PRIME TIME

If you think Tudor only makes rugged watches for sportsmen like the soccer legend David Beckham — one of Tudor’s biggest fans and a brand ambassador — think again. Pretty much since its beginnings, Tudor has quietly been producing watches for women. And not just today’s oh-so-popular unisex or genderless watches, which usually have a rather functional and classic style and are made to appeal to anyone’s taste. We mean watches that are decidedly feminine,| with gold and diamonds and a glimmer of opaline, and sized as small as 26 mm to fit comfortably and attractively on a slender wrist.

Tudor has several collections of watches unapologetically designed for women, with the same high-tech promise of reliability and surprising affordability that have always been the brand’s hallmark. Over the years, the company has released new designs in time for Mother’s Day, graduations, weddings, or any occasion that requires a very special, lasting — indeed, timeless — gift to commemorate it.

Hans Wilsdorf, a German businessman and, some would say, visionary, started Tudor watches in 1926 after establishing the iconic Rolex brand. “For some years I have been considering making a watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches,” he said, “and yet one that could attain the standards of dependability that Rolex is famous for. I decided to form a separate company to make and market this new watch. It is called the Tudor Watch Company.”

The singular timepiece that put Tudor on the horological map was introduced some 60 years ago: the Black Bay, a rugged, hefty, hardworking watch so reliable that navies around the world adopted it for their use, including in the United States.

But Tudor also produced watches specifically for women as far back as the 1930s. They were designed to do the job of keeping time, but to look beautiful while doing so. Collections such as the Princess, Glamour, 1926, Style, and Miss Tudor were released, in case sizes as small as 26 mm.

In 2015, Tudor crossed a threshold into the watch world’s big time when it started producing its own mechanical movements. And in 2017, Tudor’s latest women’s collection took advantage of that achievement, incorporating Tudor movements into watches that continued the tradition held by its existing women’s lines for designs of great refinement. The Clair de Rose was born.

Tudor’s Clair de Rose models are powered by selfwinding in-house mechanical movements that come with a date function and carry about 38 hours of power reserve. The watch offers a choice of three sizes, with corresponding calibres: calibre T601 in the 34mm models, and T201 in the 26 and 30mm editions.

Since its introduction, the Clair de Rose has come in a variety of colors, sizes, and materials. The latest iteration streamlines the material to one modern, sleek option: stainless steel. Other characteristics of the Clair de Rose remain: the steel screw-down winding crown set with a blue spinel cabochon, and the smooth steel bezel with its polished finish.

More choices allow the Clair de Rose to be personalized for each woman wearing it. The shimmering opaline dial, delicately decorated with relief designs, can sport lacquered blue Roman numerals. If preferred, eight of the numbers can be replaced with diamonds. The Clair de Rose references 35800, 35500 and 35200 come in six different designs, presented in a case with a polished finish available in 26, 30, or 34mm diameter.

For women wanting a watch that can be worn yearround, 24/7, each timepiece is waterproof to a depth of 100 meters. Last, there’s a choice of straps: either classic black leather, steel with the small “rice grain” links that have traditionally graced the collection, or a jacquard fabric made by a

150-year-old family firm in France’s Saint-Étienne region, using old- world weaving techniques. Women who enjoy vigorous sports can still turn to Tudor’s signature creations, like the Black Bay. Tudor introduced its first diver’s watch for women in 1976, and recently launched the Black Bay 32, designed on a smaller scale specifically for women. The steel case sports a choice of a silver, bluelacquered, or black dial; the bracelet offers the option of brown leather, black fabric, or stainless steel links. The luminescent hour markers are readable by day or night, and the hands have the same angular snowflake design borrowed from watches that Tudor supplied to the French navy in the 1970s. And, casting an eye on women’s growing interest in fine watchmaking, Tudor has released new versions of the Tudor Royal, in steel and steel and gold, bringing classic style to the sports watch design. It joins Tudor’s full range of offerings that provide something attractive, affordable, and reliable to suit the needs and style of every woman.