Tudor Prince Date-Day Black Dial

This is one of those cases in which a timepiece is worth way more than the sum of its parts...except for some reason or another no one has figured that out yet.

What you are looking at is a Tudor Oyster Prince Date+Day Reference 76124, and despite its relatively simple underpinnings (Oyster Case, ETA movement) this piece manages to be incredibly cool without shouting anything obnoxious. A unique combination of features differentiates this awesome model from its much more common Rolex Oyster Perpetual siblings. 

Wrapped in a standard 36mm Oyster Case, this model's outward appearance is nearly identical to the Rolex Day/Date "President".  Unlike the iconic flagship of Rolex's dress watch line, the Tudor is cased in steel, making it the only Day/Date functional timepiece  in a non-precious metal available in this size under the Rolex umbrella. With a traditionally simple and legible layout (Day at 12, Date at 3) set against a glossy black dial, this piece is as much about understatement as its cousins are about the other thing. Minor embellishments, such as a fluted white gold bezel (à la 1601 series Datejusts) and a steel bracelet with polished center links give it just a touch of glam, without going over the top.

This particular example was bought new at The Penninsula Hotel Hong Kong in 2004, and to the best of our knowledge, this Reference was never available in the United States, making it a true rarity in this marker. With the combination of steel case, white gold bezel, and Day/Date functionality, this awesome contemporary Tudor blurs the line between an all out dress piece and a daily-wearable sports watch, a combination that makes it an extremely attractive alternative to the more common Rolex option.