Dr. N.
The title of this article is obviously a provocation. Rolex is a company that has been producing for a century high quality wrist watches, able to withstand use in even extreme environments. The new Rolex luxury watches they are as robust and reliable as i Rolex vintageon the contrary, presumably the new techniques used in their realization make their quality higher and higher. But, together with the quality, the price has also increased, in a rather marked way. It therefore becomes increasingly difficult to think of a "carefree" use of a Rolex Submariner or of an Rolex GMT.
The fact is that professional sports Rolexes, as the Rolex Submariner, they have been specifically designed for use in hostile environments. But who would feel like today put on your wrist an object that costs the same as the rest of the diving equipment for a dive where there is an inherent risk of damaging the watch? And a dive watch that never sees water, still makes sense to be bought?
Here it comes to the aid of those who would like a luxury sports watch for everyday use Tudor, trademark owned by the same Rolex which has never made any secret of wanting to represent a competitive cost alternative to the House of the Crown. But buy a Tudor is to be seen as a renunciation, or is it possible that the really spirit of the Rolex of yesteryear relives in watches Tudor modern?
To discover whether Tudor is the true heir to the Rolex watches of the past, we went to investigate the past and present of both brands.
The Rolex of the past
rolex, before becoming a luxury watch brand requested by celebrities as accessories to complement their own cool and amaze friends and public, it was a brand of great substance. This stage in which Rolex has built a reputation as a manufacturer of reliable and robust luxury watches, able to withstand the most extreme conditions, from the origins of the brand until the second postwar period. This phase also coincides with that of maximum creativity of the company: almost all the models that have made famous rolex, twigs Submariner al datejust, twigs Daytona al GMT, they are in fact launched in this period.
I Rolex of the XNUMXs and XNUMXs are very similar, aesthetically and functionally, to what we perceive today as "Rolex". The style of the dial and the spheres, the shape of the case, the bracelets are all characters already present in the production Rolex post-war period, as well as the robustness and impermeability guaranteed by the case Oyster.
In this poster from the XNUMXs, we can see the Rolex GMT “Pussy Galore” reference 6542. It is one of the models that made Rolex famous: it takes its name from the character of the 007 saga who wears it in Mission Goldfinger. The price, as you can see, was 240 dollars at the time. With a simple conversion, we discover who we are talking about $ 2 today. The current production Rolex GMTs in the price list today cost 8'800 €, almost four times what a Rolex GMT in the 17s, not to mention that on the market they exceed € 000.
The question arises incidentally if it's worth buying a new Rolex: to clarify your ideas, read here. Done? Well, let's continue to deal with the parallel Rolex-Tudor.
The Rolex of today
Today Rolex watches are increasingly considered one status symbol and a store of value. Those who buy them are not just looking for a well-made watch that can work in all conditions, making it wearable at a gala dinner as well as during sports, without ever disfiguring. No, who chooses Rolex he wants, more than a timepiece, an object that represents a lifestyle he aspires to and a way to invest some money without losing at the time of resale. With that, we are certainly not stating that Rolex produces only jewelry: watches Rolex remain robust and reliable as it has always been, suitable for use in the most varied environments. However, it is undeniable that wearing a watch worth tens of thousands of euros on the wrist while practicing sports is a risk that few want to take.
A cartoon that makes fun of the "bourgeoisization" of Rolexes that took place in recent decades
Tudor yesterday and Tudor today
Tudor was born by the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf to offer affordable watches of a quality comparable to that of Rolex. I Tudor they initially appear as Rolex with a different movement and brand, but over time they begin to differentiate and take on a character of their own. The Tudors of the XNUMXs are a great example of personal style and original design, but the Tudor's heyday is probably the present era.
With line Black Bay, Tudors proves to be a brand that has achieved its own identity, both stylistic and technical. The aesthetics of watches Tudor appears original and no longer imitative of rolex: although there are references to the Rolexes of the fifties and sixties, the Tudor they are no longer the "second line" that mimics the "big brothers" currently in production by Rolex.
Also movements that animate the watches Tudor are more and more often made in-house by the company della Rosa, a sign of technical skills undoubtedly at the level of the competition: it can be said that Tudor it is now very close to being one complete manufacture.
Tudor: the new Rolex?
The values with which Rolex has become famous are the quality of the materials, the robustness of the movements, the great readability, the aesthetics suitable for formal occasions as well as for sports activities. A rolex, until the years of the second post-war period, it was the watch of those who have a dynamic lifestyle and know how to frequent the worldly salons.
All these traits, today, also apply perfectly to You sleep. Build quality, elegance, robustness, are found in the Tudor of current production, starting from the successful line Black Bay of inspiration vintage. If you don't believe us, take a look at this article, where we compare the Tudor Black Bay 58 and Rolex Submariner.
We can therefore say that Tudor interprets the spirit with which Rolex has become famous in the past decades: luxury watches at a price that is not modest but acceptable, considering the quality, which combine strength and elegance. This does not mean that the Rolex today: it has simply placed itself in a higher market segment that is attentive to the “financial”, investment and watchmaking aspects.
