Nine Years of Tudor Collecting

I found my way into watch collecting in 2014, with the ubiquitous SKX009J. I agonized over spending a “huge” £135 on that watch for days, after scouring the reviews and forums, before pulling the trigger from a certain Asian website.

This was where it all began, and for a time, I was satisfied with this fan-favourite diver. 2014, coincidentally, was the year that Tudor came back to the UK, after its global hiatus and slow return to other markets from 2010. I remember seeing the 79220R Burgundy Black Bay for the first time and thinking – “Eww”. It was a gaudy colour, and the hour hand was a stupid shape! Some forgotten cousin of Rolex? ETA-2824 calibre? £2330? No thank you, sir, I have ALL THE SEIKOS to buy, which I promptly set about doing.

I carried on, quite happily, buying and selling Seikos, Casios and all manner of cheap and cheerful watches until something unexpected happened…

The Tudor Black Bay 79220N was released in October 2015, as a surprise ‘drop’ outside of Baselworld (as it was then). Bringing together design queues from several generations of vintage Tudor Submariners and applying them to the then-new ‘Black Bay’ format from 2012 (they only came in Red and Blue up to this point, if you can imagine!), this was a ‘greatest hits’ of Tudor divers’ watches. I had to have it.

The Big Spend

I was lucky enough to see the watch in person at launch and I cannot describe the desire I felt. My 30th birthday was approaching, and I had already been hustling my wife for an SNZH55 Seiko as it looked so much like the Submariner I had wanted since getting into watches but knew I would never own (spoiler: I got the Seiko, and I have a 124060 Submariner now too!). This new Tudor was something else though. I lost sleep. I planned and schemed. I looked at interest free credit cards.

Finally, one night, moments from her falling asleep, I coyly asked my wife if I could buy one and excitedly set out my stall as to how I would afford to pay it off and how it was the only watch I would ever need in this price range (yeh, “lol” now, right?!). Half-conscious, drifting to sleep, she made an agreeing noise. That was all I needed – it was basically a yes!

The next day, I applied for the credit card (don’t do this, anyone!) and asked my Tudor store to keep one aside for me. Tudor wasn’t as hot back then, so they had no problem with this. A week or so later, the card was here, and the watch was MINE.

Honeymoon Phase

Back then, Tudor bundled the fabric strap for free with either the bracelet or leather option, so I purchased on bracelet and then picked up the leather separately a short time later to have all 3 options at my disposal. I kept the watch on the bracelet pretty exclusively for about 6 months before I got the itch to start making swaps. Oh my goodness – once I started, I couldn’t stop! The poor lugs bare scars and even some erosion to prove how mad my strap changing lust was for several months.

The Collection Grows

As with all dopamine-based addictions, eventually the buzz wears off, and you start looking for a new high. I was still racking up Seikos at an alarming rate to get little hits, but I knew another Big Watch was going to be needed…I chose to add a 79250BM Black Bay Bronze in 2017, when the bronze was The Hot Ticket in accessible watches. Tudor couldn’t make these watches fast enough that summer, and so I totally joined the hype train when the khaki green strap option was launched.

The “Bronzo” was great, and looked different to my 79220N, so it was justifiable, especially as it coincided with a promotion at work. What happened next though was not so rational, in hindsight. In December 2017, although now discontinued, I came across a NOS Black Bay Blue (79220B) on the leather… so I bought it. That precipitated a NOS Black Bay Burgundy (79220R) on the leather in the March of 2018. Suddenly I had 4 Tudors, and an army of Seikos!

This led to some Seikos leaving, some staying, and even some vintage Tudors coming along to the collection for a time. At the peak, I had 4 vintage Tudors and 4 modern. The addiction was real, people! In late 2018, to celebrate a big career move, I bought my first Rolex- the 214270 Explorer. (I know, I said earlier I always wanted a Submariner, but I did not like the Maxi-case 114060 model available at the time!)

In 2019, I found myself back in Baselworld and handling the new S&G Chrono. Loved it, had to have it. Took until 2021 to bag that one! In 2023, this time at Watches and Wonders, I handled a BB54… Bought one within weeks!

Awkwardly, I subsequently picked up a 124060 Submariner in 2024, which is undoubtably a collection-killer, both financially and spiritually! The Explorer had to leave to make space- there’s only room for one Rolex in my heart. So, at the time of writing, the vintage Tudors have all left (I just couldn’t wear them as robustly as I like to wear watches), but I have 6 Black Bays, a Rolex Submariner, and a dozen Casios and Seikos…

The Moral of the Story

• Buy what you love, not what the ‘gram or forums tell you to like
• Tudor watches truly offer great value for money, I strongly urge you all to at least get hands on with one
• Social media is both wonderful and terrible for your soul. Use it sparingly, if at all
• Experiment: you will likely take a knock on each affordable watch you buy and sell, but each one taught you something about yourself and your tastes
• Specs do not trump emotions when it comes to which watch you will love: my 79220N is technically inferior to the in-house calibre Tudors and the Submariner, but it’s still my favourite watch
• Speaking to this last point- more expensive watches are not inherently ‘better’ than accessible watches
• You will never top the high of your first big purchase. If anything, you may actually get numb to the money being spent each time
• Do not get yourself into debt for watches, even debt you can technically afford

Closing Thoughts

A decade into the hobby, with the 124060 Submariner crowning (pun intended) my collection, and with life getting more and more expensive just to survive, I do find my lust for buying has finally abated. I have reached the consolidation phase, where watches will leave the collection faster than any will be added, and I cannot see this changing in the near future. Like an Elder in the community, I am now looking forward to enjoying the core of my collection for many years to come, and will watch on as others join the hobby, seeing all the amazing new models that will appear. Then, when my time comes to shuffle off this mortal coil, my 79220N better be coming with me, or some MF is getting haunted!