Collector Guide

The Tudor 79260, also known as the "Tudor Small Blocks," is a vintage chronograph watch that was first introduced in the 1990s. It is a highly sought-after watch by collectors and enthusiasts alike, and for good reason.

One of the most striking features of the Tudor 79260 is its large case size, measuring 40mm in diameter. This size was considered quite large for a watch during its time, and even today, it still has a strong presence on the wrist. The case is made of stainless steel and has a brushed finish, giving it a rugged and sporty look.

Another notable feature of the Tudor 79260 is its chronograph function. The watch has a three-register chronograph layout, with a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock, a 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock, and a small seconds subdial at 9 o'clock. The chronograph is operated by two pushers on the side of the case, and the movement is a modified Valjoux 7750.

The dial of the Tudor 79260 is also quite striking, with a black base and white subdials. The hour markers are applied and have a luminescent coating, as do the hour and minute hands. The seconds hand for the chronograph is red, which adds a nice pop of color to the dial.

One of the things that sets the Tudor 79260 apart from other vintage chronographs is its bezel. The watch has a fixed, stainless steel bezel with a tachymeter scale. This scale is used to measure speed over a known distance and is a common feature on racing-inspired watches.

Overall, the Tudor 79260 is a watch that has a lot of character and presence. It is a vintage chronograph that has stood the test of time and remains popular among collectors today. If you're in the market for a classic sports watch with a chronograph function, the Tudor 79260 is definitely worth considering.

In 1995 Tudor launched the Prince chronograph. Up until this point the cases of the Tudor chronos had been quite deep and flat sided - a true ‘presence’ on the wrist. Before the fourth series had been the Big Block watches, but the new watches witnessed a complete redesign of the case. Gone were the flat sides and sharp edges and instead a softer case was utilised that was very similar to its stable mate the Rolex Daytona.

This new sleek aesthetic was further enhanced by the introduction of a sapphire crystal, which accentuated the lower profile of the watch on the wrist. The previous plastic bezels were problematic in that they were delicate and could crack quite easily.

In the new series of watches the 79260 had an aluminium tachymeter insert in the bezel. There were three watches available, the reference number referring to the bezel type. They were: 79260 with a black aluminium fixed tachymeter bezel; 79270 with a black aluminium rotating 12-hour bezel and the 79280 with polished steel fixed tachymeter bezel.

As per their predecessors, the Big Blocks, the new 79280 series watches were initially available on steel Oyster bracelets,but Tudor’s interpretation of the Jubilee bracelet eventually became the default bracelet as the Oyster faded out.

It wasn’t just the Oyster bracelet that was phased out – the word Oyster disappeared from the dial and was replaced with “PRINCE”.

During the first couple of transitional years, the use of Rolex branded winding crowns and casebacks were also phased out in favour of Tudor versions.

The Prince Dates were available with dials in a kaleidoscope of colours, many of which came with matching leather straps – I think of them as Tudor Beaches, much like the limited Rolex Daytona beach edition from 2000!

The dial options were supplemented with versions that had painted arabic hour markers instead of the applied baton markers. Tudor’s tie-in with brand ambassador Tiger Woods led to the golfer’s name being used on some dials, which are known by collectors as Tudor Tigers.

Blending aesthetics and functionality. The Rolex Day-Date President model is a watch that defines prestige, excellence, and timelessness. However as it has been in production for a long period of time, many varieties of precious metals and dials were made for this model. 

Tudor Oyster Prince has the Rolex stamp of approval, without the price tag. Tudor has been on the market almost as long as Rolex. The brand lauched in 1926 when the name was registered as a trademark by Hans Wilsdorf. He wanted to make a sister company for watch enthusiasts at  more affordable, yet just as reliable, version of the Rolex.

The Trademark- Tudor comes from the English Royal Family, the Tudors. The older version of the logo is the Tudor Rose from the family heritage.The two iconic Swiss watch brands have an intertwined history. Tudor has happily played second-fiddle to the flagship Rolex brand. 

As Rolex watches continue to get more expensive and the brand moves further upmarket towards an increasingly luxury-oriented segment of the industry, it has ultimately been Tudor that has taken over Rolex’s role. As the manufacturer of high-end, Tudor watches are still within reach for the average consumer.

Tudor has firmly asserted itself as one of the world’s premier manufacturers in the affordable luxury segment. Tudor introduced its own in-house movements and tapping into its rich history for design inspiration.

Our Tudor 94613 has the Rolex-logo crown, the Oyster case with “ORIGINAL OYSTER CASE BY ROLEX GENEVA” engraved on the caseback.

Tudor Company Facts:

– Founded in 1926 

– Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland

– Owned by Rolex

– Originally created as the more affordable alternative to Rolex

– Supplied watches to US Navy and French Marine Nationale

– Brand re-launched in 2009

– Started producing in-house movements in 2016

The Tudor Oyster Date 94613 is no doubt the cutest Rolex watches of all time. The watch can be purchased from our website.

Patek Philippe SA is a Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer, located in the Canton of Geneva and the Vallée de Joux.

Established in 1839, it is named after two of its Polish founders, Antoni Patek and Adrien Philippe. Since 1932, the company has been owned by the Stern family in Switzerland and remains the last family-owned independent watch manufacturer in Geneva.

Patek Philippe is one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world with an uninterrupted watchmaking history since its founding.

It designs and manufactures timepieces as well as movements, including some of the most complicated mechanical watches. The company maintains over 400 retail locations globally and over a dozen distribution centres across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. In 2001, it opened the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva.

Patek Philippe is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious watch manufacturers in the world. Over the years, notable Patek Philippe patrons and timepiece owners include Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II.

Princess Diana, Pope Pius IX, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Pablo Picasso, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and, Leo Tolstoy.

As of December 2020, among the world's top ten most expensive watches ever sold at auctions, eight are Patek Philippe watches. In particular, Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 currently holds the title of the most expensive watch (and wristwatch) ever sold at auction (US$31.19 million/31 million CHF), while Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication, the world's most complicated mechanical watch until 1989, currently holds the title of the most expensive pocket watch ever sold at auction (US$24 million/23,237,000 CHF).

The company traces its origins to the mid-19th century, when Polish watchmaker Antoni Patek along with his Czech-born Polish partner Franciszek Czapek formed Patek, Czapek & Cie in Geneva on 1 May 1839 and started manufacturing pocket watches.

The two eventually separated due to disagreements and the company was liquidated on 18 April 1845. On 1 May 1845, Czapek founded Czapek & Cie with a new partner, Juliusz Gruzewski.

Subsequently, Patek was joined by French watchmaker Adrien Philippe, the inventor of the keyless winding mechanism, and continued the watchmaking business with a new company, Patek & Cie, beginning on 15 May 1845

We have quite a few Patek Philippe watches for sale. The Patek Philippe La Flamme was released in 1990 as a signature new ladies line for the company.

The La Flamme is a testament to the high level of case making, bracelet making, and gem setting by the house. The beautifully executed case and bracelet were made by Atelier Réunis (the site of the Patek Philippe Museum today). The mother-of-pearl and diamond set dial of this example was made by Stern Creations. Note the detail of the unusual engraved hands. No corner was cut on the production of the La Flamme and the retail price of this example at 27,800 CHF emphasizes the point. Today, these watches sell for a fraction of their retail and represent one the best value buys of so-called ‘modern vintage’ Patek Philippe ladies watches.

You can buy it from Mayfair Watch.