Why isn't/Will ever Tudor be sold in the States?

[TheVTCGuy]

I saw my first-ever Tudor in person yesterday at the airport. I've been kind of keeping my eye out for them, ever since Al CAN was so incredibly kind and cool enough to send me a complete Tudor catalogue from Canada, (thanks again Al, you're a good man ). I was really impressed with some of the models and the one I saw yesterday, (don't ask me what model it was, but it looked like a Daytona with a date... hey! what a good idea! moving on... ), was absolutely stunning.

It got me to wonder, why aren't/will they in the future Tudors be sold in the States? Is there something contractural with Rolex itself? Did they just not do well here? I don't know if I'd give up my Rolex for one but they are fantastic watches!

Anybody know?

[Dan Pierce]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

I saw my first-ever Tudor in person yesterday at the airport. I've been kind of keeping my eye out for them, ever since Al CAN was so incredibly kind and cool enough to send me a complete Tudor catalogue from Canada, (thanks again Al, you're a good man ). I was really impressed with some of the models and the one I saw yesterday, (don't ask me what model it was, but it looked like a Daytona with a date... hey! what a good idea! moving on... ), was absolutely stunning.

It got me to wonder, why aren't/will they in the future Tudors be sold in the States? Is there something contractural with Rolex itself? Did they just not do well here? I don't know if I'd give up my Rolex for one but they are fantastic watches!

Anybody know?

Don't know the specific reason but I think Rolex wanted to direct US sales to themselves rather than Tudor. Rumor has it that the Tudor brand will resume sales in the US in the not so distant future.
dP

[sbux]

It was available many years ago in US I believe. They will bring them back in soon I think.

[onkyo]

My understanding is Rolex did not want their Tudor line to take away from their Rolex sales..... but who knows for sure?

[cpsomas]

I sure hope so! Still holding out for a Tudor Chrono!!!

[sbux]

then drive up north to canada if anyone really wants it so bad !!!!

[Speed]

May have asked this before...but what sort of price differention in USD is there between say a Tudor Sub / Rolex Sub and a Tudor Chronograph / Rolex Daytona ???

[Salmosalar]

Originally Posted by masugu

May have asked this before...but what sort of price differention in USD is there between say a Tudor Sub / Rolex Sub and a Tudor Chronograph / Rolex Daytona ???

I have just taken delivery of a new ROLEX/GENEVE built SS TUDOR ICONAUT (chono + gmt) for about $8k less than what I have been able to find as a price for a new SS Daytona ROLEX. And the Iconaut has a date also.

The TUDOR CHRONOGRAPH which resembles the Daytona ROLEX without the gmt function should run a few hundred less $. And the TUDOR version has a date.

TUDOR uses ETA movements, but I trust ROLEX to debug them according to their high standards. For example I believe ROLEX changes out the standard Incabloc shock protection system for the KIF system.

So far (2 days) the watch is off by 4 seconds. The build quality is simply stunning. The steel simply glimmers, the bracelet is as good as my Breitling, the dial is as perfect as any I have seen before. The triplock crown feels and works like my Starrett micrometer, silky and firm with no flexing or niggling movement. The dial is described as gray, but in the right like it comes off as taupe with blue aura.

As you might surmise I like my TUDOR ICONAUT.

I feel that ROLEX does itself no favors by not selling the TUDOR here as they once did. I feel that with the new design direction TUDOR is going that they will not hurt Rolex. Rolex has a very strong traditional appeal to many owners. Witness the outcry from many whenever ROLEX changes anything on their favorite model.

I would guess that the lines most hurt if TUDOR returns to the USA would be OMEGA and ZENITH and LONGINES. Given that OMEGA with their new 8500/8600 movement watches are moving aggressively into the mid to mid-high price range that the TUDOR MSRP (calculated by converting from euros)should be in the USA. ZENITH would be the outright competitor in the design idiom for much, much more money. ZENITHS are wonderful watches. But their high prices in the global competitive arena would put them under pressure in my opinion in comparison with the bold TUDOR design thrust. LONGINES would suffer in my guess because of price/value comparison to TUDOR. I like OMEGAS, ZENITHS and LONGINES but if you had this choice would you not rather have the TUDOR, designed and built by ROLEX? I know I would and I put my money on it.

I would guess TUDOR will be returning to the USA, and it will be to my pleasure.

I pray my post will not offend any aficionados of the brands I have mentioned in my oration.

[fkl118]

I want an Iconaut! I've been thinking about getting one for a little while, but I might actually do something about it now.

Maybe I'll get it as a Christmas present for myself.

[TheVTCGuy]

Salmo, I saw the ICONAUT in the catalogue Alcan sent me and was stunned at what a great watch it was! I'd love to see one in person... but how about you putting up some pics of yours! And give us a review after you've worn it for a couple weeks.

[Salmosalar]

Originally Posted by fkl118

I want an Iconaut! I've been thinking about getting one for a little while, but I might actually do something about it now.

Maybe I'll get it as a Christmas present for myself.

You will not regret the purchase. Now that I have a ROLEX product, TUDOR, after owning 15, yes 15, other Swiss watch brands I can see, feel and hear what all the enthusiasm is about.

Hmmmm.... maybe an TUDOR AERONAUT or ROLEX GMT MASTER IIC should be next..... or maybe a TUDOR CLASSIC or ROLEX TURN-O-GRAPH.

Gosh the possibilities far exceed my checkbook.

[East Bay Rider]

It is my opinion that Tudor would do well to come back to the US due to the prices and the relationship with Rolex but name recognition wouldn't be on their side. Side by side in a case with Omega or Tag and the Tudor brand will need an explanation.
I was lucky to find my Tudor Tiger chrono BNIB fresh from the safe and purchased it in favor of the Omega Speedmaster Pro due to the date feature. Some may have gone the other way but I'm happy with my decision.

[deserted]

Good luck finding one here , they are some fine timepieces.....

[Speed]

Thanks Salmo... Good to know. Quite a delta in price!

[Submarino]

Because Rolex USA realized that the Tudor brand was cannibalizing Rolex and brand switching was killing them.

i.e. Let's say that back in the days you couldn't afford buying a Rolex Submariner in SS but you could only afford buying a Tudor Sub made by Rolex that looks almost exactly the same, but at half the price of Rolex. Which one would you buy?

If you are a price focused consumer you probably would end up with the Tudor. Now, if you are a brand focused trensetter you would wait and buy the Rolex.

The problem is that a big portion of consumers in the U.S. are not very brand loyal and tend to be more price conscious than in other countries. Therefore, a large number of people didn't care much about the brand but what the watches looked like. And those consumers were not willing to pay the Rolex price when the Tudor looked exactly the same. Reason why the brand decided to go through a major overhaul in the late 90's early 2000's.

Unfortunately that mindset left all of us (that appreciate but brands equally) not being able to buy Tudor watches any longer in the U.S.

[Salmosalar]

Originally Posted by Submarino

Because Rolex USA realized that the Tudor brand was cannibalizing Rolex and brand switching was killing them.

i.e. Let's say that back in the days you couldn't afford buying a Rolex Submariner in SS but you could only afford buying a Tudor Sub made by Rolex that looks almost exactly the same, but at half the price of Rolex. Which one would you buy?

If you are a price focused consumer you probably would end up with the Tudor. Now, if you are a brand focused trensetter you would wait and buy the Rolex.

The problem is that a big portion of consumers in the U.S. are not very brand loyal and tend to be more price conscious than in other countries. Therefore, a large number of people didn't care much about the brand but what the watches looked like. And those consumers were not willing to pay the Rolex price when the Tudor looked exactly the same. Reason why the brand decided to go through a major overhaul in the late 90's early 2000's.

Unfortunately that mindset left all of us (that appreciate but brands equally) not being able to buy Tudor watches any longer in the U.S.

If your first comment is correct, then why sell them in Canada? We have a common border. For many of us in the northland they are accessible and available. All the Canadians I have meant appear to be as value conscious as we Yanks. If you could not afford a SUB then you probably got some other brand , not a ROLEX product at all. Tudor offered an alternative to an OMEGA, LONGINES, BREITLING and so on. Also I think our fellow WIS in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and South America, Africa are just as much value seekers as we are. A price focused buyer will end up with another Swiss brand or a Japanese brand if he or she can't buy a TUDOR.

To my eye even the older TUDORS do have a semblance to ROLEX, but any WIS can easily tell them apart in my opinion.

Me thinks the problem is that we Americans are too brand focused. Bling counted, not the cash register ring. With the economic problems enveloping the globe I hope that ROLEX realizes that many of their buying public will be seeking choices elsewhere if they do not offer an alternative.

In summation I think ROLEX erred by stopping TUDOR distribution in the USA. If comments elsewhere can be believed that situation may be changing soon.

Soon ROLEX will need every sale it can get. And TUDOR will figure in that strategy.

Once again, my comments are not intended to inflame anyone, just to give my guesstimation of TUDOR's future here in the USA.

[Salmosalar]

Originally Posted by masugu

Thanks Salmo... Good to know. Quite a delta in price!

+1

[Salmosalar]

Originally Posted by East Bay Rider

It is my opinion that Tudor would do well to come back to the US due to the prices and the relationship with Rolex but name recognition wouldn't be on their side. Side by side in a case with Omega or Tag and the Tudor brand will need an explanation.
I was lucky to find my Tudor Tiger chrono BNIB fresh from the safe and purchased it in favor of the Omega Speedmaster Pro due to the date feature. Some may have gone the other way but I'm happy with my decision.

Having been in sales once I saw a question about a new product as an opportunity. It was up to me to know the product and its advantages so the discovery might be of interest to the client. So the newness of TUDOR may be a good thing if the retail wing can handle it.

Congratulations on your TIGER, great watch.

And your bank account thanks you for this decision also.

Salmo

[Salmosalar]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Salmo, I saw the ICONAUT in the catalogue Alcan sent me and was stunned at what a great watch it was! I'd love to see one in person... but how about you putting up some pics of yours! And give us a review after you've worn it for a couple weeks.

I will do so.

Salmo

[Troy]

This looks like a Rolex to me has a Rolex crown case back say's Original oyster case by Rolex

[Z-Sub]

One of the AD I frequent had Tudor and the owner also heard Tudor maybe coming back as well.

[Art 1]

Rolex has announced that in due time Tudors will be sold again in the US.