I’m a giant fan of classic Tudor, as a lot of you’ll in all probability already know. Tudor, to me, is a model that represents the perfect of Hans Wilsdorf’s imaginative and prescient of making mechanical excellence however with out the luxurious baggage of Rolex. The classic Tudor Prince Oysterdate “Jumbo” will scratch the Datejust itch however with an exquisite and fashionable case dimension.
Some on the market will poo-poo classic Tudor in the identical manner they low cost fashionable Tudor — because the “poor man’s Rolex”. Frankly, the truth that this continues even at this time doesn’t trouble me one bit. It really means we’ve sleeper classic bargains just like the watch we are going to have a look at at this time. That watch is the Tudor Prince Oysterdate “Jumbo” with a 38mm case.
A household connection
For a lot of, together with me, the 36mm Rolex Datejust is an absolute traditional in watch design. My colleague Thomas has written a wonderful characteristic in regards to the ref. 1601, which you can read here. One can find lots of the similar design cues from the ref. 1601 within the Tudor Prince Oysterdate Jumbo. However there are additionally some vital variations price noting, so with out additional ado, let’s dive in.
The Tudor Prince Oysterdate Jumbo: a Goldilocks dimension
For a lot of, a 37–40mm case dimension is excellent. A part of the explanation the Black Bay 58 is so common is the 39mm case, which many contemplate ergonomically superior to its bigger 41mm massive brother. For these of us after the smaller sporting expertise, there may be additionally the 37mm Tudor Black Bay 54. However a 38mm case fills a singular function in that it’s neither too giant nor too small.
I might argue {that a} 38mm Prince Oysterdate Jumbo is a wonderfully sized watch. It measures roughly 11mm thick and sits superbly on 5.5–8″ wrists. The stick arms and utilized indices are the identical timeless and traditional design discovered on many Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches too. This makes for that profitable Rolex/Tudor formulation of sporty-dressy.
In a pleasant contact, a big Tudor defend (as a substitute of the Rolex crown) sits at 12 o’clock. Identical to the Datejust, we additionally get a date complication beneath a Cyclops magnifier. A fluted bezel completes the image, creating a beautiful knurled look and taking part in with gentle in a fascinating manner.
The Prince Oysterdate Jumbo additionally has a 20mm lug spacing. That is incredible for contemporary wearers as a result of it means we’ve virtually limitless strap choices. I’d argue that the silver-dial Prince Oysterdate Jumbo would look notably good-looking on a grey NATO strap, for instance. The opposite great component of those watches is that they arrive with drilled lug holes. These make altering straps tremendous simple.
A incredible bracelet
For many who like to stay with bracelets, the Oyster will likely be acquainted. The bracelets of this period (Sixties–Eighties) have been predominantly made by Rolex, although, as time wore on, Tudor watches started to return with Tudor-branded and barely inferior steel bracelets. I’m unsure if this carried over to the 38mm Jumbos or not (readers, you may let me know within the feedback). However what I do know is that this explicit instance comes with a Rolex bracelet that includes the model’s crown on the outside of the clasp and “Rolex” on the folding arms.
Talking of this explicit instance, you could ask the place I discovered it. Effectively, it’s not mine however, relatively, my father’s. He’s an admirer of classic software watches, and that is from his small assortment. He’s worn it within the ocean after getting it pressure-tested and serviced, and it has functioned flawlessly in adversarial situations.
Some selection on the market
The Tudor Prince Oysterdate Jumbos of this period got here with both fluted or non-fluted bezels. There have been additionally 38mm Tudor Oyster Prince Date-Day fashions styled after the Rolex “President.” The watches have the enduring “Rotor Self-Winding” textual content indicating using computerized calibers. These have been third-party actions from the likes of ETA. As you may see on my father’s watch, the crowns had Rolex branding, and so did the instances.
The calibers have been of top quality and famend for maintaining good time straight out of the manufacturing unit. They featured Tudor-branded rotors and have been, on the very least, regulated in-house. Some even contemplate them equally as dependable and sturdy as Rolex calibers of the time.
Tudor Oyster Jumbos on the secondary market
So, lastly, we get to the nitty-gritty. How a lot are you able to count on to pay for one among these bigger Tudor Oyster siblings? The costs, frankly, appear to differ significantly based mostly on situation and particular design options. Costs additionally rose with the onset of the COVID pandemic, however have now settled down. You’ll be able to count on to pay anyplace between €2,000 and €5,000 for a Tudor Prince Oysterdate Jumbo or Oyster Prince Date-Day on Chrono24.
Nevertheless, I might advise you to pay explicit consideration to indicators of water injury with these watches. It appears that evidently individuals who used to purchase them usually appreciated to take them swimming with out getting the seals checked! All the time do your due diligence when buying a classic watch, and see if the vendor can present paperwork about its service historical past. Fortunately, as a result of many of those watches utilized comparatively widespread third-party actions, servicing shouldn’t be prohibitive.
Ultimate ideas
I like Tudor Oysters of this period. I personal a 34mm one, which I have written about for Fratello here. I’m additionally the proud and pleased proprietor of a 34mm Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 1002.
The Oyster case is iconic in watch design. We’re within the lucky place as passionate hobbyists and collectors that there are such a lot of choices on the market. For these of you after a bit of of the classic Rolex magic on a funds, I can’t advocate these classic Tudor Oysters sufficient. However what do you suppose, Fratelli? Would you go for one among these? Let me know your suggestions for classic watches within the feedback.
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