Watch Wednesday Thursday (7/22/10)

Last night, when I went to look through my watches to decide which one to post, I discovered that I don't have any more modern watches that I haven't already featured. Yikes! There are still at least a few vintage watches to cover, but it seems I've exhausted all of my contemporary choices.

I'd been thinking about what I might do to keep this series going in some way, short of buying more watches (which is always an option, and you and I both know it's going to happen eventually). So I'm going to inaugurate what I'll call the Watch Wednesday Wrist Want, where I will highlight watches (which may be either modern or vintage) that I would be buying if money were no object. (Many bloggers do this all the time with shoes, cars, audio/video gear, and just about everything else.)

So, I present the Tudor Heritage Chrono, which was introduced in March at the big watch industry trade show in Basel, Switzerland. In a way, this is both a modern and a vintage watch, because it's based on a Tudor model from the 1970s (hence the "Heritage" in the name) that was nicknamed the "Monte Carlo" for its dial's resemblance to a roulette wheel.

 

(Image borrowed from Hodinkee, but I think it originated somewhere else)

I love the way this watch has been updated: the tapered yet substantial hands, the hour markers in the shape similar to the Tudor shield logo, the knurled texture on the knobs and crown, the orange detailing, the way the 1 through 12 hour markings have switched places with the 5-10-15 markers that would traditionally appear on the bezel. In fact, it's more appealing to me than the original.

I also love that there is a choice of a black dial with gray subdials as shown above, or the reverse combination (I would definitely want it in gray with black subdials). I even like the color-coordinated nylon strap (something I don't usually care for), though if I were to own one of these, I would eventually switch it to a black leather strap with orange contrast stitching.

This was a love at first sight moment for me, with a nearly instantaneous desire to start selling all of my possessions, including my other watches, in an attempt to come up with the funds to buy one. Fortunately, that urge passed, and anyway, acquiring one of these isn't going to be easy for a couple of reasons. Tudor does not sell its products anywhere in the US at the moment. The watch seems to be on sale in only a few European countries so far, and the list price in euros converts to around $4000 USD.

Some of them have been popping up on eBay, naturally, and selling for about a $1K premium above that, which amounts to a very steep "need to be first" tax. For those with the means and a bit more patience, the watch will be available in Canada in the fall. If I mention any trips north of the border, you'll know why...