Tudor Monarch Watch
Hans Wilsdorf founded Tudor in 1926 as the watch Rolex couldn't be: same quality, lower price. One hundred years later, the Monarch is the brand's centenary statement, and its most ambitious. The 39mm stainless steel case is sharply faceted, an irregular octagon in silhouette with satin and polished surfaces in contrast, 11.9mm thick and 46.2mm lug-to-lug. The papyrus dial runs a California layout: Roman numerals from 10 to 2, Arabic from 4 to 8, borrowed from early military watches for quick orientation at a glance, with small seconds at 6 o'clock and openworked snowflake hands at center. The exhibition caseback reveals the finest movement finishing Tudor has ever produced: perlage on the mainplate, Côtes de Genève on the bridges, an 18ct gold inlay on the rotor of the in-house MT5662-2U. METAS Master Chronometer certified, 4Hz, silicon balance spring, 65-hour power reserve. The two-link faceted bracelet carries the case geometry to the wrist with pyramidal center links and a T-fit micro-adjust clasp. Water resistance to 330 feet. One reference, one dial, one century.
