Some form of the Tudor Ranger watch has been in the brand’s catalog for decades. It’s the brand’s dedicated adventure and field watch that stands on its own. Thus, it can be compared to the Rolex Explorer, as the two are similar, maybe because Rolex owns Tudor, but the Tudor Ranger has its own personality.
The Tudor Ranger was presented in 2022 to mark the “British North Greenland Expedition’s” 70th anniversary. It was born alongside the Tudor Oyster Prince and worn by members of the expedition. The original Ranger comes complete with a 39-millimeter case, a manufacturer-caliber MT5402, and a clasp with a rapid adjustment system. The Tudor Ranger watch celebrates the spirit and nobleness of the daring British North Greenland adventure and carries on the tradition of practical, robust, and affordable Tudor expedition watches.
Specifications
- Brand: Tudor
- Model: Ranger
- Thickness: 12mm
- Diameter: 39mm
- Reference Number: 79950
- Indexes: Painted yellow/green-tinted Super-LumiNova
- Lume: Markers and hands
- Waterproofness: Water Resistance is 100 m (330 ft)
- Bezel: Smooth, satin-brushed steel
- Case Material: is a 39 mm steel case, with a satin finish
- Dial: Domed, Color: Matte Black
- Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal
- Bracelet: Steel bracelet with three links along with a folding clasp that has the “T-fit” safety catch. Olive-green Jacquard fabric, 316L steel, with beige and red stripes, or hybrid leather and rubber straps.
- Movement: Manufacture Calibre MT5402 (COSC) self-winding mechanical movement with a bidirectional rotor system
- Power Reserve: Power reserve of approximately 70 hours
- Winding Crown: Steel screw-down winding crown with the Tudor Rose
History of the Tudor Ranger Watches
On July 8, 1952, two ships carrying twenty-five men including medical, scientists, and military personnel set out to sail on the River Thames south bank of Deptford, London. The crew was on an expedition that was among the most daring of the 20th century known as the “British North Greenland Expedition” (BNGE). They headed for the unknown of the unforgiving and brutal North Greenland arctic landscape where temperatures were as low as -87ºF.
The primary mission of the expedition was scientific studies of meteorology, glaciology, physiology, geology, seismological, and gravimetric surveys, along with radio wave propagation. It also aimed at gathering useful information for the armed forces about arctic environment operations. What made this expedition so interesting is that Queen Elizabeth, who just months prior, ascended to the throne, was chief patron along with the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill as its vice-patron.
During the same year, the mission was carried out in 1952, Tudor released its first automatic and waterproof watch, the Oyster Prince. Taking advantage of this important mission, Tudor provided 26 British explorers with the Tudor Prince wristwatches to wear and see how they held up in such tremendous hazards. For two years, the crew recorded the performance of the then-new Oyster Prince watches that were able to withstand the harsh conditions of British Northern Greenland.
This marked Tudor Ranger watches as an ideal addition to adventure and emphasized the wristwatch’s robustness in prosaic ways. Ever since the expedition took place, it established the reputation of the brand as robust with style. Surprisingly, one of the last living expedition survivors, Major Desmond “Roy” Homard, who is now 93 years old, is still in possession of the Tudor Oyster Prince watch he wore during the expedition.
The Oyster Prince watch inspired the Tudor North Flag watch, which is now discontinued. It was based on the Ranger II watch from the 1970s. The current addition to the stainless steel Tudor Ranger collection is the 39mm Ranger watch crafted specifically to pay tribute to the men who contributed to science 70 years ago.
Features of the Tudor Ranger Watch
The 12mm-thick, 39mm wide, steel case makes this newer Ranger model more modern and wearable than the Tudor 34mm vintage models that are 100m water resistant.
It has the matte-black, grained, domed dial with the iconic Ranger’s 3-6-9-12 hour pointers painted in a somewhat yellowish-green-hued Super-LumiNova, matching the Ranger handset that’s also iconic. It also has the steel-fixed bezel you would expect a Ranger to have and there is a Tudor shield logo on the updated version rather than a rose.
The brands 4Hz Calibre MT5402 and COSC-certified are inside the watch. This runs the minutes, hours, and hacking seconds hands with around a 70-hour power reserve.
One of the possibly overlooked features of this Tudor watch is its appearance of the identical “T-fit” safety catch as on the Oyster-style bracelet. This allows you to adjust the fit of the bracelet on the fly. Moreover, the new Ranger features the Manufacture Calibre MT5402, which gives you a 4Hz rate just like a Black Bay 58 line, giving you rate of 4 Hz.
Manufacture Calibre MT5402
Equipped with the manufacture Calibre MT5402, the Ranger model’s construction was designed with a variable-inertia balance for longevity, robustness, precision, and reliability. This piece has a strong traversing bridge holding it in place, with a fixation of two points.
The new Tudor Ranger has many of the features of its predecessors, such as matte effect brushing, as well as a black dialed easily read three-hand display containing only 3, 6, 9, and 12 numbers.
The caliber MT5402 inside the case is certified to be accurate by the private “Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). Thus, it surpassed even the parameters set by the COSC, which are rigorous. The watch is sold with an exclusively woven jacquard strap made just for Tudor in France.
Band Options
The Tudor Ranger has three band choices: a calf leather band, a stainless steel three-piece link bracelet, or a cuff band. The cuff band is made of calf leather and uses an underlay to ensure the back of the case doesn’t touch the skin. This band accentuates a military flair, which is enhanced more when traded for a woven textile band containing a camouflage pattern included with the purchase.
Size
Watches seem to be getting smaller these days, which is why the 39mm size of the Tudor Ranger will be greatly appreciated, especially by those with larger wrists. Just to compare the first issue Oyster Prince watch was only 34mm and the Heritage Ranger that precedes this newer Ranger was 41mm.
The Dial
When comparing the Rolex Explorer vs Tudor Ranger, one can’t help but notice the ongoing use of the Explorer-style 3-6-9-12 dial in the Ranger line. Only Tudor increased the size of the numerals slightly in this new version, making them easier to see. Also, the hands have a more modern style with a sharper appearance. Not to mention the little red tip on the second hand gives it a nice touch.
What Fans Were Looking for in a New Tudor Ranger Watch
After the previous discontinuation of the old North Flag watch, last year, and the 41mm Ranger in 2020, Tudor started teasing fans about a new design inspired by the BNGE history. Therefore, it probably came as no surprise to Tudor fans, when they announced a new Ranger designed to celebrate the expedition’s 70th anniversary.
Fans had hopes of the Ranger returning with updated features and this Ranger gave them what they wanted. One of the elements they wanted was a bigger size, which is one of the improvements made to the newer Tudor Ranger watch. They also asked for a reasonable price and an in-house movement. With a power reserve of 70 hours, the MT5402 movement is greatly appreciated. It has the same movement as the Fifty-Eight dive Black Bay watch.
How Much Are Tudor Ranger Watches?
As Tudor has always done in the past, it priced the new high-quality Ranger watch very affordably. There are not many watches with such value as a quality Swiss automatic movement watch at a better price. Another thing that gives the new Ranger more value is Tudor’s credentials. Not to mention the rugged spec, it includes such as 100m water resistance.
There are three types of Tudor Ranger watches and the prices for each can vary and change rapidly. The current price of a leather/rubber strap or fabric NATO style can run anywhere from $2,700 to $3,500 whereas a steel bracelet with an adjustable clasp may run anywhere from $2,800 to $3,700.
