Tudor vs Rolex: An Aesthetic Breakdown

Let's get to the bottom of the family rivalry between Tudor and Rolex, two historical watch brands.

When you think of the most recognizable brands in the world you think of a few household names: Nike, Walmart, Mercedes, and Apple just to name a few. When I think about brand equity, there may be no brand more universally renowned than Rolex. The Swiss behemoth has been producing watches for the better part of a century now and is synonymous with wealth and status. When people want to make a big watch purchase to commemorate an event, the first place that a lot of people look to is Rolex. The Datejust and Submariners are arguably the most recognizable watches in the world - Apple Watch aside. The brand has set the standard for aspirational watch collecting; all other brands are following in its path.

Hans Wilsdorf, Rolex’s founder, wanted to create a more affordable, consumer-friendly watch that was independent of Rolex but maintained the same build and quality that Rolex watches were famous for at the time. Thus the Tudor Watch Company was born as a sister brand to Rolex. Both Tudor and Rolex are still owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation today. The brand originally specialized in tool watches, divers, and military pieces specifically. Today it is one of the best luxury watch brands in the world. With the release of the Black Bay in 2012, and then the vintage-inspired Black Bay 58 in 2018, the brand has catapulted into the center of the watch world. Many young people, myself included, have looked to Tudor to be their first luxury watch purchase.

If I was important enough to be slandered for my takes, I would be roasted on Twitter for the following take. However; I am not that important and no one will care for the atrocities that I am about to comment on: Tudors look nicer than Rolexes. There I said it. I’m sorry. I can finally live my truth. I’m aware that the entire world believes that Rolex is a better brand, but purely on aesthetics, I like the look of Tudor watches more than Rolex. Wow, it feels good to get that out. I apologize for ruffling some feathers.

I’m going to break down some of the main Tudor watches vs their Rolex counterpart to prove my point, but I should set a few things I need to say first:

Vintage Rolex > Modern Rolex

I LOVE vintage Rolex. There’s so much history and soul with old Rolexes. The pieces tend to be smaller and more elegant, which I enjoy in a watch. Modern Rolexes are bigger and shinier, and as much as I love luxury watches, the last thing I want to do is draw attention to my wrist.

Playing the Rolex game sucks.

It’s incredibly hard to attain a Rolex these days because of how selective authorized dealers have gotten. There is more demand than supply at the moment, so ADs have all the power. To buy a watch, you have to be on a waitlist.  Then you have to purchase thousands of dollars in other watches and jewelry to get your name off the waitlist for some of the most in-demand models. It’s a game I’m just not willing to play. I have walked into ADs and walked out with each of my Tudors without having to fret. Not to mention Rolexes are not great value for the money. The original Rolex Submariner released in the 1950s cost $150. According to the Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator, a Submariner would cost no more than $1,969 today. Now They go for over $10K at MSRP.

It’s easy for the Rolex clientele to be a deterrent.

Crypto guys, fake “I’ll teach you to be rich” guys, guys who look down their noses at other watch brands. The list goes on and on. The truth is there are more people genuinely into watches who own Tudor vs those who own Rolex. A lot of people just want to wear the Rolex name - they’re not necessarily watch enthusiasts. Not like any of this matters, but real watchheads love Tudor, Omega, Nomos, Grand Seiko, Cartier, etc..

Tudor is Sentimental to Me

My first luxury watch purchase was a Tudor. I’ll always remember being in my mid-twenties when I knew it was time to leap into the watch world doing all of my research and finding the Black Bay. I loved everything about it. I remember the trip to Tourneau with my brother and father and getting treated like a king as I made my decision and the feeling of satisfaction leaving the wore with an inconspicuous bag. I look back at photos from weddings and events and my first Tudor is always on my wrist. It’ll always remind me of the first love I met during my fleeting twenties.

Okay, now that we’ve settled that, let’s jump into some of the matchups.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual (Explorer) vs Tudor Black Bay 31/36/39/41

The entry-level, bare-bones models are a matter of preference. Note: A lot of people would say that the Rolex Explorer is a better comparison to the entry-level Black Bay, while I think you can stack the BB against the Explorer or the entry-level Oyster Perpetual. A lot of what it comes down to for me is that I love Tudor’s snowflake hands. Both watches can be the only watch you own - working for all situations from casual to black tie. The Tudor clocks in around $4k while Rolex OP is about $6k (The Explorer is $7K). The watches are too similar and you’d only be paying for the Rolex name by ponying up the additional $2k for the OP or $3K for the Explorer. While I find the Rolex to be a bit more bland, my SO liked the Rolex more, so I’m calling this a tie.

Winner: Tie

Tudor Black Bay GMT vs Rolex GMT Master II

A vintage Rolex GMT Master II is one of the ten greatest watches of all time, but the modern-day iteration doesn’t do it for me. It’s too shiney and gauche. The Rolex is the blueprint for all GMT watches that have followed, so it gets all the credit for that, but I like the softer shades of blue and red on the Tudor more. Again, I love the Snowflake hands with the subtle date. You can also get it in a white dial, which is why it barely beats the Rolex GMT for me.

Winner: Tudor GMT

Tudor Black Bay 58 vs Rolex Submariner

The Black Bay 58 is aesthetically a cooler watch than the Rolex Submariner. I don’t love the Cyclopes on the crystal or the harsh teeth in the dive bezel. I also don’t like the abundance of text on the Sub vs the 58. This may be the most recognizable watch of all time, and I want one, but let’s not overrate it. The Sub is a great tool watch, but it looks too much like a tool watch. On the other hand, the Black Bay 58 is vintage-looking, chic, and minimal. It comes with all of the tool watch specifications in a smaller, more versatile package. And the Tudor’s in blue and green have a much better color than the comparable Rolexes.

Winner: Tudor Black Bay 58

Tudor Chronograph vs Rolex Daytona

Going with Rolex here. Three subdials look better than two here for some reason and the Rolex Daytona may be the best expression of watchmaking that Rolex has ever produced. The Daytona is roughly 3x more expensive than the Tudor at reg price - the Rolex is roundly $15k to the Tudor’s $5K.  The white dial Daytona is just gorgeous in every way.

Winner: Rolex Daytona

What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

(Pictured Below: My personal Black Bay 58 Blue)

Peace and Love