SJX Watches
Tudor Ascends the Throne with the Monarch
Tudor celebrates 100 years and marks the occasion by launching the dressy Monarch. A more obscure model in the brand’s catalogue, the original Monarch was retired during the early 2000s. The model makes its return, with an emphasis on movement finishing and quality. Initial Thoughts It is no secret that Tudor had their fair share of hit and misses in terms of design, especially during the ‘90s. The original Monarch was an unfortunate blend of sporty and elegant elements, which resulted in a rather unappealing and mostly forgotten product. The new Monarch fortunately 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 coarsely brushed sand-hued piece paired with black applied indices. The California configuration paired with the small seconds at 6 o’clock is dressy, but the angular case makes for a thoroughly sporty look. The specific case shape is vintage-coded but benefits from modern execution techniques. The new bracelet shape is a welcome departure from Tudor’s usual Oyster-inspired straps and fits in wel...
