Is Tudor a Homage Brand?
This is a topic that not everyone seem to agree on but I would have to say, yes. Tudor is making some cool watches, but the more I look at their offerings, the more I see Rolex. I know the black bay 54 is a remake of the 1954 ref. 7922 Tudor submariner but even that watch appears to be a copy of the 1953 Rolex Submariner ref. 6204. What you think?
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Nessan
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No.
Ok, fine. They grew up alongside Rolex, sharing parts and all that. So yes, they have designs that are very similar at times, but as a company under the same ownership, I would argue that they can’t really homage Rolex watches. I don’t know how to categorize the relationship exactly, but I don’t think that’s it.
Not homage. Tudor has their own history going back almost 100 years.
I see a similar relationship to Maserati and Ferrari. They share similar DNA but both have their own history and unique style. But Ferrari is positioned above Maserati.
Personally I don't think so. It's the more adventurous and daring Rolex sibling. Sharing the same DNA but unique in its own design.
Rolex and Tudor…🤣
I think homage has kind of got a bad meaning in the watch world. Is the Tudor paying homage to designs of its and Rolex's past? Yes. Is that considered an homage watch? Apparently not.
When a brand pulls from its archive it's a lot different from when an outsider copies the work, and I think using "homage watch" for the latter is sometimes not even the right word.
Can't be a copy if both cakes are baked in the same oven. Like Toyota and Lexus. I think Tudor's just Rolex's way of making sure we buy from the same shop.
Can you homage yourself? If Kanye West started to dress like old Kanye in polos and shutter shades in 2023 would it be considered Y2K influence? Be be inspired by archives ? Either way he’s lost his mind and yes the Black Bay 54 and 58s look like vintage Rolex inspired.
So in a rough sense no, referencing something shared between the same archive isn’t homaging. If Versace Jeans takes inspiration from Gianna Versaces Fall 96’ collection and is inspired from it does that mean it’s a homage, as if Michael Kors re-invented and changed logos to look like MK ? I don’t think so because it is in the same lineage or have the same “house” association.
Versace Jeans is a more affordable sub brand of Versace, comparing Rolex to Tudor.
Not a big fan of Tudor, but to be honest, who cares man. If you like the watch that is all that matters. Homage not homage if it gives you a smile when you look at it then it does not matter.
Unquestionably yes.
Yeah, who cares. It's a cool watch that you can actually buy. Too much is being made of homages, etc. Just enjoy your watches.
It's more like brothers. Same family, different looks, interests, etc.
If you look from a military issued perspective, Tudor had quite a shocking amount of models they prototyped that rarely saw the light of day. Just now they have begun making them, but they aren't popular because they aren't BB's.
The FXD is popular mainly because it's a novelty that blew everyone's minds AND was released during a very bleak time (COVID), less to do with it's issued heritage.
In fact I've seen more people complain about the bidirectional bezel since it's not "dive rated". NVM the fact it was never intended to be a dive watch, but made for a very specific unit, for a specific niche. Navigating underwater with special scuba gear that makes no obvious bubbles to give you away, using time, direction and waypoints.
I'm not as familiar with Rolex's prototype stuff, since they did one thing right, the MilSub and just stuck with it.
Some issued Tudors actually have Rolex caseback's FYI.
If I didn't have to play games, I'd even maybe consider a Rolex.
A Tudor FXD, he$$ yes. Just biding my time to see if they release a LHD FXD.
Tudor was litterally created by hans willsdorf, the creator pf rolex, as a more affordable alternative to rolex. Which is why many old tudor watches were basically just cheap movements in rolex cases.
It's like the inverse of seiko and grand seiko where GS is a more luxurious version of seiko
Simpler answer: all black dial divers look the same 🙃
Yes.
Yes they are, but given enough time and by virtue of the magic of price strategy and tiering, you can apparently transcend and become more than just a homage.
No.
Absolutely 100% yes.
That's exactly what Wilsdorf set it up to be!
It's the only true homage company out there that's legit, IE has a tie to the company it homages.
But I regard my sm300 as a "proper" homage too
So yes , TUDOR are homages, but that's no bad thing !!
I regard these as TRUE homages, not "clomage" like the Chinese stuff....
think of Tudor like Skoda is to VW.
nothing wrong with that, sometimes (often) better value for the money.
This analogy was even truer in the past, when Tudor used Rolex parts in their watches
Comment 99, woo!
Yes by definition. No by watch-definition.
No.
And Tudor hates being referred to as Rolex’s little sibling. 😂
I don't think so since they came from the same founder
Not really. Different horses for different courses…..
So interconnected that the answer has to be no...a homage to ones self?
Isn't that what I said. Tudor makes the watches Rolex never will. I'm not sure what I got wrong. Everything they make has a tie to Rolex. They need to make something original.
Well actually you said that Tudor wasn’t their own brand and they are. I get what you’re saying but Tudor is its own brand, started in the 1950s to be a more affordable alternative to Rolex. Now, I will conceded that back in the 1950s the look of the two brands were very similar but that all changed back in 2014, when Tudor starting cutting their own path. The first to do a 70 hour power reserve sub and so on.
“Homage” seems slightly off since they’re part of the same company that made the watches Tudor’s designs are aping, but perhaps it’s more appropriate to view them as Rolex’s reissue label. Coming from the music industry, it feels no different than how Rhino exists to reissue upgraded versions of albums from the Warner Music Group catalog (Atlantic, Electra, Warner Bros, etc), Legacy for Sony’s catalog (Columbia, Epic, etc), and UMe for Universal Music Group (Motown, Blue Note, DefJam, MCA, etc).
Not at all , they have right in that history as Rolex , founded by by the same guy , that made both watches back in the days , and plus they still produce real tool watches as both use to produce Rolex and Tudor , but now Rolex took a different root from the tool watches.
Hans wanted to produce a more affordable watch without compromise in Tudor and I believe he did just that. Today Tudor offers a great watch at a good price point.
I don't think so. Tudor, although obviously shares some DNA with Rolex, I feel is a stand alone brand. The expertise and quality of the brand speaks for itself, not to mention at that price point. All due respect to Rolex, most of it's hype and brand recognition comes from years of exceptional marketing. Yes, they are outstanding watches, but consumer perception drives the desire for them.