“The New Watch Line from Rolex’s Sister Brand”
With the new Tudor Royal, the Geneva luxury brand is launching an affordable alternative to the Rolex Datejust and Day-Date. Available in four sizes from 28 to 41 millimeters, the broad men’s and women’s collection includes bi-color versions alongside all-steel models and draws its power from automatic movements by ETA and Sellita, such as the T601 or T603. We took a closer look at Tudor’s newcomer in our review and explain why the Royal ranks among the most exciting dress watches in its price range. We also review the salmon-dial women’s version, M28300-0008.
Royal: The Return of a Familiar Name
Admittedly, this sporty-elegant line is no longer entirely new. Tudor first unveiled its royal timepieces on the Asian market back in July 2020, while the rest of the world had to wait until the fall. Yet unlike its name, the collection itself is anything but dated. The name harks back to the 1950s, when Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf released the Oyster Prince as a more affordable alternative to the parent brand’s models and delivered 26 of the first pieces to the British Royal Navy’s Greenland expedition. Whether the name of the royal armed forces served as the inspiration for the Royal models launched afterward, we can’t say. What is certain, however, is that pieces such as the 1961 women’s reference 8533 served as the blueprint for the 2020 series: soft lines, distinctive tonneau cases, and dials focused on the essentials bridge the gap between old and new.
Sporty Elegance with a Notched Bezel
Yet another feature of the fresh Tudor Royal catches our eye first: its notched bezel. The alternating pattern of fluted and polished surfaces not only conveys a high-quality impression but also noticeably sets the Geneva family apart from its Rolex relatives, the Datejust and Day-Date. This (much-needed) independence is reinforced by two other standout features: first, the cushion-shaped case in the style of the seventies. Second, the integrated five-link metal bracelet with a folding safety clasp. The two components flow seamlessly into one another and offer a good explanation of why the Royal is listed in the Sport collection rather than in Tudor’s Classic line. Despite its sporty traits, though, we find that the elegant aspects of the new collection prevail, making a classification as a dress watch just as plausible. In our review, 100 meters of water resistance doesn’t argue against this classification one bit.
Four Sizes, a Growing Range of Dial Colors: A Big Family
More than 50 variations of this extensive series are available, starting with the slim 28 and 34 millimeter women’s models. Just like the more substantial 38 and 41 millimeter versions, they are water-resistant to 100 meters thanks to a screw-down crown and, in our review, convey an extremely robust and high-quality impression. All sizes can be ordered either in pure stainless steel or in a combination of stainless steel and 18-karat yellow gold. Thanks to its satin-finished elements, the latter looks far more down-to-earth than expected, yet still stands out from the crowd in a world full of red and rose gold. A moderate exotic, then, the two-tone Royal.
The dial color is a second variable for adjusting how eye-catching the watch is. While champagne has an extroverted touch, black and silver come across as much more classic. The fourth option, and the most attractive to our taste, is dark blue, which, like the shades mentioned so far, features a sunburst finish. Only on the two smallest case sizes can it be replaced by a fifth alternative: white mother-of-pearl set with diamonds. If you want to give your Royal the utmost feminine charm, you couldn’t make a better choice. Since 2023, reference M28300-0008 has been available, expanding the range of options with a salmon dial. There are also versions with a chocolate dial.
Day-Date Only for the 41-Millimeter Version
If we shift our focus in the review from the color to the layout of the dial, the Rolex kinship becomes unmistakable: not only the applied Roman numerals but also the baton-shaped hour and minute hands resemble the Datejust. The date display differs, however: first, it does without a Cyclops lens, and second, it peacefully coexists with the Roman numeral at 3 o’clock instead of replacing it. The fact that every Royal has been given a white date disc is a matter of taste – personally, we would have liked a color-matched disc, especially on the black and blue dials.
Additional complications come only with the 41 millimeter men’s version. It adds a day-of-the-week display at 12 o’clock to the date, which, very much in the style of the Rolex Day-Date, spells the days out in full and offers excellent legibility. Here, too, the strong contrast between the white disc and the dark dials stands out by comparison, which is likely to be a thorn in the side of many enthusiasts. All in all, though, the window is well integrated. Thinking about possible future additions to the Royal collection, bringing the day display to the 38 millimeter version of the Tudor watch seems quite conceivable, but as of 2023 this has not yet happened.
Sourced Movements Keep the Price Down
Beneath the solid casebacks of all versions, contrary to Tudor’s ongoing trend, you won’t find in-house movements but automatic calibers from the mass producers ETA and Sellita. The 41 millimeter version uses the Sellita-based T603, while the two mid-sized versions rely on the related T601, and the 28 millimeter women’s watch is powered by the ETA derivative T201. All three movements offer an unimpressive power reserve of 38 hours, raising the question of why the Swiss luxury brand forwent an in-house caliber, unlike in other lines such as the Black Bay 58. Nevertheless, these are proven, solid movements not only in our review but also in everyday wear. The T601 is chronometer-certified. Ultimately, the T601 is Tudor’s designation for the ETA 2824-2 or its Sellita equivalent.
The answer isn’t hard to find: cost reduction. Only by using sourced movements is it possible to combine Rolex quality standards in the cases with considerably lower prices than those of the sister brand. The pricing surprised us in our review, and it is certainly tempting for watch lovers: manufacturer prices range from €1,960 for the smallest stainless steel version to €3,620 for the 41 millimeter bi-color models. The all-steel models in the largest size, which come in at a moderate €2,100, are likely to be in particularly high demand. This gives the Royal an almost unbeatable value for money in a league generally considered mid-range rather than luxury. That’s why we are convinced that this sporty elegance from Geneva will be a resounding success.
