Hodinkee announce the North Flag

[Blue Lantern]

To me, this is an improvement over the Heritage Ranger--smaller case, date function, and the shield logo (love the shield logo!). Would've preferred standard lugs for nato straps etc, but I do like the overall shape. If I were to buy, I'd get it on a bracelet, and then just notch a leather strap to fit for when I wanted a change.

[dera]

This design is not for me, but put this movement into Black Bay, where do I sign?

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Blue Lantern

To me, this is an improvement over the Heritage Ranger--smaller case, date function, and the shield logo (love the shield logo!). Would've preferred standard lugs for nato straps etc, but I do like the overall shape. If I were to buy, I'd get it on a bracelet, and then just notch a leather strap to fit for when I wanted a change.

1mm smaller? I doubt these will be flying off the shelves like the Ranger seems to have been doing lately, judging by all the incomings here.

[Thevenin]

Don't see the point in making the case back transparent for such a poor view

Nice ad too

[Presa canary]

In house? It looks awesome and will be a collectors piece. I really like it

[Mezz72]

looks more like a Ball then a Tudor.

[Friar]

Don't care for the case design or the choice of yellow. But, as others have said, drop the movement into a Ranger or a Black Bay and I could be very interested.

[vertigo s2r]

Boring?... Rolex has been changing dial colors for years on the same damn watch with the same movement and this is a brand new watch with a brand new inhouse movement with almost 2x the power reserve of a Rolex and a silicon spring.

Some comments here are getting as bad as listening to Apple/Android fanboys go at it...

[redsubby]

Oysterquartz case is awesome, what's not to like?

[capote]

Ben Clymer, who handles Pateks and Langes on a regular basis describes the finish of this boring looking movement as "cool looking". Reminds me abit of the infamous Ralph Lauren watch review.

[eightbore]

OK...I'll admit the pricing has me interested now. I am still really on the fence about some of the aesthetic elements of this piece, but it is growing on me. The movement, while I am a bit scared of maintenance costs relative to the ETA more customarily in Tudor, is impressive at this price point. I also like the case back. We are too used to fancy decoration on movements while, in this case, I think the sapphire back was used to highlight that the movement is as "no bullshit" as the watch itself. It accomplishes this in my opinion!

Huge power reserve, in house, Rolex heritage....tell me again (if they drop these movements into the Black Bay) exactly why I should spend $4000 more for a Sub? This piece is already going to take a bit of a bite out of the Explorer I sales IMO.

[Puffy]

Might look OK after 7-8 pints

[RollieVerde]

Originally Posted by capote

Ben Clymer, who handles Pateks and Langes on a regular basis describes the finish of this boring looking movement as "cool looking". Reminds me abit of the infamous Ralph Lauren watch review.

Have you seen the movement in person? Maybe you should reserve judgement until you've actually seen it.

[DateAperture]

First reaction was that it looks like an IWC Ingenieur with the integrated lugs and 6 + 12, which is a good thing in my book. However I wasn't so hot on the power reserve and yellow, though the white 3D hands and markers are very Tudor, a la the Pelagos. Overall felt it was a close hit and miss, initially. Now, having digested it a few days later, it has grown on me. Tudor is truly leading the way: BB + Pelagos + Heritage Chrono + North Flag. Tudor is just missing a GMT and an antimagnetic in their otherwise splendid stable, in my opinion.

PS: also, is it just me, or does anyone feel the North Flag gives off the same vibe as some of the past IWC Aquatimers or Porsche Design?

[Mr Mink]

I don't actually mind the look of this (but would obviously need to see it in the flesh for a final view). The yellow accents on the leather strap stitching in particular reminds me somewhat of a Seiko titanium chronograph that I own with broadly the same colour way choices. Some people quite probably cannot ever come at yellow. The price does seem relatively reasonable for the first in house movement. The maintenance costs as someone already mentioned will likely go up north as a result unfortunately, as against the common or garden ETA movement currently used. As per below I was broadly quoted $600 for a 5 yearly official Rolex service!

I saw the leaked magazine type ad while I was away in Adelaide for a couple of weeks. I happened to stroll past a Rolex AD there (clue for Australian readers only - there is only one). I had recently read an article about the original Explorer ! so went in to have a look. They had a Tudor display box with most of the models in (most of which I frankly would not buy). What did focus my eye however was 40% off the Ranger in both the stainless strap and also the (somewhat ugly in my view) bund strap. I thought about it for a bit and then went back that afternoon and purchased the Ranger on the stainless strap at a very considerable reduction which brought it into my price range (a very rare bargain I would suggest). Asked about the reason for the reduction the guy admitted that he had overbought on the Ranger thinking that it would be more popular than it had been. He also wanted to clear some room for any new models out of Baselworld. Wonder if he will overbuy on the North Flag and I can go back next year and maybe buy one of those??