Baselworld 2010: Tudor Heritage Chrono

Star of the show? Who would think that Tudor would shine so brightly at a any Baselworld Show. Three-fourths of the who's who in watches is there. But best you take a look at it and decide for yourself.

Drum rolls please...

Tudor is a Rolex subsidiary, and understandably use to build Rolex look-a likes... which were actually rather attractive. Than they got created, and some of their watches were IMO bitten by the ugly bug. All that has changed now. All I can say is wow.


Tudor's press release on this watch reads:

The 2010 TUDOR Heritage Chrono mirrors the original shape and proportions of the middle case, bezel, lugs and bracelet of th 1970s model. But a closer look reveals a series of new and beautifully executed design details. Notably, the bevelled and polished edges of the lugs, the slick, stylized shoulders to protect the crown, and the knurled edge of the rotatable bezel and of the pushers that flank a knurled winding crown to improve grip. The dial, available in either grey on black or black on gray, is further enhanced with stunning orange details and features 3-D applique rather than printed pentagonal-shaped hour markers and two counters. The 45-minute counter reiterates the counter of the 1970s, dictated by the very structure of its 7734 Valjoux movement and the need for optimal legibility. The thicker, wider, sleeker watch case of the TUDOR Heritage Chrono, once 40 mm and now 42 mm, is altogether in keeping with the dimensions of today’s chronographs.

It also boasts the reference 7033 bidirectional rotatable bezel, originally designed for the 1970s first edition of the watch but never distributed. Today it bears the reference number 70330, with a black eloxed aluminium disc, and comes with both a three-link solid steel bracelet with a new clasp and TUDOR shield logo, as well as, yes, a black, grey and orange fabric strap, with a newly-developed vintage– and seat belt-inspired buckle.

Tudor Heritage Chrono. I do not remember this watch, and do not know if it was a big seller in its time. But apparently, the Tudor Heritage Chrono is a remake of an old 1970's Tudor design. We do not have much info on this watch yet but it is your basic chronograph watch. We do know that its case is 42mm, which is bigger than the 40mm of the original design.

The dial... it is nice and clean. The sub-dial at 3 o'clock appears to be use for the continuous seconds, while the one at the 9 o'clock is use in conjunction with the stop watch function of the watch, for measuring periods of time of up to 45 minutes. At the 6 o'clock you have a date display. Thankfully no Cyclops lens. The older version apparently had one.

Interestingly, this chronograph has a rotating bezel that can be used to measure intervals of time of either sixty minutes or twelve hours.

Inside, well it is a Tudor, so we expect to find an ETA manufactured movement...


The fly in the ointment. Tudor does not make its own movements. So we were hoping to see a heavily modified tried and tested ETA Valjoux 7750 movement in this watch. Instead we get a ETA 2892 non-chronograph movement with a Dubois-dépraz 2054 module (which is an additional plate where the chrono parts are found). This will make the watch pretty difficult to service. For those considering long terms ownership, look elsewhere. As a counterpoint, it is a Tudor to be sold at a Tudor price. It is not a Rolex, which means Rolex pricing.


 
Tudor. Tudor is the second brand of Rolex. Both brands, Rolex and Tudor, were fathered by Hans Wilsdorf. Rolex was founded in 1905 while Tudor was established in in 1946. In the 1990's a decision was made to allow Tudor to develop its own brand identity and Tudor watches today are distinctively different in appearance from their Rolex counterparts.