Although the Tudor brand has been around since the 1920s, the company is enjoying a robust revival after its “re-launch” in 2007, and its reintroduction into the American market in 2013. No doubt it’s the Tudor Black Bay that garners the most attention these days; however the Tudor Heritage collection was also central to the brand’s renaissance. As the name implies, the Heritage lineup includes modern reinterpretations of vintage Tudor watches, and here we take a look at three of them.
Tudor Heritage Advisor
In 1957, Tudor launched its very first alarm watch in the form of the Tudor Advisor 7926 with a 34mm Oyster case that was equipped with two winding crowns – one at 2 o’clock to operate the alarm, and another at 4 o’clock for time setting. It ran on a manually-wound Adolph Schild 1475 movement, and Tudor produced the Advisor 7926 until 1968.
In 2011, Tudor introduced the contemporary version of its first alarm reference with the Tudor Heritage Advisor 79620T. Naturally, Tudor redesigned the watch to suit modern sensibilities, and opted for a generously sized, 42mm titanium and steel case, fitted with an automatic movement. While there are different dial colors and bracelet options, this particular Heritage Advisor 79620T includes a matching steel bracelet and a silver dial. On that dial we see the ON/OFF alarm indicator at 9, the alarm power reserve at 3, and a date sub-dial at 6, all shielded by a domed sapphire crystal.
Tudor Heritage Ranger
During the 1960s, Tudor released the Oyster Prince Ranger with a 34mm waterproof Oyster case, a matte black dial, and an Explorer-style dial with the characteristic Arabic numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. The dial had plenty of luminous accents, the case housed an automatic movement, and the Oyster-style steel bracelet included a Rolex signed clasp. Tudor continued to manufacture the Oyster Prince Ranger until 1988.
Fast-forward to 2014, and Tudor presented a faithful rendition of the vintage Oyster Prince Ranger with the Heritage Ranger 79910. The Tudor Heritage Ranger sports a 41mm steel case water resistant to 150 meters. Housed inside the case is the familiar black dial with the trio of Arabic numerals. It’s worth mentioning that to stay true to the vintage version, Tudor chose to have the hour markers on the modern Heritage Ranger painted rather than going with applied indices. Even the hands retain the same shape as the original Ranger watch.
As indicated by the “Self-Winding” text on the dial (yet another nod to the first Ranger reference) the Heritage Ranger 79910 runs on an automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve.
Tudor Heritage Chronograph
In 1970, Tudor presented its first chronograph collection that went by the name Oysterdate 7031 and ran on a manually-wound Valjoux movement (much like vintage Rolex Daytona watches). It was equipped with a large (for the era) 39mm steel case, fitted with a pair of screw-down chronograph pushers flanking the winding crown.
There was a choice of a steel bezel or a black Plexiglass bezel – both featuring a tachymeter scale. The dials of the 1970’s Oysterdate chronographs were particularly distinct, with a multitude of colors, two sub-dials, a date window at 6 o’clock (along with a Cyclops magnification lens), and unusual pentagon-shaped hour markers.
In 2010, Tudor unveiled the Heritage Chronograph 70330N watch, which at first glance looks remarkably similar to the original reference. While the steel case has grown to 42mm and the black aluminum bezel now features a 12-hour scale rather than a tachymeter one, the dial design is almost identical 40 years later, complete with the “home plate” five-sided hour markers. The date window remains at 6 o’clock, but Tudor did forgo the magnifier lens on the sapphire crystal. Unlike its vintage counterpart, the contemporary Heritage Chrono 70330N runs on an automatic movement.
It’s clear that these three Tudor Heritage watches are heavily inspired by their vintage counterparts. Revival pieces are a tried and tested approach in the watch world, and when they’re done right, they are a great way to introduce younger watch enthusiasts to important references from a brand’s archives.
