Tudor Oyster Air-Tiger

Smaller, midcentury Tudor watches may be one of the last realms of “affordable Rolex.” Hear us out:

Vintage Tudor have always had somewhat of a following, but in terms of enthusiasm and price, it paled in comparison to Rolex. However, the times, they are a changin’, and vintage Tudors are now extremely sought-after. Snowflakes and Monte Carlo chronographs have been hot for some time, but one of the most exciting and dynamic parts of the Tudor market are the simpler Oyster Princes and Oyster Precision analogs, which are being “found” after decades hiding in the backs of drawers, garnering the attention that these beauties deserve.

This particular watch, a reference 7957 Oyster Air-Tiger, is emblematic of the simple, utilitarian (and beautiful) designs Tudor was debuting in the mid-20th century. (The Air Tiger was part of a series of watches honoring the British pilots who gallantly defended English skies during the Battle of Britain, and was made by both Tudor and Rolex.) Dating to roughly 1960, it features a 35mm steel case, acrylic crystal, signed crown, polished steel bezel, and sunburst silver tritium dial with applied baton indices and matching handset. The excellent case features a nice touch on its caseback — a deep engraving of “Oyster By Rolex.”

Though many 35mm Tudors — and indeed, Rolexes — featured automatic movements, this particular gem is a manually wound watch, meaning the case is particularly thin and disappears easily under a cuff. If you’re the type of person who enjoys the ritual of winding your watch every day (as we certainly do here at Analog/Shift), then this is the right watch for you.

Nab this affordable piece of the Rolex pie before anyone’s the wiser!

Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf created Tudor in 1926 for the everyman — for miners, construction workers and all sorts of tradesmen. For your everyday person Rolex was sometimes — and is now more so than ever — out of reach. It was meant for the explorer and the businessman, whereas Tudor was to be a different creature entirely.
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.”
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, the brand 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.
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. From the colorful “Home Plate” chronograph to the complicated Advisor, these models often picked up where Rolex left off, daring to be more bold and playful in their design. And now that the brand has introduced in-house movements while still managing to keep pricing modest, the company is better poised than ever to win the hearts and minds of millions of new watch enthusiasts.

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.