Tudor 1926 Buying Guide: Specs, References, Prices | Ultimate Watch

The 1926 does not have the mythology of a Black Bay or a Submariner, and that is exactly why the people who own one tend to like it. The lore here is corporate, not romantic: 1926 is the year Hans Wilsdorf, the man behind Rolex, registered the Tudor name, and the watch wears that date on its identity. Collectors note that this is one of the last places you can buy a genuinely affordable Swiss automatic three-hander from a Rolex-owned house, and that the seven-link bracelet, satin outer links with polished centers, is unusually good for the money and is often the detail that converts a skeptic in the metal. The enthusiast criticism is fair and worth knowing: the ETA base movement instead of an in-house Tudor caliber is what separates it from the rest of the modern lineup, and it is why the 1926 depreciates more than its siblings. Seasoned buyers treat that depreciation as the opportunity. A clean used steel 1926 is one of the best value entries into serious mechanical watch ownership on the market, and that quiet arbitrage, buy used, wear it hard, service it cheaply, is the closest thing the 1926 has to a collector secret. We see it come across the counter at 19 West 47th Street often enough to know it is real.