Is buying a Tudor in 2021 is like buying a Rolex in 2011?

On the latest episode of the They Grey NATO podcast, hosts James Stacey and Jason Heaton took various questions from listeners. One listener asked what toolish watch they would recommend as a purchase that he could pass onto his son for the under $5,000 range. The answer: Tudor Black Bay 58 in navy.

Photo by Ace Jewelers

The rationale: You get the same access to service from Rolex that could allow your Tudor watch to be passed on as an heirloom. Rolex/Tudor isn’t going anywhere and Tudors are becoming new classics… quickly. While easier to purchase than steel Rolex sport models, the price for the harder-to-get models like the 58 are still not too far from retail on the secondary market. 

The inability to walk into an authorized dealer and buy a new desirable Rolex has opened the door for Tudor, Rolex’s sister brand originally intended to be a more affordable version of a Rolex. But now with Tudor packing in-house movements, consumers are getting watches that are closer to what makes the Rolex brand so special in many people’s eyes. 

Photo by GQ

And with increasing advertising and more general awareness in the marketplace, more and more people are recognizing Tudor as a prestigious brand. The company has been strategic in gaining mainstream press coverage and showing David Beckham, who can obviously afford any watch he wants, wearing core Tudor sport watches in public appearances. 

Whether you care or don’t care about what people around you think of your watches, brand recognition is important to many people, especially when you are paying over $3,000 for anything. 

I won’t deny that because the design language of Tudor will evoke Rolex esthetics is a definite plus with the brand. Tapered oyster bracelets have a look that can be identified with Rolex sport watches from afar. Honestly, if you want a Rolex but can’t get one, Tudor can satisfy that itch because it is actually part of the lineage.

Photo by OC Watch Guy

What’s fun about Tudor is that they offer features that are outside of Rolex’s lineup. Want a titanium case? Go for the Pelagos. What a META-certified movement? Go for the new carbon Black Bay. What a blacked-out case from the factory? Check out the Black Bay Dark. Clear caseback? The North Flag has you covered.

While all of us wish we had the foresight to purchase Rolex models at retail when they were available, right now Tudor is available. Vintage Tudor watches, especially Tudor Subs, are selling for a lot more than what they were originally priced at. If if Tudor watches don’t command 2X prices in the future, you can be assured that you will be enjoying a fine timepiece worthy of passing on to future generations.