- Joined
- Jul 12, 2014
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Tudor is a great value.
The Black Bays, as the successor to the Submariner, are great watches. I aim to get another next year. Probably a black dial Black Bay, and then having custom gem bezels made for it.
My next watch will be a vintage Tudor Submariner in blue.
Up until 1999, Tudor was using Rolex cases and bracelets with an off the shelf ETA movement. So it was essentially a Rolex Submariner with a different movement. They were marketed as being a bit less expensive with the same high quality.
They were the favored watches of military men, and even issued by several NATO navies. Back in the 60s-70s, Rolex, Omega and other high-end Swiss brands were the most reliable and accurate time-pieces and guys could buy them at a discount at the PX/BX. Special Forces loved them for durability and accuracy. Important for combat conditions and timing airstrikes or indirect.
The Tudors are somewhat harder to find than Rolex Submariners, though they too have been caught up in the insane price spikes of late. They are considered equivalent, though, as I said, the Tudor is more collectable.
With Rolex becoming a pure luxury brand, Tudor is back-filling the role Rolex once held prior to the 2000s as a tool watch maker. Tools for soldiers, divers, boat racers etc. Tudor was once considered just a discount Rolex, but they are now building a great reputation of their own with great in-house movements, high quality and watches for people who actually use them for something other than fitting in or bragging.
