Manufacturer: Tudor Year: Circa 1950s Reference No: 4463 Case No: 12'691 Model Name: Shock Resisting Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Rolex alligator Clasp/Buckle: Gold plated Rolex pin buckle Dimensions: 33mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed "Tudor", buckle and strap signed "Rolex"
Catalogue Essay
The present watch offers a remarkable insight into the evolution of Tudor. The elegant dial and solid gold case classify the present piece as a dress watch, while the waterproof case and relatively simple movement are style traits typical of Tudor. This timepiece then represents a rare foray of the brand into the territories of evening/dress watches. This was a very bold move as Rolex itself was at the time focused on sports watches and Tudor was meant to be a more affordable sister brand. It was therefore highly counter intuitive for them to approach the luxury market. In fact, when making gold watches, Tudor usually employed relatively inexpensive gold-plated cases, sometimes keeping a steel back. This piece appears to be an extremely rarefied exception where the case is solid 18K gold. The brand would subsequently shy away from the luxury segment and instead focus on steel sport watches which remains their specialty even today.
Beyond the historical interest, the present watch surprises the beholder with its absolutely exceptional condition, featuring case and dial not only unrestored, but also perfectly preserved down to the last detail, including the presence of the Rolex green sticker to the back.
Almost twenty years after Rolex was founded, Hans Wilsdorf established Tudor with the intention of making more affordable watches without compromising the quality for which Rolex was renowned. Tudor was named after the British Dynasty that ruled England from 1485 to 1603, and their symbol came from the "War of Roses." After interchanging Rose and Shield symbols for a number of years, the firm replaced the Rose with the Shield logo from the 1960s until today.
Some of the most recognized vintage models made by Tudor include the Submariner, a waterproof model first introduced in 1954, the Oysterdate, the earliest versions of which were nicknamed the "Monte-Carlo," the Heritage, which included the date at 6 o'clock, as well as the Pelagos, which translates to "deep sea" in Greek.