Worn & Wound
Watches & Wonders: Tudor Surprises with the Oddly Appealing Monarch
Tudor is at its best when they surprise. Sure, there have been some controversial pieces over the years, like the North Flag and P01 (though I’d argue they were both very successful as attention grabbers), but watches like the BB54, BB58 925, and even FXD took us off guard when they first dropped. This year, Tudor has followed suit with the Monarch, a watch that took us off guard in the press release but impressed in person. Before getting to the watch, it was made clear to us that although this year marks 100 years of the brand, they aren’t throwing a big celebration for themselves, nor did they release a watch specifically dedicated to the centennial anniversary. The Monarch, which is a spiritual recreation or tribute to an early 20th-century Tudor model, is meant to acknowledge said birthday. So, basically, don’t call it an anniversary watch, just an anniversary-like watch. Ok, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at this surprisingly cool new model. Measuring 39mm in diameter, 11.9mm thick, and, I’m estimating, as this dimension was not provided, in the neighborhood of 48mm lug-to-lug, so basically BB58 sized, the Monarch, despite some vintage cues, looked and felt pleasantly modern on the wrist. The case, made of stainless steel, was quite different from others in the Tudor lineup. It had hooded, aggressively chamfered lugs, with a sharply faceted drop-off. There were also flat segments on either side of the case, emphasizing a geometric overall shape...
