Manufacturer: Tudor Year: Circa 1971 Reference No: 7032/0 Case No: 759'983 Model Name: Oysterdate Chronograph Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Mechanical, 7734, 17 jewel Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, 170 mm. maximum length Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex twinlock deployant clasp Dimensions: 39 mm. diameter Signed:Case, dial and movement signed Literature: For another example of a 'homeplate' with black dial, please see Tudor Anthology by Alberto Isnardi, pages 126 and 127.
Catalogue Essay
Rolex introduced Tudor to the market in 1945 with the intention of producing high quality watches at an affordable price.
This 'homeplate', manufactured in 1971, features a stunning matte black dial with orange accents. It is hard to determine how many black dials are known but we believe it could be as little as just a handful. Further research concludes that the last black dial 'homeplate' offered on the market was as long as 7 years ago.
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.