TUDOR dates its origins to 1926, when “The Tudor” was registered and the first watches bearing the name were produced. Its centenary timeline follows the brand from those beginnings through postwar independence, expedition and military associations, diving watches and chronographs, and the modern Black Bay and Pelagos. The account is TUDOR’s own history, rather than an independently corroborated archival study.
1926: The Tudor name enters the record
In its centenary history, TUDOR says Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Rolex, was behind the brand. The name “The Tudor” was entered into public records on February 17, 1926, and the first TUDOR watches were produced that year. The early wordmark used a long “T” extending across the other letters, a visual detail the brand includes in its account of its origins. TUDOR’s centenary timeline is the source for these dates and details.
From distribution to an independent corporation
TUDOR’s timeline describes its growth through the 1930s and 1940s, including the Ranger name, the Tudor Rose and shield, wider distribution, and the use of Oyster cases. It says the company became an independent corporation in 1946, distinct from its sister brand. These milestones show how the brand tells its early story: a name and identity developing into a separate company and a watch range.
The 1950s: exploration and the first diving watch
Oyster Prince and the North Greenland Expedition
TUDOR associates the Oyster Prince with the 1952–54 British North Greenland Expedition. The brand says watches were tested for two years on the polar ice cap during the expedition. That is a TUDOR historical claim; the centenary page does not provide independent corroboration.
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A diving watch arrives in 1954
The timeline dates TUDOR’s first diving watch to 1954 and recounts its use by the French Navy. In the brand’s narrative, exploration and professional use become recurring themes—not proof that every later watch was designed or tested for the same purposes.
1960s: military diving and underwater experiments
TUDOR says its Submariners were used by U.S. Navy SEAL Teams and describes the brand’s involvement in underwater habitat experiments, including SEALAB. Its history also connects watches worn by dive-qualified military units with a capsule recovery program. These are specific accounts from the brand; they should not be read as broader claims about every unit, watch, or operation.
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Chronographs, motorsport and technical detours
For the 1970s onward, TUDOR’s timeline turns to its first chronograph and motorsport activity, followed by a period of quartz experimentation. It also highlights the Hydro 1200, which the brand describes as water-resistant to 1,200 meters. That figure belongs to TUDOR’s description of this historical model, not a specification for the brand’s watches generally.
Black Bay, Pelagos and the modern chapter
TUDOR presents the Black Bay and Pelagos as collections that emerged in the social-media era and became pillars of the modern brand. The timeline says both received manufacture calibers in 2015. That milestone connects the contemporary collections to the company’s ongoing development, but the centenary history alone does not establish current specifications for any particular Black Bay or Pelagos reference.
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- 41mm steel case with polished and satin finish
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The brand also says it inaugurated its Le Locle manufacturing facility in 2023 and references METAS certification in its modern history. Those details extend the timeline beyond vintage models: TUDOR frames its century not just as a retrospective, but as a history still being built.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this centenary history can—and cannot—show
The page’s central idea is captured in its line, “A watch can’t write history, but daring individuals can.” TUDOR uses that phrasing to connect its watches to the people and activities in its timeline. The account is useful for understanding how the brand links its present-day collections to earlier watches and uses; it is not, by itself, independent verification of every expedition, military, or technical anecdote.
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For a reader interested in the Black Bay, the history explains why TUDOR places the collection among its modern pillars and links it to a broader lineage of diving watches. It does not establish that a contemporary model has the same role, construction, or performance as a historical watch. Those comparisons require model-specific information beyond this centenary overview.
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