Manufacturer: Tudor Year: Circa 1971 Reference No: 7031/0 Case No: 756’799 Model Name: Monte Carlo, “Home Plate” Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 7734, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Tudor Oyster bracelet, max length 205 mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Tudor folding deployant clasp Dimensions: 40 mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Literature: For another example of a reference 7031/1, please see Tudor Anthology by Alberto Isnardi, pp. 126 - 127.
Catalogue Essay
The present watch represents the first of the Tudor chronograph introduced in the 1970s. It is recognized by its bakelite or acrylic inserts and its grey dial with black accents. In addition, Tudor also upgraded their coding system in 1967 using 5 digits instead of 4, in which the last digit identifies the case metal. For the present watch, “0” indicates steel.
The present watch is a wondrous execution of the Tudor Oysterdate Chronograph with 40-mm case, screw down pushers, and the very iconic “Monte Carlo” dial, a nickname given as the dial is reminiscent of the casino chips from the city. The dial configuration of the present watch is also dubbed as a “home-plate’ dial due to the dial design resembling a home plate in baseball games.
The present example is preserved in excellent condition. With sharp bevels, the lugs are thick and well-defined. The luminous materials on the hour markers have turned a warm yellow hue, perfectly matching the hands. The bracelet is conceivably original, as it matches with the ones pictured in vintage advertisements. The rarity of this timepiece cannot be overstated. Of course, it is one of the rarest Monte-Carlos ever created and a crown jewel for the discerning vintage sports watch collector.
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.