Tudor guide · 5 min read
How to care for your Tudor
A Tudor is built to outlast its owner — but how it's treated decides whether it holds value as an asset or quietly loses it. The habits below cost almost nothing, and one theme runs through all of them: originality is value. Most 'improvements' owners make to watches reduce what dealers will pay.
Caring for a Tudor: what matters most
Modern Tudor benefits from the Rolex ecosystem — robust cases, screw-down crowns and in-house MT calibres with strong power reserves and five-year service rhythms. Treat a Black Bay like the tool watch it is, keep the crown down, and it will outlast its owner.
Vintage Tudor is another world: those navy-issued and civilian Submariners carry value in their untouched state. Original 'snowflake' hands, aged lume and even faded bezels are exactly what collectors pay for — restoration is destruction here.
Tudor care checklist
- Screw down the crown; it's the same Rolex-style case logic and the same failure mode.
- Never relume a vintage Tudor dial or hands — original patina is the value.
- Pressure-test before swimming, especially on anything more than a decade old.
- Keep in-house-calibre service work with Tudor's network or accredited watchmakers.
- Retain the full bracelet and both fitted straps on modern Black Bays — kits sell best.
The universal rule: don't polish
Polishing removes metal — every pass softens case lines and rounds edges, permanently. Dealers and collectors pay premiums for unpolished watches and discount refinished ones. Honest scratches are expected and priced in; missing metal is forever. If you're preparing the watch for sale, clean it gently and stop there.
Thinking of selling?
A well-kept Tudor is exactly what registered dealers compete for. Submit it once, free — dealers see the watch (never your details) and place binding rand offers. Take the best one or walk away.
Ready to sell your Tudor?
Submit your watch free. Registered dealers bid, you take the best or walk away.