Tudor Oysterdate

Why We Love It

In history it’s always thus: the Shield pays court to the Crown. The king commands, and the knights shoulder their shields and ride into battle. And in the world of watches, the brand with a shield as its logo—Tudor—stood in the shadow of its kingly parent company, Rolex. 

Tudors were Rolexes in all but name, with the same waterproof Oyster cases and similar styling. However, in order to keep costs down, Tudor used generic Swiss movements made by ETA rather than their own in-house calibres. What resulted were watches that were more affordable than Rolexes to the consumer, but still uniformly tough and reliable.

Tudor pursued a kind of rough-and-ready attitude early on, showing construction workers and miners with Tudor watches strapped to their wrists—and the ads found verisimilitude in real life when members of the British North Greenland Expedition wore Tudors in 1952.

Like Rolex, Tudor experimented with different dial textures and colors. Of particular note are the honeycomb or “waffle” dials like the one featured on this watch, a Reference 7929. A remnant from the days when this type of decoration was done by hand, it gives the watch a touch of elegance that’s undeniably attractive; furthermore, given how difficult this type of dial is to refinish, it’s often a mark of a dial’s authenticity.

With a compact but sturdy 35mm case, the Reference 7929 has enough flair of its own to stand alone, but has all the quality one would come to expect from watches produced by Rolex—no matter the name on the dial. 

The Story

Although it started as Rolex’s gateway brand, the quality of Tudor’s products are by no means inferior to Rolex’s.

Tudors were in many ways Rolexes in all but name, with the same waterproof Oyster cases and similar styling. However, in order to keep costs down, Tudor used off the shelf Swiss movements rather than their own in-house calibres. What resulted were watches that were more affordable than Rolexes to the consumer, but still uniformly tough and reliable.

Hans Wilsdorf created Tudor for the everyman, for miners, construction workers and every sort of tradesman. Rolex was meant for the explorer and the businessman, where Tudor was to be a different creature entirely. For your everyday person Rolex was, and often still is out of reach.

But in creating Tudor, Wilsdorf wanted to offer “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."

Today Tudor has certainly defeated any impression of being the redheaded stepchild of the Rolex family, and their current timepiece collection – as well as their vintage counterparts – are getting the recognition and respect they most rightfully deserve.

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.