Up to now Tudor used to be Rolex’ little sister, aiming at people who wanted something like a Rolex, couldn’t afford it, but were reluctant to by a fake. Tudor watches looked like Rolexes but were equipped with ETA movements. This all changed recently when suddenly there were flashy advertising campaigns showing Tudor in a rejuvenated environment. With Tudor they are now aiming at a young clientele who are looking for an affordable timepiece in a sporty look, made up to Rolex standards.
One of the new collections Tudor came out with are the Hydronaut Series watches. “Hydronaut” is the name for the watersports watches. The name remotely recalls Patek’s “Aquanaut”. There is a chronograph “Hydronaut II” and a three-hands model “Hydro 1200“. The latter is water resistant to a depth of 1200 metres. It is equipped with a helium valve and a unidirectional turning bezel. Whereas the “Hydronaut II” chronograph comes with a rubber strap, the “Hydro 1200″ is equipped with a steel bracelet that has black ceramic inserts.
The Tudor Hydronaut II is a self-winding mechanical movement watch with pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock for chronograph functions. The beautiful face of the watch is sapphire crystal with a case diameter of 41mm. The unidirectional rotatable black bezel, black rubber strap with folding clasp and water resistance to a depth of 200 metres (660 feet) make it perfect for casual divers.
The Tudor Hydro 1200 model is also a self-winding mechanical movement watch but has a bigger case diameter of 45 mm and is water resistant to a depth of 1200 meters (3930 feet) for the extreme divers. The case is equipped with a helium valve which permits the gas trapped inside the watch during diving to safely escape during the ascent. The special 3 mm thick crystal enables the watch to withstand extreme pressure.
It looks like Tudor is trying to step out into their own and increase the brand’s market presence. Tudor watches have earned a place at the forefront of watch collection as they are a unique product that reflects on the history of the Rolex Watch Company. With the Hydronaut collection of watches, Tudor is off to a good start.
