TUDOR

The TUDOR trademark was registered in February 1926 by Swiss watchmaking company Veuve de Philippe Hüther on behalf of Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Rolex. Wilsdorf's vision was to create a brand offering the same reliability and quality as Rolex but at a more accessible price point. In 1936, Wilsdorf took over the trademark directly, and in 1946 formally established Montres Tudor SA. Early TUDOR watches used Rolex cases and bracelets paired with third-party movements, allowing the brand to maintain quality while achieving competitive pricing. The brand gained military credibility when the French Marine Nationale and US Navy SEALs adopted TUDOR Submariners from the 1960s to 1980s. The iconic 'snowflake' hands became a signature design element during this era. After a period of reduced presence, TUDOR underwent a major relaunch in 2009 with new collections. In 2012, the Heritage Black Bay and Pelagos dive watches debuted, becoming modern icons. A pivotal moment came in 2015 when TUDOR introduced its first in-house movement, the MT5621, marking the brand's evolution into a manufacture. The Black Bay collection has since won numerous awards, including the Revival prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève in 2013.