in 2020, Calendar Watches, Novelty, Tudor, Watch News

Introducing – The Tudor Royal Collection

by Wristwatch Journal October 1, 2020, 9:34 am 1.3k Views

Tudor may be well known for its range of robust diver’s watches – the Black Bay, Pelagos and vintage Submariner models, to name just a few examples – but Rolex’s sister brand is recalling the style of its Prince Date-Day models with the launch of the new Tudor Royal collection. Available in four size variants, several dial colours to choose from, and a steel or bi-colour case material, the Royal name has been used by Tudor once before, but now takes on a sportier, bolder personality for 2020.

Tudor’s Born to Dare Mission

Gesturing towards some design elements shared by its sibling brand, the Tudor Royal Collection has a crenellated bezel similar to the fluted bezel of the famous Rolex Oyster case, as well as an integrated five-link bracelet. Sitting somewhere between a classic and sporty watch, Tudor has made the Royal watch available globally having been exclusive to parts of the Asian market earlier this year. Unapologetically, Tudor borrows from Rolex in the same way that it has done in the past, this time with an attractive value proposition.

Underscored by its tagline “Born To Dare”, one major aspect of Tudor’s business model is to create wristwatches at an affordable price. The brand has achieved this in the past by lending case shapes, dial designs and names from Rolex’s higher-end catalogue and equipping them with more affordable third-party movements. By doing so, many Tudor watches are naturally vintage-inspired since they follow in the footsteps of Rolex. This method applies to the Tudor Royal – an affordable sporty-chic watch powered by an ETA movement and crafted from a block of 316L stainless steel (as opposed to Rolex’s “Oystersteel” 904L stainless steel).

Tudor Royal variations

The characteristic notched bezel of the Tudor Royal comes in four different sizes; 28mm, 34mm, 38mm and 41mm. The steel versions are fixed upon a matching 316L stainless steel case executed in polished and satin finishes. The two-tone versions are accompanied by a matching 18k yellow gold screw-down winding crown engraved with the Tudor logo in relief (as is the steel version) and a steel and 18k yellow gold bi-colour five-link integrated bracelet. The alternating smooth polished surfaces and cut grooves of the Tudor Royal’s bezel mirror similar finishes applied to its integrated bracelet design. Three wide satin-brushed links are set between two thinner polished parts along the entire bracelet, securing with a folding clasp and safety catch.

In addition to the two case variants, a choice between sunray black, silver, champagne and blue dial colours is also offered, along with diamond-set versions and all-Roman numeral hour tracks. The larger 41mm iterations echo the look of the Rolex Day-Date first launched in 1956 – the concept behind the two apertures positioned at distance from one another (the day at 12 o’clock and the date at 3 o’clock) was to enable the wearer to reference the date without needing to reveal the entire watch face from under the sleeve of a shirt.

An automatic ETA movement is behind the many Tudor Royal variants. In order to retain a fair price, and because these models are less oriented to true watch collectors, Tudor didn’t go for the manufacture movement. The largest 41mm model is powered by the ETA 2834, while the ETA 2824 propels the hands of the 34mm and 38mm models. The smallest 28mm model is powered by the ETA 2671. All three offer a 38-hour power reserve and perform at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour. In the same way, all three movements are secured inside a 100m water-resistant case with a sealed caseback and a screw-down crown for ensuring a watertight environment.

With the lady’s 28mm and 34mm models available in a mother-of-pearl dial option set with diamond dot indices, the difference between the female and male variations of the Tudor Royal are distinct in design whilst matched in their functionality. Although the key highlights of the Royal watch are its fluted bezel, Day-Date-inspired dial, and integrated bracelet – what cannot be ignored is its appealing price tag given its Swiss-made movement regulated to chronometric standards.

The prices for the Tudor Royal Collection will be (depending on materials and dial options):