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July 8th is an important date for Tudor. In 2022 it marks the launch of the new Tudor Ranger watch, a contemporary interpretation of one of Tudor’s most fascinating vintage watches. The 8th July 2022 also marks the 70th anniversary of the day that the participants of The British North Greenland Expedition, known as the BNGE, set sail from the banks of the river Thames in London. Primarily a research and training exercise, the expedition was led by Commander James Simpson with representatives of the armed forces and the field of science. As well as research work, the BNGE was an opportunity to train the military servicemen in Arctic conditions.
Written by Ross Povey 11th July 2022
Ranger continues the expedition watch concept that began in 1952 on the British North Greenland Expedition. In total, 30 men took part over two years and each man was loaned a Tudor Oyster Prince reference 7808. The stainless steel waterproof watches were 34mm in diameter and were delivered on either leather straps or straight endlink Oyster bracelets. Hans Wilsdorf envisioned that Tudor would have all the quality of a Rolex but at a more accessible price point. To achieve this Tudor used the two key ingredients of the successful Rolex watches – the Oyster case and the self-winding movement.
The Ranger was introduced in the late 1960s and is the descendant of the 30 Oyster Prince watches that Wilsdorf gave to the members of the BNGE. The name Ranger first appeared on watches in the 1960s but was actually first registered by Wilsdorf as early as 1929. Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Rolex and Tudor, pioneered the use of what he termed testimonees to wear the watches when undertaking challenging endeavors. Cross-channel swims, exploring Everest and military conflict were all endured by Oyster watches and the feedback obtained was key in the development of the watches.
The new Ranger is a celebration of the past yet with the unmistakable quality of Tudor’s cutting-edge new technologies such as the Manufacture calibre movement and the new T-Fit adjustable bracelet clasp. The case is entirely satin-finished as is the bracelet for that full-on tool watch vibe. The eagle-eyed will notice the use of the new winding crown, similar to that which debuted on the Black Bay Pro that screws flush to the case without the exposed crown tube. Unlike the 2014 heritage watch, the RANGER moniker is now on the dial. I also like the red-tipped seconds hand that replaces the all-red seconds hand on the Heritage Ranger. All told this is exactly the watch that people have been asking for!
The new watch has all the hallmarks of the 1960s Rangers with the bold painted hour markers, with Arabic numbers at 12, 3, 6 and 9 and in a nod to current trends and in line with Tudor’s move towards more compact case sizes, as per the Black Bay Fity-Eight and Pro, the new Ranger is 39mm and houses the brand’s in-house Calibre MT5402 movement that boasts a power reserve of approximately 70 hours and is regulated by a silicon hair-spring and is COSC-certified.
As the countdown to Christmas begins you may be pleased to consider a few ideas that would make someone very happy on the Big Day!
Author // Moodys
Nestled in the historic town of Nantwich, Moody's stands proud as one of the iconic independent family run businesses. Moody's has undergone a brand new refurbishment and brand identity, redefining our legacy as a leading independent jewellers, four generations, since 1883. The advantage of Moody's being independent, is we have the freedom to explore the world in a quest to find the most exquisite gemstones.
Author // Moodys
The ‘Royal’ name was first used by Tudor in the 1950’s, but the new ‘Royal Family’ boasts many quality features including an integral bracelet, sunburst dials with applied Roman Numeral and Diamond options and, for the ladies, the 28mm version has a full Diamond-set bezel with lustrous Mother-of-Pearl for the Diamond-set dial.
Author // Moodys
