Hands-On With The Tudor Royal In 41mm
As soon as I saw the Tudor Royal, I thought “OysterQuartz”. Rolex’s quartz watch with an integrated bracelet produced from 1977 (a very good year) till 2003.
And before you ask, I think that’s a good thing. Watches with integrated bracelets are hotter than ever — except for the 1970s — and I have a weak spot for the OysterQuartz. In the early 2000s, I had a Rolex OysterQuartz Datejust and I enjoyed it a lot. Tudor seems to be on the ball when it comes to watches that appeal to collectors and enthusiasts. Does their Tudor Royal have this effect as well? Let’s see. I picked the 41mm reference m28600-0005 with sun burst blue dial.
Tudor Royal 41mm
The Tudor Royal 41mm has a day-date complication, which I rarely find attractive. Often, the day and date are positioned next to each other, in this typical ETA/Valjoux7750 set-up. It only works with a sports watch, in my opinion. For a more versatile watch, like this Tudor Royal 41mm, I prefer the day indicator somewhere else. The top position is perfect, just like the Day-Date from Rolex. I think it is more balanced, and easier to read at a glance.
Royal Romans
I love Roman numerals. I only have two watches in my collection with them though, being the Omega Constellation Manhattan from 1982 and the Frederique Constant Manufacture Moonphase. Roman numerals just look elegant, or perhaps “Royal” is a better word for them. The applied numerals look stunning on the blue sunburst dial of the Tudor Royal 41mm. As you can see, the apertures for the day and date cut off the Roman numerals at III, XI, XII, and I. However, I feel it is done in a way that is not disturbing, at all. The printing on the dial, the hands, it is all done in a very subtle manner. Nothing on the dial is loud or screams, unlike many other brands today, where the logo barely fit the dial anymore. This watch shows a lot of class.
Tudor Bezel
On top of the brushed 41mm case of the Tudor Royal, there’s a polished bezel. It is not a fluted or engine-turned bezel, but a polished bezel with an engraved motif. It suits the watch and sets it apart from many other bezel designs. That should never be a reason to do something in my opinion, but it does look nice and fits the total design of the watch.
Integrated Bracelet
On the Tudor Royal 41mm we find an integrated bracelet with 5 rows of links. The small intermediate links are polished, while the other three links have this satin-brushed finish. Besides its good looks, the Tudor bracelet also wears very comfortably.
The folding clasp is properly done as well. It has a solid feel and there’s a flip-lock to safeguard your watch. All in all, a solid bracelet with screwed links, folding clasp with a safety lock, that oozes quality. The safety lock is signed with “Tudor”.
Tudor Caliber T603
Underneath the case back of the Tudor Royal 41mm is a self-winding movement that provides 38 hours of power reserve. The Tudor caliber T603 is based on the Sellita SW240, with an operating frequency of 28,800vph. The day, date, and time are set by the (screw-down) crown.
Some additional thoughts about the Tudor Royal 41mm
The Tudor Royal 41mm is available in a variety of configurations, ranging from €2190 to €3780 (in bi-color with diamond numerals). For this review, we have the reference M28600-0005 with a retail price of €2190. The dial, case, and bracelet finish are pretty awesome and if I wouldn’t know the retail price, I would have guessed it would be higher. With the Tudor Royal 41mm you buy yourself a very versatile watch, that can be worn on daily basis. Whether you’re the more casual type or find yourself in business suits on working days, it is a solid companion for all days of the week. This blue dial with sunburst finish has my preference from all available variations on the Tudor Royal 41mm.
More information via Tudor online.
