The Birth of Tudor

It is clear that Rolex is the most famous watch brand in the world. Why did Hans Wilsdorf, The founder of Rolex, Create Tudor in 1926 instead of being satisfied with Rolex? He wanted to maintain the high quality of Rolex while making it more affordable so that more people could experience the legacy of Rolex.

Tudor Prince Oysterdate ‘Big Rose' ⓒTheoandharris

Hans Wilsdorf, A German, Had a great affection for England, Enough to launch the Rolex brand in London in 1905. Therefore, He named this younger sibling brand ‘Tudor’ after the most powerful absolutist dynasty in 16th-century England. For a while, Tudor’s early logo was a rose, The symbol of the Tudor dynasty. Later, To express the robustness and reliability of Tudor watches, The brand logo was changed to a shield shape, And the rose motif was left as a trace on the crown of the watch.

How Did They Make It Affordable?

Hans Wilsdorf lowered the cost by using a universal movement inside a case that embodied the spirit of Rolex.

Tudor Oyster Prince ⓒTherake

In 1952, Tudor launched the Oyster Prince, Which had a universal movement inside the Oyster case that is the origin of modern Rolex. The Prince means that it uses an automatic movement, Just like Rolex’s Perpetual. This guarantees that the watch has the same waterproof and automatic performance as the core elements of Rolex.

From left, Submariner, Oyster Prince ⓒ Rolex, Ⓒ tudor

In 1953, Rolex introduced the Oyster Perpetual Submariner, And the following year Tudor released the Oyster Prince Submariner. Both models have very similar appearances, Including a 37mm case, The shape of the indexes and hands, The rotating bezel, And the bracelet. Later, This model lives on as Tudor’s Black Bay.

Black Bay 58 79030N

39mm, Black

Black Bay 54 79000N

37mm, Black

Born to Dare
Bold Attempts and Challenges

Recently, Tudor has been recognized as a brand that boldly and freely takes on challenges that Rolex does not attempt. From the Black Bay, Which is a reinterpretation of the Submariner, To watches with the crown on the left side introduced through the recent Sprite, And titanium watches, Many experimental attempts are first made by Tudor rather than Rolex. It has become a familiar pattern among watch enthusiasts that Rolex later releases similar models.

Tudor campaign featuring Lady Gaga as model ⓒ tudor

Not only in watch design but also in marketing, Tudor uses a freer strategy. Unlike Rolex, Which does not use ambassadors and only sponsors a very small number of athletes, Tudor appoints Hollywood stars as ambassadors and conducts photo shoots.

Application of In-house Movements

Tudor and Kenissi Manufacture in Geneva, Switzerland / ⓒ tudor

Whether a high-end watch uses an in-house movement is an important criterion. Tudor also began steadily applying in-house movements from 2015. Recently, It established a subsidiary called Kenissi, A movement specialist manufacturer, And now supplies movements to Breitling and Chanel, Having received equity investments from them. Tudor is truly becoming a strong player in the universal movement market as well.

No Longer the Poor Man’s
Rolex

Today, Tudor has a strong lineup, Including two diver watch collections represented by Black Bay and Pelagos, As well as classic watches.

Morgan Stanley’s Top 20 Swiss Watch Companies Rankings 2017~2022
ⓒ LuxeConsult, Ⓒ Morgan Stanley Research

Thanks to this, Tudor, Which was not ranked until 2017 in the Swiss watch rankings surveyed by Morgan Stanley, Has shown steady growth, Reaching 15th place in 2020. The tremendous popularity of Rolex also has a positive effect on Tudor, Its lookalike brand. Since its official launch in Korea in 2018, Tudor has been receiving more and more love, And now you can also trade Tudor on VIVER, So we ask for your interest and anticipation.

Pelagos 25600TN

42mm, Black

Pelagos 39 25407N

39mm, Black