Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Tudor Oysterdate, 1970s
- Maker / attribution
- Tudor (maker)
- Date
- 1970s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 34 mm
- Stock no.
- Product 3956394066007
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (product 3956394066007)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Tudor Oysterdate (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number Product 3956394066007), this is a wristwatch by Tudor, made in Switzerland, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 34 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Analog/Shift
Why We Love It If you've following Tudor for the past few years, you know that they've been making waves. But this isn't the first round for Tudor. This Tudor Oysterdate harkens back to another time in which Tudor was giving the watch buying public an alternative. Its 34mm stainless steel case is the same as those used by Rolex, as evinced by the presence of a Rolex crown. Despite its elegant size the case feels stout and the glossy black dial provides contrast with its gold toned handset and applied logo. Dating to the 1970s, this Oysterdate checks all the boxes. It's luminous patina gives the watch that classic vintage look, and the classic case design makes for an excellent choice as a daily wearer. Whether with jeans and a t-shirt or under the cuff, this Tudor will always be a solid choice. The Story It’s in vintage Tudor models like the Tudor Prince Oysterdate 34, particularly, that this is most apparent. From its inception, the Tudor Prince has been shrouded in a mantle of sheer uncompromising toughness. Early ad campaigns stressed the watch’s resilience, and its participation in the British North Greenland Expedition brought awareness of the brand to the world.
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Dive and water-resistant watches
Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.
Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.
What to look for
- Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
- Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
- Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
- Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.
Dating clues
- Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
- Professional dive watches: from 1953.
- Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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