Tudor
Tudor watches, instantly recognisable by their emblematic shield on the dial, are manufactured under the same roof as the illustrious “royal” Rolex watches. Not only does Tudor share its founder and production know-how with Rolex, but also the luxury brand’s values and its emphasis on uncompromising quality. Tudor watches stand out by their resistance, distinctive design with vintage elements and fit so perfectly in the active lifestyles of people living in modern metropolises. A Tudor watch brings its owner an excellent quality to price ratio and a value that lasts: it’s no wonder Tudor watches are gaining in popularity so fast.
Where to buy?
Black Bay
Pelagos
Ranger
Fastrider Black Shield
Tudor 1926
Heritage Advisor
Heritage Chrono
North Flag
Clair de Rose
Classic
Glamour
Style
TUDOR Royal
More about the brand
Tudor, despite introducing a number of iconic chronographs and divers’ watches much appreciated by collectors in the 1960s and 1970s, remained overshadowed of its mother company Rolex for many decades. In line with its founder Hans Wildor’s wish, Tudor manufactured high-quality watches with cheaper, externally supplied movements so that a watch from the “Rolex family” could be acquired by a larger number of customers.
This attitude underwent a radical change in 2008 when Tudor presented its new strategy and showed what was the most successful metamorphosis from a watchmaking brand in the new millennium. Alongside more daring designs, Tudor has focused on original renditions of iconic vintage models and this approach has brought it unprecedented success. The brand’s newly acquired self-assurance is reflected in many high-tech innovations and the development of its own in-house movement that was first introduced in 2015.
The brand’s history
The beginnings of Tudor are linked to two dates: in 1926 Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, bought exclusive rights to the use of the Tudor name and later on bought the brand’s name outright. At the beginning, the name Tudor was featured on some Rolex watches and many of them bore both names. It wasn’t until twenty years later that the independent Montres TUDOR S.A. was founded with the idea to produce watches with a more accessible price tag whilst still having the unmistakable features and components developed for Rolex.
The resilience and practicality of Tudor watches made them very popular with many professionals. At the time, Tudor divers’ watches were among the best in its category and worn by the members of the elite units of the French and American Navy.
After the stellar times of the 1960s and 70s the brand went through a period of searching for its renewal. That long-awaited, new impulse came in 2008.
In the past decade, Tudor has presented several models, most of them original interpretations of vintage models (the Black Bay and Pelagos collections). The brand’s courage, uniqueness and vigour have been confirmed by the development of its in-house movement and a number of innovations but also by its alliance with Breitling, an unprecedented event in the world of watchmaking, with whom Tudor exchanges certain components. The motto of Tudor’s new campaign “Born to Dare” with its main protagonists, The All Blacks Team and David Beckham, is another proof of the brand’s aforementioned qualities.