Tudor Watches: Black Bay, Pelagos and Vintage Tudor

The Tudor name was registered in 1926 on behalf of Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex. Wilsdorf took it over in 1936 and founded Montres Tudor SA in 1946 to offer a more affordable watch with Rolex-like quality, using Rolex Oyster cases and bracelets with bought-in movements. Tudor remains Rolex's sister company.

No. Tudor is a Swiss watchmaker based in Geneva, owned like Rolex by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. The name and rose logo nod to the English Tudor dynasty, and Wilsdorf founded Rolex in London, but Tudor watches have always been made in Switzerland. British links include Tudor watches on the 1952 to 1954 North Greenland expedition.

Tudor used movements from makers such as ETA until 2015, when it launched its first in-house calibre in the Pelagos and the North Flag. In-house Manufacture calibres, marked MT, have since spread to most of the Black Bay and Pelagos ranges. Some models still use outside movements, so check the calibre on the papers.

Tudor's first METAS-certified Master Chronometer was the Black Bay Ceramic of 2021, with a black ceramic case and an MT5602-1U movement tested to run within 0 to plus 5 seconds a day. Tudor has since certified further models. The dial or case back states Master Chronometer where it applies.

The Pelagos diver's watch, launched in 2012 with a 42 mm titanium case water resistant to 500 metres, was Tudor's first titanium watch. Later Pelagos models, including the smaller Pelagos 39 and the Pelagos FXD, are titanium too. Most Black Bay models are steel, with bronze, ceramic and gold versions.

The Black Bay, launched in 2012 as the Heritage Black Bay, is a diver's watch that reinterprets early Tudor Submariners, with the snowflake hands Tudor used on its divers. It won the Revival prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève in 2013. Versions include the 39 mm Fifty-Eight, GMT, chronograph and bronze models.

Tudor diver's watches are water resistant for diving: the Black Bay to 200 metres and the Pelagos to 500 metres. Dress models such as the 1926 and Royal resist less. Water resistance depends on intact seals and a screwed-down crown, so have the seals checked at each service, and test a vintage Tudor before any water.

Check that the reference and serial numbers are crisply engraved and match the warranty card, that the dial print and rose or shield logo are sharp, and that the bezel turns with firm clicks. Inside, a genuine Tudor has a signed movement. Vintage Tudors carry Rolex-signed cases, crowns and bracelets, which helps date them.

Yes, some. Tudor makes models in 18KT gold, such as the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K, and steel and gold versions, while its bronze models use a bronze alloy. Most Tudors are steel. A gold Tudor case is stamped 750, and the papers name the material.

Send photographs of the dial, the case back, the side and the papers to a specialist for a free valuation. We buy Tudor watches, modern and vintage, from anywhere in the UK: post by Royal Mail Special Delivery or free insured FedEx collection, or visit our Mayfair or Braintree office by appointment. Payment is by bank transfer.

Check that the case back and inside of the case carry the correct Tudor or Rolex-signed parts for the era, that the reference and serial numbers are crisply engraved, and that the dial printing and rose or shield logo are sharp. Vintage Prince models used Rolex Oyster cases and crowns. Inside, the movement should be signed.

Almost all Tudor watches are automatic mechanical watches, wound by a rotor as you wear them, so they have no battery. If a Tudor stops after a day or two off the wrist, it has simply run down: wind it by the crown or wear it. Check the dial or papers for the movement type.

If it would be costly to replace, yes. Most home contents policies cover watches only up to a limit unless they are listed, and insurers usually ask for a written insurance valuation, which is a separate formal document. Keep photographs, the papers and the serial number in a safe place too.

A Tudor is built to last for decades, with a robust case and a serviceable mechanical movement, and many Tudors from the 1950s and 1960s still run today. Regular servicing as its papers advise, intact seals and sensible care keep it running for a lifetime and beyond.

The North Flag, launched in 2015, was Tudor's first watch with an in-house movement. Its name recalls the British North Greenland Expedition of 1952 to 1954, which took Tudor Oyster Prince watches. It is a steel everyday watch with a power reserve indicator and date.

Tudor diver's watches such as the Black Bay have robust cases, domed sapphire crystals and thick case backs built for water resistance, and Tudor's in-house movements are designed for durability rather than slimness. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight and Tudor's dress models are slimmer.

Check that the case, crown and bracelet carry the correct Rolex or Tudor signatures for the period, that the dial and hands are original, and that the automatic movement runs and is signed. Matching reference and serial numbers and an unpolished case add value. Buy from a seller who states what is original.