Teddy Baldassarre
Tudor Black Bay: A Comprehensive Guide to the Collection
The Tudor Black Bay took watch fandom by storm when it hit the market in 2012 and the sporty, vintage-inspired divers' watch has since grown into an extensive family with something for just about everyone, now boasting in-house calibers, multiple styles and sizes, and even some precious metals and complications. In this comprehensive guide we explore the origins of the Tudor Black Bay and showcase the standout models you can buy right now. FOUNDATIONS OF TUDOR With an eye toward making watches that would be affordable while still maintaining a high level of quality, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf registered the Tudor brand trademark in 1926, and began running the Tudor company as a subsidiary brand of Rolex in 1946. Tudor watches were the only watches on the market at the time that featured reliable third-party movements inside the famed waterproof Rolex Oyster case, also developed in 1926, and were initially more geared toward the tool watch market than were Rolex timepieces, which already enjoyed a reputation as luxury items. The first Tudor watch with the “Oyster” name followed shortly after the launch of the brand, in 1947, kicking off a long tradition of timepieces suitable for underwater adventure. The first Tudor Prince model followed in 1952, around the same time that Tudor began an R&D; partnership with the French Navy (Marine Nationale), from which would emerge the brand’s first dive watch. THE OYSTER PRINCE SUBMARINER The Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner, Tu...
