudor has produced sporting instruments with identity, unique style and of uncompromising quality. By constantly evolving and producing modern timepieces which retain their own distinct identity, Tudor has claimed its rightful place in the field of high end, quality time pieces. Now Tudor has added its own in-house “Manufacture” movement to its range with the addition of the North Flag and things are definitely looking good for Rolex's little brother.
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