Tudor

Tudor is a Swiss watchmaker founded by Hans Wilsdorf (Rolex founder) in 1926 as a separate brand offering watches at more accessible prices than Rolex while sharing some quality and styling cues. Rebranded and refocused in 2012 with the launch of the Black Bay line, transforming Tudor's market perception from "Rolex's affordable cousin" to a respected brand on its own terms.

Current collections

• Black Bay: vintage-styled divers' family. Sub-references include Black Bay 58 (39 mm, 1958-inspired), Black Bay 41 (modern 41 mm), Black Bay Pro (GMT with fixed bezel), Black Bay Chrono, Black Bay GMT, Black Bay Bronze.
• Pelagos: technical titanium divers, 42 mm.
• Royal: 1950s-style dress collection.
• Heritage: discontinued vintage-themed line (Heritage Chrono, Heritage Black Bay).
• Glamour: women's dress.

Key references

• Black Bay 58 (79030N): 39 mm 1958-inspired diver. The breakout reference of the 2012 reboot.
• Black Bay GMT (79830RB): red-blue "Pepsi" bezel, GMT functionality.
• Pelagos (25600TB / 25600TN): titanium 42 mm with helium escape valve.
• Black Bay Pro (79470): GMT with fixed bezel and snowflake hands.

Movements

Since 2015, Tudor has produced in-house calibres (MT5612, MT5402, MT5652 GMT) for its top-tier pieces. Entry-level references still use modified ETA-based movements. The in-house calibres carry 70-hour power reserves and COSC certification.

Price range

Black Bay 58 retails around €3,000-4,500. Black Bay GMT around €4,500-5,500. Pelagos around €4,800. Black Bay Pro around €4,200. Substantially below Rolex equivalents while sharing manufacturing quality.

Market position

Tudor is "Rolex's vintage-styled little brother" with a growing collector following. Black Bay 58 and Pelagos hold value well; secondary market premiums are modest (10-30%) on current production, higher on discontinued limited editions like the Black Bay Bronze "Bucherer Blue" and various Only Watch pieces.

Related: rolex, submariner, gmt-bezel.