In 1956, Rolex made the perfect dress watch.
With the same proportions as its perennial favorite, the Datejust, the Day-Date differed from its cousin in that it displayed the day—as well as the date—on the dial and was only available in precious metals. But what the Day-Date lacked in versatility, it made up for in refinement. In many ways it was the Crown’s crown jewel, and has been a benchmark of success for certain well-dressed gentlemen for decades, a mark of its regal—or even presidential—quality.
And yet for many the Day-Date is a little too… well, too. Too well-known, too flashy (although examples in white gold or platinum do have a more subdued quality), too Rolex. A watch as dignified as the Day-Date just doesn’t go well with khakis and a polo.
Thank God there’s Tudor.
Tudor has been, since its inception in the 1940s, the perfect analogue to Rolex. Where Rolex has been aspirational, Tudor is affordable, offering the same quality of Rolex but with less expensive movements. For every Rolex watch, there was a Tudor equivalent: a dive watch (also named Submariner), an everyday watch with a date, a chronograph.
But while the Rolex watches were static, more or less, in terms of appearance, Tudor is where Rolex really showed us the meaning of variance.
Take the Tudor Oyster Prince Day-Date, for example. While the Rolex Day-Date was offered in precious metals, the Tudor Day-Date was always in steel or with touches of gold. Where the Rolex Day-Date has remained (until quite recently, to some chagrin) 36mm, Tudor experimented with case sizes, bezels, and dial colors and configurations. At 38mm it’s a full two millimeters larger than its Rolex counterpart.
Though the case proportions are on the larger size for the era, it’s not as bulky as its Rolex-branded counterparts, the case material and the ETA movement ensuring that the watch wears considerably thinner.
Aesthetic Condition*:
- Light signs of use on the case and bracelet. Case very sharp with beveled lugs. Dial is incredibly well preserved and has developed an attractive patina much desired by collectors. Amazing jumbo vintage presentation on your wrist
- We consider this watch, as shown in the pictures, as Excellent
Extras:
see pictures
In-House Test Results**:
Bench-run for at least 24 hours. All watch functions tested and operable.
Observed rate: keeps good time at -37s/d
Bracelet Sizing: up to 7.5 inches
Serial: 93510XXX
Service History: unknown
*Photos are of the actual watch, and are part of the description. Grades are the listing text and pictures summarized into a simple-to-understand score, not to be confused with TZ or other grading systems.
**Instantaneous measurements using a timegrapher averaged over 6 positions. Use only as a baseline. Your Wearing habits will affect results. Unserviced watches are not tested for WR or PR. Bracelet size measured using a ruler or mandrel. A comfortable bracelet size may vary from your measured wrist size. No explicit or implied warranties.
