About Tudor
Hans Wilsdorf's second brand
The Tudor name was registered in 1926 on behalf of Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, who went on to establish Montres Tudor SA in 1946. The idea was clear: watches with the robustness of a Rolex case, powered by bought-in movements. Early Tudors therefore came in Oyster cases and on Rolex bracelets, and from the 1950s the divers of the French Navy, among others, wore Tudor dive watches. In 2012 the brand launched the Black Bay, inspired by those divers, and in 2015 its first in-house calibre followed. Since then Tudor has had an identity of its own: the Black Bay Fifty-Eight, the Pelagos and the Ranger are no longer derivatives of a Rolex.
What we check on a Tudor
On a Tudor we first check that reference, serial number and calibre belong together. Within the same family there are versions with a bought-in and with an in-house movement, and they must not be mixed up: a Black Bay with calibre MT5602 carries a different reference from an older Black Bay with an ETA base. We then assess the dial and the characteristic snowflake hands, the bezel and insert, the case and its engravings, the bracelet and clasp, and the movement: winding, setting, date and power reserve. On the titanium Pelagos we pay extra attention to the case, because scratches and polishing marks show differently in titanium than in steel. Whatever we find is stated in the description.
Models we offer and look for
The Black Bay Fifty-Eight, in black and in navy blue, is among the most requested Tudors, together with the smaller Black Bay 54. Anyone who wants a second time zone usually chooses between the Black Bay GMT and the Black Bay Pro. For a titanium dive watch there are the Pelagos, the Pelagos 39 and the Pelagos FXD. We also look for the Black Bay Chrono, the Ranger and the previous Black Bay 79230N, and from the classic line the 1926. If your model is not listed, we can search for it.
Buying, selling and trading in
You buy a Tudor as you would any watch from us: through a request without obligation, after which we confirm availability personally. You pay by bank transfer once you agree, and we deliver insured or by appointment. You can sell outright, on consignment or as a trade-in against another watch from our collection. We assess every request by hand, and a proposal only follows after that assessment. Tudor gives new watches a transferable five-year manufacturer's warranty; if it is still running on a watch, we say so. The Aequator Collection is an independent dealer and not an authorised Tudor retailer.