Key Features
Rare 1940’s military style TUDOR (ROLEX sub-brand), all original (except radium), including specially shaped hands and a steel winding crown. The watch itself is relatively small, but comes with a thick leather strap with underlay. The strap is custom, handmade and high quality genuine leather – you can order this kind of strap in any size and with a great selection of leather colours.
This timepiece features a signed tropical dial with the earlу Tudor logo, and a high quality solid stainless steel classically shaped case body with a stamped and numbered solid caseback. Interestingly, the case is English-made, created by the famous Dennison Birmingham factory (note the early serial number: 3690), the same Dennison cases which were also produced for Rolex. Aaron Dennison was a pioneer in the making of watches using machinery. He is known for heavily influencing the start of the mass production of machined watch movement parts in America, which had major knock-on effects on watchmaking in Switzerland and England. After initiating this revolution, Dennison set up a watch case making company in Birmingham, England. They are still famous today, and many collectors strive to own watches with cases made by the Dennison watch case company.
The manual movement is in near-perfect mechanical condition, and runs great after a full servicing and a week of testing. The tropical dial is a lovely vintage orange tone, while the old radium lume has been replaced with a safe modern lume compound that glows well without the danger of alpha radiation.
About Tudor Watches
Montres TUDOR SA was registered in 1926 in Geneva, Switzerland by Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex SA,. And indeed the brand remains a sister company to Rolex to this day, both companies being owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. The aim of the Tudor brand was to offer a more affordable watch that would preserve the Rolex reputation for quality. Tudor watches were originally equipped with off-the-shelf movements while still using Rolex quality cases and bracelets, allowing for the reliability and dependability of a Rolex but at a lower price.
Over time Tudor has become particularly well-known for their tool watches, and have produced many watches for professional divers watches and the military. Between the 1960’s and 1980’s, Tudor Submariners were supplied to several navies in bulk without bracelets so that all were worn with military-issued straps or those adapted by the wearers themselves. These navies included the US Navy SEALs, and the French Marine Nationale (French Navy) who were also involved in field research for a Tudor diving watch.
Servicing and Guarantee
This timepiece has been serviced with full disassembly. There is a 12-month guarantee, subject to the usage and care guidelines. The watch comes with a new, high-quality hand-made genuine leather strap with underlay and buckles.
Overview
Case and Strap
- Original, classical circular case with small lugs.
- Solid stainless steel case body.
- Mineral crystal (vintage).
- Stainless steel snap caseback.
- Original vintage crown.
- Dustproof.
- New handmade genuine leather strap.
Dimensions:
- Width w/o crown 30 mm.
- Width w/ crown 31.3 mm.
- Full height 37.2 mm.
- Thickness 9.3 mm.
- Strap width 18 mm.
Dial and Hands
- Original tropical dial.
- Military style Arabic numerals with glowing lume (re-lumed).
- “Tudor” signature with earliest rose emblem below numeral 12 position.
- Unusual style of dark-tone hour and minute hands with glowing lume (re-lumed).
- Dark-tone centre seconds hand.
Movement
- Swiss-made movement.
- Tudor 59 (SC) caliber.
- 17 jewels.
- Manual wind.
- Satin-brushed wheels and some bridges.
- Mirror polished screws.
Testing Results
- Testing duration: 1 week cyclic test.
- Average timekeeping range: 20-40 sec/day.
Servicing and Guarantee
- Fully serviced.
- Mechanics in full working order.
- New dark brown handmade genuine leather strap.
- 12-month guarantee.
- Guarantee Terms and Conditions.
Links and Resources:
Similar Tudor Watch ref. 12325.
Tudor Watches Official Website, you can find similar watch in a company history.
Official History of Tudor Watches Through the Years.
More About the Dennison Watch Co.
