Tudor was born from a shared history. Visionary Hans Wilsdorf launched Tudor in 1926 after having founded Rolex nearly 20 years earlier, aiming to offer Rolex-quality timepieces at more accessible price points.

While Tudor initially leaned on the credibility and relationship with Rolex as its sister brand, we’ve now witnessed a new fully independent identity fueled in large part by the advent of the vintage inspired Black Bay family released in 2012. Then just a few years later, Tudor further impressed the watch world with their first in-house movement, the MT5621.

In this guide, we are going to examine our top 10 favorite Tudor watches and have organized this selection by price point to showcase just how much progress the Swiss watchmaker has made in such a short time. And yes, this list is heavy on the Black Bay inclusions but without this family, Tudor would certainly not have met the same success it has experienced today.

We’re going to kick off our Top 10 Best Tudor Watches guide with an honorable mention that aptly sets the stage for the rest of Tudor’s modern catalog with the Tudor North Flag.

Honorable Mention: Tudor North Flag Ref. M91210N-0001

Price: $2,500-$4,000 USD; Case Material: Stainless Steel; Diameter: 40mm; Lug-to-Lug: 50mm; Thickness: 13.4mm; Water Resistance: 100m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

While the Tudor North Flag is no longer available directly from the watchmaker, they’re still widely available on the secondary market and a quick Chrono24 search will bring up quite a few listings - but don’t be fooled, for Tudor diehards this is a watch that’s a must have.

Simply put, the uniquely designed North Flag houses Tudor’s very first in-house caliber marking a huge leap forward for the brand, breaking a tradition of using third party Swiss movements (ETA, Sellita or Valjoux) with the COSC-certified Caliber MT5621.

It is a bit of a design deviation from the Tudor norm with an atypical dial featuring a power reserve indicator, a fixed ceramic and stainless steel bezel combination, and an integrated bracelet but it’s certainly a defining watch in the Tudor pantheon.

Tudor 1926 Ref. M91550-0008

Price: $2,050 USD; Case Material: Stainless Steel; Diameter: 39mm; Lug-to-Lug: N.A.; Thickness: 9.2mm; Water Resistance: 100m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

Since we’ve organized this guide by price point, our first official pick is one of Tudor’s most accessible and one of Tudor’s least spoken about models, the 39mm 1926. It’s a beautiful watch, but there’s a reason it gets less attention than it used to and that’s because it’s one of Tudor only models still offered for sale that builds in a third party base, albeit a top grade calibre nonetheless, the Sellita SW-200.

That being said, the Tudor 1926 is priced as such just a touch south of $2,000 and comes in 4 accommodating sizes. Rhodium plated Arabic numerals and sharp markers adorn an embossed matte black dial background with a simple unframed date window at the 3. All in all, an excellent classy entry point if your budget sits right around the $2k mark.

Tudor Ranger M79950-0001

Price: $3,475 USD; Case Material: Stainless Steel; Diameter: 40mm; Lug-to-Lug: 50mm; Thickness: 13.4mm; Water Resistance: 100m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

The 39mm Tudor Ranger is the revamped follow up to 2014’s larger Ranger, sizing it down by 3mm and refining the dial. The newest Tudor Ranger is by all intents and purposes, an elevated take on the classic field watch but an equally capable Go Anywhere Do Anything pick. It’s sporty, woodsy, but comes with enough sophistication on the 3-link stainless bracelet to dress up if the situation demands.

The Ranger builds the in-house COSC certified MT5402 movement and offers a great set of everyday wear specs, like a Water Resistance rating of 100m and a screw down crown, a durable domed sapphire above the dial, 70 hours of power when fully wound and a clasp offering Tudor’s T-fit quick fit micro adjustment system.

Tudor Black Bay 58 Ref. M79030N-0001

Price: $4,175 USD; Case Material: Stainless Steel; Diameter: 39mm; Lug-to-Lug: 47.8mm; Thickness: 12.8mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

Now if we could only pick one watch to represent everything great about Tudor, it’s the Black Bay 58. This watch is highly reminiscent of Tudor’s very first dive watches - which is to say it has palpably retro charm but an equal serving of toolish utility.

From the highly wearable 39mm case size to the gilt dial and COSC certified MT5402, the classic ‘Snowflake’ handset, 200m of water resistance and a timing bezel - we’re getting a beautiful and well rounded modern diver that’s just as capable to see you through a wedding or white collar corporate event as it is at depth.

Now we can’t move on before briefly mentioning the Black Bay 54 that sizes down the 58 by 2mm - while it does away with some of the 58’s design traits, it’s a great alternative if 39mm is just a touch too large for your wrist while keeping everything great about the classic Black Bay style at the forefront.

Tudor Black Bay Pro Ref. M79470-0001

Price: $4,375 USD; Case Material: Stainless Steel; Diameter: 39mm; Lug-to-Lug: 47mm; Thickness: 14.6mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

The Black Bay Pro. Rolex heritage, with modern Tudor value. I love it. Classic Explorer II vibes but clearly speaks its own language as a total package. The Black Bay Pro was a surprise to many at 2022’s Watches & Wonders because most people did not expect such a compact GMT in a form factor so similar to classic Rolex Explorers.

The Black Bay Pro really filled a niche that satisfied what vintage tool watch diehards were seeking and it did so with the addition of a TRUE GMT at its heart. While it shocked many at the time, the signature Black Bay language still shone through with traditionally Tudor snowflake hands and a very familiar robust stainless steel case.

Now while the Black Bay Pro is smaller than expected, it does maintain a 14.6mm thickness so just keep that in mind if you’re considering a purchase, even though I think it's not as noticeable on the wrist as it sounds on paper.

Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT Ref. M7939G1A0NRU-0001

Price: $4,775 USD; Case Material: Stainless Steel; Diameter: 39mm; Lug-to-Lug: 47.8mm; Thickness: 12.8mm; Water Resistance: 100m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

Naturally, with the overwhelming success of the original 3-handed Black Bay 58, eventually we figured Tudor would update the fan favorite with a GMT treatment and they did just that, unveiling the 4-hander at 2024’s Watches and Wonders in Geneva.

Keeping much of the 58’s gilded DNA intact like the 39mm case size and 200m of WR, Tudor updated the 3-hander with a new bi-colored Coke (black/burgundy) bezel. Many collectors were expecting to see a GMT-Master II get the Coke treatment, so it was very interesting that Tudor brought it back first. Perhaps this was a bit of a trial balloon for the Crown? Additionally, this watch is a true powerhouse mechanically. It has upgraded the COSC certified MT5402 for the METAS AND COSC certified 4-handed MT5450-U - a movement which provides 65 hours of power reserve on a full wind.

Tudor Pelagos 39 Ref. M25407N-0001

Price: $4,875 USD; Case Material: Stainless Steel; Diameter: 39mm; Lug-to-Lug: 47mm; Thickness: 11.8mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

Now for those looking at Tudor for a real tool watch, something even more utilitarian and toolish than the Tudor Ranger or Black Bay Pro, I’d highly suggest checking out the Tudor Pelagos 39, ‘Pelagos’ Greek for ‘The Sea.’

Now, 2012 did technically bring us the first Pelagos aimed to revive Tudor’s rich diving history. While this watch is an incredibly capable diver with a dedicated helium escape valve to support 500m of WR, with the release of the smaller 39mm Pelagos sized down from 42, it just hit the sweet spot. The 39 is slightly more refined for everyday wear, a bit smaller and thinner, and it also came in a full Titanium build. Plus the sporty red dial text is a subtle easter egg that speaks to Tudor’s shared history with the Crown.

Tudor Black Bay 58 Bronze Ref. M79012M-0001

Price: $5,025 USD; Case Material: Bronze; Diameter: 39mm; Lug-to-Lug: 48mm; Thickness: 12mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

Our next two Tudor selections experiment with unique case constructions. The Tudor Black Bay 58 Bronze is just a gorgeous watch with a full bronze case and a full bronze bracelet that will only develop more character as it ages with a beautiful and unique patina. Besides the obvious deviation from a full stainless build and black gilt dial, the Black Bay 58 Bronze employs the larger MT5400 over the base 58’s MT502. But they are for all intents and purposes, these movements are the same - both supplying a 70 hour power reserve and a 4hz beat rate. The Black Bay Bronze is one of my favorite Tudor dress watches as it’s just a showstopper on the wrist and has a knack for igniting conversations over more traditionally styled dress watch picks and keeps the profile of the original 58 alive and well.

Tudor Black Bay Ceramic 41mm Ref. M79210CNU-0007

Price: $5,300; Case Material: Stainless Steel; Diameter: 41mm; Lug-to-Lug: 50mm; Thickness: 14.4mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

Tudor’s first experiment with a full ceramic construction came to us in 2021 with the release of the black dialed Ceramic Black Bay,. This was followed up with a collaboration between the watchmaker and Formula 1 (and Visa, …meh...) which gave us a strikingly beautiful ‘Tudor’ blue dial.

The Black Bay Ceramic 41 Blue is essentially the previous iteration through and through from the 41mm black ceramic case, 200m of WR, and the Master Chronometer (METAS) certified MT5602-1U as its engine providing top tier accuracy and 70 hours of power between winds.

Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” Ref. M25827KN-0001

Price: $5,450 USD; Case Material: Stainless Steel; Diameter: 43mm; Lug-to-Lug: 52mm; Thickness: 13.2mm; Water Resistance: 100m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

While the Pelagos 39 Titanium is a fan favorite, Tudor has continued to evolve the family with more recent iterations, including the Pelagos FXD Chronograph, with unique timing features and an incredibly lightweight full carbon composite 43mm case that is purpose built for Tudor’s own cycling team who race in the UCI Europe Tour.

FXD is short for ‘fixed’ referring to the fixed lug bars that bolsters the durability of the main case. While this build characteristic is fantastic by itself, the real emphasis is on the dial where we’re provided a very singular spiral tachymeter chapter ring encircling the dial with numerals correlating to key cycling speeds. There are also two traditional sub registers at the 3 and 9 framed with sporty red accents matching the scale wrapped around the dial.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono Flamingo Blue Ref. m79360n-0024

Price: $5,875 USD; Case Material: Stainless Steel; Diameter: 40mm; Lug-to-Lug: 50mm; Thickness: 13.4mm; Water Resistance: 100m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire.

Our last top 10 Tudor watch selection has to go to Tudor’s newest Black Bay chronograph, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono Flamingo Blue. This release comes on the heels of the Black Bay Chrono Pink, a collaboration with David Beckham and Inter Miami F.C. While the Flamingo Blue variation is not an official collaboration with Inter Miami, it has similar Miami vibes.

It’s a strikingly beautiful chronograph constructed from a 41mm stainless steel case. This can be seen in the wash of Flamingo Blue across the tachymetric bezel and the panda dial. The MT5813 comes COSC certified and provides 70 hours of power on a full wind, and the 5-link 316L stainless-steel bracelet offers Tudor’s handy T-Fit quick adjustment system for honing in the perfect fit on wrist. It’s an incredible value for the price just under $6,000 and an instant classic.

Final Thoughts:

No matter how you cut it, Tudor has carved out a distinctive identity over the past decade with the Black Bay, Pelagos, and Ranger families. The brand has doubled down on vertical integration, and continues to experiment with different case materials, as well as calculated collaborations that continue to solidify Tudor’s brand identity offering incredible watches at radically affordable price points.

10 Best Tudor Watches to Add to Your Collection