Tudor Monte Carlo

When Tudor returned to their roots and successfully reinvigorated the brand with heritage-inspired new releases, their first move wasn’t a Snowflake Sub or Oyster Prince. Tudor released a Heritage Chronograph, modeled after on of their original exotic dialed chronos, known to collectors as the “Homeplate”. All of the vintage exotic chronos are surging in popularity, and represent the best of vintage Tudor in the eyes of many collectors.

This reference 7159 “Monte Carlo” in many ways speaks for itself. With it’s Oyster case, unique gray dial with black subregisters and orange accents, any collector can recognize the heavy Rolex influence and funky 70s vibe a mile away. At the time when Rolex was only producing 36mm Daytonas, Tudor was given the task of pushing the design envelope for the company, taking the risks that Rolex would not. Sure, Rolex had the Paul Newman Daytona, but even that looks a bit dull next to a Monte Carlo. Given the insane six-figure pricetag of a Newman today, it’s not surprise that Rolex collectors have taken a strong interest in Tudor’s Oyster chronos, even years before the Tudor brand became a household name.

Powered by a manually wound Valjoux 234 movement, the Tudor differs from the Daytona a bit in terms of functionality. The Monte Carlo sways the Daytona’s hours chronograph subregister for a date, and counts up to 45 minutes. The cyclops date magnifier is a Rolex/Tudor trademark touch, but these Tudor chronos are the only instance of it found at 6 o’clock, and if you look closely, you’ll see that the crystal is not a standard “Top Hat” spun around, but the magnifier itself is rotated 90 degrees to a horizontal orientation over the date. Even if you’ve never been much of a cyclops fan, on this watch it just works!

The Monte Carlo is a fantastic addition to any collections on its own merits, but compared to it’s Rolex Oyster Chronograph cousin, it’s a downright bargain. At a third the price of a no-frills Big Red Daytona, it’s hard to resist of Monte Carlo given its identical build quality and off-beat design.

We at analog/shift are huge vintage Tudor fans, and often find ourselves preferring the Tudor version of a watch compared to the Rolex. It seems like everyone and their mother is wearing a vintage Rollie these days, so a Tudor is a great way to enjoy everything that made the brand the icon it is, while managing to stick out from the crowd.

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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.

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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.