Tudor Ascends the Throne with the Monarch
Tudor celebrates 100 years with the surprising Monarch. Historically one of the more obscure models in the brand’s catalogue, the earlier generation of Monarch was retired in the early 2000s. Now the name makes its return, but in an entirely different form, with the latest iteration bearing an unexpected emphasis on movement finishing and quality – with a display back that shows off Tudor’s first-ever decorated in-house movement. Initial Thoughts It is no secret that Tudor had its fair share of hit and misses in terms of design, especially during the 1990s. The original Monarch arguably fell into the latter category as an unfortunate blend of sporty and elegant design elements, which resulted in a rather unappealing and mostly forgotten product. The new Monarch, on the other hand, has almost nothing to do with his ancestor, save for the name. The new timepiece reimagines the beloved if quirky California dial, improves greatly in terms of movement finishing and manages to blend well both classy and sporty elements. At first sight one might be tempted to assume the Monarch is a dress timepiece, but elements like the metal link bracelet, angular overall profile and screw-down crown give it a sporty, rugged edge. Tudor made an interesting choice with the dial colour, going for a brushed sand-hued piece paired with black applied indices. The California configuration paired with the small seconds at six o’clock is dressy, but the angular case makes for a thoroug...
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