To Ranger or not to Ranger…. QUESTIONS?
So went on a hike this weekend with my wife and daughter in the Silver Falls Wilderness Area in Oregon, and of course like a good watch nerd I was excited about picking the “right watch”. This one was a no brainer for me the Tudor Ranger!
This watch was an unexpected pickup for me. I had been longing for the FDX for a year and my AD was really trying to hook me up including getting me to a private Tudor event that she was hoping would have a FDX for me to get. She calls me up and said she has a Ranger and she thought I might like it. I ran in with very little expectations mostly because it to me is little. I have an 8 1/4” wrist and I mostly stay above 40/42mm. So when I put it on i was so surprised and how it looked and wore. This watch has all the things I’ve heard for years about the Explorer, tool built, no-nonsense, legible, a do it all quality and huge wrist presence! I love that this is much more like the old school Explorer 14270 but sized up just enough to to fit a biger wrist like mine.
The Build quality and rugged finish is awesome. I love the slim fit and it’s low key nature, even wile it’s dose pop when you want to let it shine. The T-fit coast is a welcome addition. Now frankly I’m pissed that my other Tudors don’t have it.
My question to you guys in watch nerd land is this: Why the extreme pushback on this watch?
As someone who really didn’t have any expectations, except that it would be too small for me, and really went into this with eyes open just to experience to watch. I’m not understanding the push back and really the dismissal of this watch… Help me out
Got into watches as a kid. My dad was a watch guy and that got me going. I really turned the corner from fossil and quartz Seiko’s on a trip to Lake Powell. I found out the hard way the difference bet...
Like you, I didn't have any expectations for this watch at all, and maybe that's why it's not disappointing me. I don't have one, but like everybody else, I have opinions.
First, I think people get really emotional about some watches. I get that it's annoying when there's a lot of buzz about a watch you don't think is great, but it feels like people sometimes take a watch's shortcomings personally.
Of the complaints I've heard, I think finishing is maybe the silliest. It's a tool watch, there's no reason why it needs some shiny surfaces. Yes, a combination looks good, but nobody complains when Seiko makes an all-brushed dive watch. As for the size, I like 36mm, but 38-40mm is hardly oversized or outlandish. I think this is just about it being different than the Explorer/Ranger people love. At some point you have to accept that you'll get criticized if you make an exact copy and also criticized if you try to change anything. You can't please everyone.
The only complaint that resonates with me is about the numbers, I don't love them. On balance, I don't think they're bad enough to ruin the watch, but they are a little weird.
Bottom line, this is a very nice "luxury" tool watch at a really nice price. Costing less than $3k on a strap, I think Tudor produced another great watch.
You can't win em all.
Tudor definitely ticked enough boxes with this one but just maybe not as many as the new Pelagos.
I personally love it as it provides a great balance of form and function. With the form part ultimately being subjective, I just don't think that side of it has won over enough people.
Here's a little review I wrote a while back...
Review: Why you can't fault the Tudor Ranger https://www.watchcrunch.com/TimeCop/reviews/tudor-79950-review-13814
You can't win em all.
Tudor definitely ticked enough boxes with this one but just maybe not as many as the new Pelagos.
I personally love it as it provides a great balance of form and function. With the form part ultimately being subjective, I just don't think that side of it has won over enough people.
Here's a little review I wrote a while back...
Review: Why you can't fault the Tudor Ranger https://www.watchcrunch.com/TimeCop/reviews/tudor-79950-review-13814
If Tudor comes out with a Titanium Ranger that could be a game changer
Looks like an awesome family hike! You picked the right watch. The Ranger is awesome
I wasn’t offended by the Ranger like some people seemed to be, but it also isn’t my cup of tea. Not a fan of printed dials. There’s something about applied markers that help create the depth I find attractive in watch dials. That said, it’s a fine looking watch and looks like a perfect choice for your adventure! Purpose built! 😉
I got one the week after they came out and absolutely love it. It’s a good balance of presence and unassuming. And it’s a real no fuss tool watch I’m very comfortable kicking around in. Looks like you all had a great time and the Ranger looks very at home in your photos. Congrats on the new timepiece!
You can't win em all.
Tudor definitely ticked enough boxes with this one but just maybe not as many as the new Pelagos.
I personally love it as it provides a great balance of form and function. With the form part ultimately being subjective, I just don't think that side of it has won over enough people.
Here's a little review I wrote a while back...
Review: Why you can't fault the Tudor Ranger https://www.watchcrunch.com/TimeCop/reviews/tudor-79950-review-13814
Really great well thought out review.
If Tudor comes out with a Titanium Ranger that could be a game changer
That absolutely would be a game changer!!
I got one the week after they came out and absolutely love it. It’s a good balance of presence and unassuming. And it’s a real no fuss tool watch I’m very comfortable kicking around in. Looks like you all had a great time and the Ranger looks very at home in your photos. Congrats on the new timepiece!
Was a really great day. My daughter is recovering from a surgery and it was great to be out in the woods. Thanks
The Ranger is the perfect watch with the single exception that it’s ugly. The pale, sickly green lume and toddler drawn crayon numbers simply do not appeal to me. It’s a fresh dial away from being the perfect watch.
On the other hand, the new Pelagos is perfect as released.
I don't think that the watch is ugly, or inherently flawed, it isn't by any means. It's just that I really like the way a Longines Spirit looks, and that would fill the gap in that category in my collection quite nicely. I think @Davemcc said it well, with the Ranger being "a fresh dial away from being the perfect watch". In addition, there is a lot of competition in that space.
P.S.: Great photos, by the way.
I don't think that the watch is ugly, or inherently flawed, it isn't by any means. It's just that I really like the way a Longines Spirit looks, and that would fill the gap in that category in my collection quite nicely. I think @Davemcc said it well, with the Ranger being "a fresh dial away from being the perfect watch". In addition, there is a lot of competition in that space.
P.S.: Great photos, by the way.
That frankly makes the most sense
Ranger, all the time, any time. It's good watch. Is it perfect? There are things Tudor can do to improve but otherwise it's a good watch.
Buy now so we can reap the benefits later. 👍✌️
I don't think that the watch is ugly, or inherently flawed, it isn't by any means. It's just that I really like the way a Longines Spirit looks, and that would fill the gap in that category in my collection quite nicely. I think @Davemcc said it well, with the Ranger being "a fresh dial away from being the perfect watch". In addition, there is a lot of competition in that space.
P.S.: Great photos, by the way.
I tried on the Longines Spirit and it just didn't do it for me. It has great specs in a lot of ways, but there is no substitute for trying a watch on. You know instantly whether it connects with you or not. I ultimately chose the Ranger. Seeing it in person and trying it on, I just knew it was for me. I'm trying to only buy watches that I can try on first and that I "love" when I do try them on. There are a lot of watches I "like," but that's not enough.