Tudor
Tudor – The Pearl of the Oysters
A Case for Tudor
Tudor Oyster timepieces started to appear in 1946 as manual-wind watches. Most were housed in 34mm steel Oyster cases and featured a vast array of dial variations. In 1952, the “Oyster Prince” was introduced. Prince signified the presence of an automatic movement and was Tudor’s equivalent of Rolex’s “Perpetual”. These automatic movements were modified by Tudor but, based on the Fleurier Calibre 390. They were — and are — one of the most robust movements one could imagine; bulletproof almost!
One of the main attractions of a Tudor and Rolex watch for me is the Oyster case. In my opinion, it is iconic and one of the most beautiful and aesthetically-pleasing designs of the 20th century. The balanced design of the case is the perfect combination of form and function. It has been interpreted in many different ways from its purest form in the early watches through the Submariners and chronographs of the 1970s and 1980s into the Heritage Black Bays of recent years. But the real essence of the Oyster is back at the origins of the brand in the 1950s. They weren’t glamorous watches at the time and were, indeed, marketed as utilitarian timepieces with adverts showing them being worn by construction workers. They were watches for everyman; the blue-collar Oyster.
Two Become Three
The early Oysters were two-piece case designs, known by Italian collectors as monoblocco construction. These watches had cases with the mid-case and “bezel” manufactured out of one piece of steel. The caseback screwed against the mid-case to seal the watch and the crystal was fitted from inside the case using a pressure-fit seal. This made changing the crystals more time consuming as the whole watch needed to be dissembled to fit a new glass. Model references such as the 7809 were monoblocco and were, in fact, the watches used for the Greenland Expedition of 1952-54.
For collectors, one of the most interesting aspects of collecting these old Tudors is the dials. There were many different model references, but the sheer number of dial variations is staggering. I still quite regularly come across versions I have not seen before and it is always intriguing to see the detail and quality that was achieved nearly 70 years ago. Of particular note are the textured dials, known by collectors as “waffle” dials. Whether in black or gently patinated ivory, these waffle dials lift a watch to new heights. Or how about a gilt dial with relief-print text in stunning deep black like a pool of oil? Whatever you fancy, there’s a vintage Tudor Oyster for you.
Tropical 7909
This watch features the most incredible “tropical” gilt dial. The tropical effect is what collectors call a dial that has aged to a brown hue from its original black. This example is almost caramel in tone and looks stunning on its rivet construction Oyster bracelet.
Monoblocco 7809
This FEF390-powered automatic Oyster is similar to those used on the Tudor-supported Greenland Expedition from 1952-54. The dial has turned a very attractive ivory colour over the years and features sunken numerals at 12, 3, 6 & 9.
Waffle Dial 7904
A manual-wind Oyster benefits from a slim, low-profile case due to the lack of oscillating rotor on the movement. The printing quality is incredible on a face of such complex construction considering when they were made. The dial has aged uniformly to a panna cotta shade.
Oversize 7919 Oysterdate Waffle
This watch is special, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the dial is incredible – black waffle with crisp gilt lettering and a gilt-coloured window around the date aperture that displays a roulette date wheel (even numbers red and odd numbers black). That in itself would be enough. The 7919, however, unlike the vast majority of Oysters of this era that were 34mm cases with 19mm lug widths, has a large case size with20mm lugs – a lot like the “Ovettone” Rolexes of the era. With Rolex Datejusts featuring dials like this hitting £20,000-30,000, this Tudor is a sure-fire grower.