Tudor Prince Oysterdate

When the Tudor Oyster Prince was introduced in the mid 1940s, it was meant to be a watch for the everyman. Before a watch even left the manufacture, it was subjected to what contemporary ads referred to as a “Trial of Destruction,” in which it was worn by a worker operating a jackhammer. Other advertisements drove that point home even further, showing a Tudor Prince on the wrists of construction workers and miners. In 1952, thirty Oyster Prince watches found their way to the Arctic on the wrists of Captain J.D. Walker and his crew in the British North Greenland Expedition. The Oyster Prince had certainly demonstrated its reliability, and the sheer variety of models that Tudor released over the years saw that it had a universal appeal. While there is certainly a preference for models from the 1950s and 1960s, the model’s longevity meant that, beyond being a watch for the everyman, there was a Prince for everybody. The Prince that we feature here is a classic 1980s example. With the cyclops over the date window, it hearkens back to the Rolex Datejust. This is not a mere coincidence—Rolex furnished Tudors with cases and used reliable but inexpensive ETA movements, to make Tudors more affordable than their Rolex counterparts. This Prince is a study in minimalism. The clean lines of the stainless steel Oyster case are echoed in the silver sunburst dial with stick markers. While the bracelet gives the watch a definite sporty feel, the watch would not look out of place on a leather strap, accenting the pattern of a bespoke blazer. Indeed, the watch’s compact size (34.5mm) allows it to slip under the cuff with ease, making it an ideal choice for the man (or woman) of discerning taste.