COLUMN — john barron
The Tudor Submariner Why is it that collectors always seem to covet old antiquated objects that have most likely been made obsolete through technology and/or product development? Is it the status that can be achieved by its ownership? Is it the historical significance of the item that justifies the interest in it? Or is it simply the value that one man will place on something he covets? While all of these are significant factors, I personally believe collecting first and foremost starts with the passion a collector has for his or her chosen focus of interest. My collecting niche was established relatively early in life when I first laid eyes on a collection of vintage watches (although when I first ogled them in the 80's they weren't old enough to be considered vintage). I remember being shown the collection of a friend of my father's. The black dial diving watch in particular stood out, with its heavy chunky steel bracelet, carrying the Tudor name as well as an image of what I would later recognize as a 5-petalled Tudor Rose elegantly printed across the dial. I remember how substantial it seemed when I attached it to my wrist. I also recall my father instructing me to be extremely careful with it and not to drop or damage it, as well as my father's friend reassuring both my father and I that there wasn't much damage I could possibly do to this spectacular chunk of metal in my hands, short of whacking it with a hammer.... Right then, I knew: I was hooked. I love watches. The name of the brand stuck with me for years, and when I was first afforded the opportunity to upgrade from my ubiquitous Japanese digital sports watch, I decided vintage was the route I would take...and Tudor was the brand I would look for. So the hunt for, and subsequent history lesson of, my rose dial vintage Tudor Submariner Oyster Prince was on. The Tudor brand was officially Launched in Geneva in 1946 as Montres Tudor SA, by Hans Wilsdorf, the founder and director of Montres Rolex SA. The Tudor brand was envisioned as a more affordable version of Rolex, to be aimed at a wider target group, but maintained the same perception of quality as Wildorf's beloved Rolex brand. It was named in honor of the British Royal Family and their long reign over the Kingdom of England, the country where Wildorf had lauched Rolex in 1908. Wildorf was renowned for his use of innovative marketing concepts, and believed for some time that there was a significant opportunity for a second collection of wristwatches which could be sold alongside Rolex - to compliment, rather than compete with, the already established brand. The Tudor brand was able to take advantage of similar design and engineering characteristics, as well as the technological innovations Rolex had become famous for (such as the waterproof oyster case, patented screwdown crown design and self-winding movements which were cutting edge at the time), but would be able to target a wider potential consumer by using secondary suppliers for some of the more expensive components found in their Rolex counterparts. Unfortunately, with the dominant success of Rolex in the high end Swiss wrist watch market, Tudor had trouble stepping out of the shadow of its more successful older sibling, often being viewed by Rolex loyalists as an inferior, lesser brand. It did however find its own niche eventually, allowing the brand to move forward and flourish.
some extreme (working on mines and on roads), others recreational (riding a motorcycle, or playing golf) but always depicting the brand in situations where reliability and functionality were essential, suggesting the consumer could trust Tudor as a brand. By 1952, the reputation Tudor was gaining led the British Royal Navy to commission 30 Tudor Oyster Prince models (a self-winding water resistant semi sport watch) for use as the time keeping instrument of choice for the British Scientific Expedition to Greenland. This cemented Tudor's reputation as a so-called "tool" watch, a reliable instrument, to be used as a precision tool. This was also Tudor's first involvement in a military procurement transaction, which foreshadowed a significant chapter in the future of the brand. After the success of the Tudor Oyster Prince in the British Polar expeditions, Tudor began to explore the possibility of becoming a supplier of wristwatches to various global military forces. At the launch of the ubiquitous and revolutionary Rolex Submariner model at the Basel watch fair in the spring of 1954, the next chapter of Tudor's evolution fell into place. That same year, Tudor begun collaborating with The French Navy developing and testing a number of Tudor branded "submersible" watches that would be used by the newly formed "les nageurs de combat de la Marine Nationale", or Navy combat divers or frogmen, as they were also known. The French had started a dedicated program where these frogmen would be fully trained in all forms of underwater combat, and to do so, precision time measurement instruments were essential. But as with most military procurement exercises, minimizing cost was a key factor. Where Rolex took itself out of the running due to high costs, Tudor stepped up and integrated the technical advancements of the Submariner product line into the Tudor collection, giving birth to the first Tudor Submariner Oyster Prince, reference 7922. Its technical specs were almost identical to that of the Rolex Submariner, including the patented oyster case, screw down crown and a rotating bezel with clearly marked time measurement markers representing 60 minutes. These watches were tested to 100m water resistance, and were run through a battery of harsh field tests by the French Navy swimmers who were determined to make sure that these watches were first and foremost reliable instruments. While the 7922 Tudor submariner was produced mainly for development purposes, and subsequently in small numbers, the watches mostly exceeded all expectations. The test was a success, and the Tudor Submariner was born. As a collectors brand, Tudor has sometimes been overshadowed by the sometimes ridiculous values achieved in the Vintage Rolex collectors community (Steve McQueen's personal Rolex Submariner 5512 achieved a record setting price of $234,000 at auction, during the height of the global financial crisis no less). But for myself, and those who desire a time-tested, well worn, beautifully designed piece of horological history, (at a fraction of the price of its big brother) Tudor is a brand that resonates, and with values still within our stratosphere, you won't be afraid to take your pride and joy out of the bank vault and wear it as you wish. I know my son can't wait to get his hands on mine, but I think he'll have to wait a few more years before he does!! —
One of the many factors that contributed to that success for Tudor was its newly conceived advertising and marketing campaign, which was published in various national newspapers and monthly journals that were read by Tudor's targeted demographic. The ads depicted men wearing Tudor watches in various conditions, JOURNAL DE Nîmes / Nº 6 the Dutch issue, November 2010
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