TUDOR Celebrates Two Anniversaries

TUDOR are a celebrated Swiss watch brand that has long been known for their technical prowess and an acute sense of style. This year they celebrated two anniversaries that showcase these brand pillars – here we look at 50 years of TUDOR chronographs and the 10^th anniversary of the TUDOR fabric strap.

Since their origins in 1926, TUDOR has been pushing boundaries in the watch-making world, offering timepieces with refined aesthetics, proven reliability and unique value for money. Throughout history, they’ve been a brand that has consistently taken an innovative approach and this year they celebrate two anniversaries – 50 years of TUDOR chronographs and the 10^th anniversary of the TUDOR fabric strap.

Let’s find out more about the celebrations…

50 YEARS OF TUDOR CHRONOGRAPHS

In 1970, TUDOR launched its first chronograph, the Oysterdate. This robust, functional watch offered a unique design, paving the way for 50 years of TUDOR chronographs.

1970 Series 7000: The Oysterdate was powered by a mechanical Valjoux 7734 calibre, and finished with a sharp and masculine design. There were three variations of this first sporty chronograph, each distinguished by their bezel type. Reference 7031 featured a bezel topped by a Plexiglass disc. Reference 7032 featured a satin-brushed steel bezel, and finally, Reference 7033 had a bidirectional rotating bezel.

1971 Series 7100: Launched in 1971, and dubbed the TUDOR “Monte-Carlo”, thanks to their roulette wheel-style dials, the 7100 series chronographs retained the same case as their predecessors, but the movement had changed. Now equipped with the manually-wound Valjoux 234 it offered a more sophisticated chronograph mechanism, with clutch and column wheel.

1976 Series 9400 and 79100 self-winding chronograph: In 1976, TUDOR presented a new, revolutionary product family. These new Prince Oysterdate watches were the first TUDOR chronographs to be equipped with self-winding movements. It earned the nickname “Big Block”, which endured when the following 79100 series was introduced in 1989, with only minimal modifications.

1995 Series 79200: 1995 saw the introduction of the 79200 series of references. Here TUDOR subtly, yet significantly updated the aesthetics of the Prince Oysterdate chronograph. One of the most notable developments was the introduction of sapphire crystal, earning it the nickname ‘Sapphire Chronograph’.

2010: To mark the 40^th anniversary of the first TUDOR chronograph, they launched the Heritage Chrono. This watch featured a modern design, whilst adopting the main aesthetic elements of the famous reference 7033. Complete with the calibre 2892 they had additional chronograph mechanisms and were highly impressive timepieces.

2013: In 2013, TUDOR surprised the watchmaking world with the launch of the Fastrider Black Shield. The resolutely sporty matt black chronograph broke away from the brand’s traditional aesthetics, with a look that reflected its technological prowess and performance.

2017: The Black Bay Chrono boldly combined the aquatic heritage of the Black Bay family with the chronograph’s timekeeping function, resulting in a timepiece with superior performance and a unique design. Powered by the Manufacture calibre chronograph MT5813 it was equipped with a high-performance movement, designed in the purest watchmaking tradition.

10^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TUDOR FABRIC STRAP

TUDOR is often perceived as a trendsetter in the watch industry. Thanks to their stylistic choices, the brand has always known how to stay a step ahead of trends. The fabric strap is a good example of this.

In 2009, while most of the Swiss luxury watch brands were not yet aware of the fabric strap, or did not consider it worthy of the level of sophistication of their products, the fabric strap, which had already gained popularity, found in TUDOR an ideal environment for further interpretation. They recognised the stylistic potential of such an accessory and, in line with their pursuit of perfection, had their own version manufactured by a traditional passementerie company from the St-Etienne region of France.

This well-established company was one of the very few remaining still practising the Jacquard shuttle weaving technique, which allows endless room for experimental manoeuvre in terms of the complexity of designs. It also produces a dense weave with a high thread count, ensuring sturdiness and flexibility of the straps. The use of such a production method creates an incomparable richness of texture and guarantees the utmost comfort and longevity.

Since 2010, TUDOR has offered a fabric strap with many of their models, with a number of different styles and sizes available. The fabric strap has become a classic in the watchmaking landscape, but its interpretation, as created by TUDOR, remains unsurpassed in terms of technical quality and aesthetics.

SHOP TUDOR AT LAINGS

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