Certificates are issued by WatchCSA, the industry's leading independent authority on watch authentication. It is only natural for siblings to measure themselves against each other, and when it comes to the age-old question of Rolex vs. Tudor , there are few topics more hotly debated between collectors and enthusiasts. The two iconic Swiss watch brands have an intertwined history that dates all the way back to and for the vast majority of that time, there has never really been much of a question about which company was number one.
So, without further ado, read on as we attempt to answer the age-old question of Rolex vs. Click here for our ultimate buying guide on Rolex watches. Click here to learn more about the history of Tudor watches. Ever since Tudor burst back onto the international watch scene, comparisons between it and its sibling company Rolex have abounded.
The brands are and always have been intertwined. Tudor was always openly intended as a more affordable option and enjoyed a rich history of its own until the brand wound down distribution in the early s, stopping sales of its watches in the United States completely, largely due to slumping sales and a loss of direction. While Rolex is a brand that truly needs no introduction, its sister company, Tudor, is a bit less of a household name. For the vast majority of its existence, it has been understandably caught in the colossal shadow of its parent company Rolex, despite the fact that it is a favorite among many watch enthusiasts.
Since , Tudor reinvented its image as a more youthful and style-focused brand, bringing onboard ambassadors such as David Beckham, Lady Gaga, and the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team. However, despite Tudor being perhaps more style-conscious than its elder sibling, the watches in its current line-up are certainly fine timepieces in their own right. Plus, the difference in price both at retail and on the pre-owned market is considerable.
In light of that, it is fair to say the choice between the two is as difficult as it has ever been. Since its creation, the Tudor brand has always intended to be a more affordable alternative to Rolex. However, in more recent years, it seems that Tudor is aiming to bridge the gap that has historically existed between these two manufacturers.
Rolex initially built its now-legendary reputation on the shoulders of its robust and water-resistant Oyster case. In the past, Tudor was able to achieve its more modest price point by using generic movements and Rolex-manufactured case components. Although the mechanisms used in Tudor watches were more-or-less identical to those found inside timepieces from several other manufacturers, their Rolex-manufactured cases ensured that they would still offer the same degree of water resistance and durability as their higher-priced siblings.
The Cal. MT debuted in the new North Flag model and since then, Tudor has equipped more and more models with in-house creations. Most impressively, the brand managed to do this without raising prices all that much. Using in-house movements has added an extra dimension to the value proposition of Tudor watches. Both movements use variable inertia balances with non-magnetic hairsprings, both have bearing-mounted, bidirectional-winding rotors, and both offer power reserves of approximately 70 hours.
However, with COSC tolerances being as tight as they are, any actual difference in real-world timekeeping is likely to be no more than a few seconds per day at most.
In reality, several prominent collectors have expressed surprise upon finding that their Tudor timepieces actually keep time on par with their Rolex watches.
Practically speaking, therefore, it is fair to say the movements and their performance are not as worlds apart as the retail prices may suggest. Both the Rolex Sea-Dweller and the Tudor Pelagos are modern and technologically advanced, mechanical dive watches with a touch of vintage design inspiration.
Both watches have self-winding, chronometer-certified in-house movements with hour power reserves, and both have scratch-resistant ceramic bezel inserts and sapphire crystals. On top of that, both watches are even fitted with helium gas escape valves, which makes these watches suitable for saturation diving applications.
While the Pelagos has a depth rating of meters — less than half that of the Rolex Sea-Dweller — it also boasts a full-titanium construction, a luminous bezel insert, and costs significantly less than half the price of the Sea-Dweller. Tudor returned in with its nostalgia-heavy Heritage line, kicking off with the Chrono and expanding into the Pelagos and ultra-successful Black Bay collections. For example, the LHD pulls together a fantastic colorway of matte black, cream for the dial printing, hour markers, and date-wheel , and the obligatory red line of text that one would hope to find on a vintage sports watch from the golden era of mechanical timepieces.
Against the duller, gritter titanium case color, it is a chromatic triumph that looks thoroughly unlike anything you might expect to find in the Rolex catalog. However, as Rolex occupies an increasingly more luxury-oriented position within the high-end timepiece market, Tudor is perfectly positioned to cater to the numerous buyers for whom a Rolex may now be slightly out of their price range. For many years, the prices of Rolex watches were surprisingly static. However, it was clear that Rolex was keen to increase its prices in line with its snowballing reputation as the preeminent luxury watch label in the world.
While watches from brands such as Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin are generally more expensive and certainly more technically complex than Rolex watches in many cases, none of these luxury brands possess the same mainstream popularity or the pop-culture status that the glistening golden coronet of Rolex enjoys.
However, Rolex risked drawing the ire of those less affluent followers had it simply increased the retail prices without first lining the nest for a successor. With Rolex clearly planning on vacating the price segment that could be described as affordable luxury, it made perfect sense to bring along the Tudor brand to take its place.
In reality, the modern iteration of Tudor now offers the market watches that are more akin to the wares that Rolex produced in its s tool watch heyday. Indeed, the target demographic of the Rolex brand has been handed down to Tudor for it to serve. Rolex knew it could not simultaneously elevate its pricing structure to an undeniably luxury level and hope to drag its entire consumer base along for the ride. From a branding perspective, with an ever-present eye on reputational protection, it would make no sense to offer a wider collection with disparate pricing.
His intent was to create a viable, but more affordable alternative to the powerhouse brand of his watchmaking empire. With their nostalgic, vintage-inspired releases like the Chrono, Pelagos, and Black Bay — Tudor was able to forge its own identity.
Until recently, the main difference between Rolex and Tudor was their movements. Rolex has been using in-house movements since , when they purchased outright the manufacturing facility that makes their calibers. This distinguishing factor all changed when, in , Tudor launched their first ever in-house movement: the Cal. We strive to offer you an amazing customer service to make your buyer experience as great as it can be.
From your initial contact to after you have your new watch on the wrist. Our number one goal is to make you so satisfied with your purchase that we get the honour of helping you with your next watch purchase. He wanted to create watches that were made in a similar way to Rolex, but sold at a more affordable. It would make its last appearance in Black Bay watches are now the most recognizable timepieces made by Tudor, characterized by a legible dial, snowflake hands and a superb in-house designed movement.
It followed the launch of the Rolex Submariner just a year before but has now become discontinued. Models in mint condition are extremely rare, as are those from the first generation of timepieces, created between and The third generation was launched in These are the Tudor Submariners that remain affordable, since so many were created during this period, remaining easily accessible on the preowned market today.
Perfect for scuba diving, snorkeling, deep-sea diving, sailing and a myriad of water sports, these diving watches are tools that can be worn for pretty much any situation. The ETA caliber , which was widely used up until , was replaced by an in-house made movement — the caliber MT after this date. The Tudor Black Bay is the Swiss dive watch with a retro-inspired look. The vintage look of these wristwatches is inspired by the original Submariner collection.
Tudor Black Bay models were first released in and the collection is still growing with new and innovative designs being launched, including cases crafted from bronze like the Black Bay ref: MBA , giving them a full-of-character look as their patina darkens with age.
The models are distinguishable for their snowflake hands and a domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass lens. They also feature in-house movements developed with a hour power reserve.
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