Tudor Watches...anyone know anything........?

[curleybar]

An elderley neighbour has given me a sales brochure from 1989 for Tudor watches.

He is an interesting chap and we normally chat about cars & watches so I am always pleased to pass the time with him.

We are both a bit stumped however by this company.....

There is a feeling that Tudor are connected to (or made by ) Rolex, they certainly appear similar in this brochure. Are they the Rolex "B team".....?

Does anyone know anything about them..? I know that I could become an instant "expert" via Wikioogle and impress him with my new found knowledge but c'mon it is always more interesting if there is some real info about & I know we have a few "Watch Guys" on here.

Any help as always gratefully recieved.

[@Lee]

they are indeed a brand of/ owned by Rolex (I Googled it )

[Jigger72]

Tudor Watch Company was created by the same man who formed Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, and was a nod to the English Tudor period, using the English Rose as it's logo before changing it to the shield it uses now (Rolex was formed in England and stayed there until 1920, before moving to Geneva).

The brand was seen as a second Rolex company with more moderate pricing, like Renault and Dacia , but the quality was, and still is, about the same. They shared case designs and names such as the Submariner and Explorer styles, but where Rolex created its own movements, Tudor used modified ETA movements.

The two companies separated in the 90s and I'm not sure who owns Tudor watches now.

To most people, myself included, a Tudor watch is as good as a Rolex and some of Tudor designs are more appealing. It's the vintage Rolex Tudor watches that command the high prices now-a-days, but the new Tudor's ain't cheap either.

I'm sure there's loads more to tell, but that's my basic knowledge for starters

[curleybar]

Thanks for the info...they certainly look nice bits of kit.

An "Oysterdate Chronograph" whatever that is.....was £638 rrp back in 1989...

[Goblin]

Both my parents have Tudors and they're absolutely cracking. Bought new in the 80s and still in daily service today, the Rolex side of things is true as well, both of them even have the Rolex crown on them.

 

I like them because they're a lot less obvious than a Rolex, my skeleton automatic Rotary screams flash a bit more than they do to be honest (and that's a cheaper watch!), where I find the Tudors are both very classy and understated, but those in the know know exactly what it is and how good it is.

 

Here's a good way to look at it, if we were looking at the VAG group, Rolex would be Audi, Tudor would be VW / Skoda. The Roller only really carries the premium brand and price tag in comparison.

[Jigger72]

Thanks for the info...they certainly look nice bits of kit.

An "Oysterdate Chronograph" whatever that is.....was £638 rrp back in 1989...

 

 

Which for a watch containing the Valjoux 7750 movement, is excellent value, especially a Tudor.

 

Chronograph is stopwatch (secs, mins, hours) and 'Oysterdate' is the 'style' with oyster bracelet and a date on the dial, usually with a Cyclops magnifier for the short-sighted among us