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Tudor Prince Date, c. 1996

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Tudor (maker)
Date
c. 1996
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 34 mm
Stock no.
40990562
Credit line
Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40990562)
Catalogue title (original)
Tudor Prince Date (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40990562), this is a wristwatch by Tudor, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1996. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) 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

It is no secret that the popularity of the Tudor brand is reaching stratospheric levels as of late. After decades of neglect by collectors, Rolex's sibling brand has caught on in an epic fashion. Vintage Tudor timepieces have similarly ‘caught on’ and many nearly-forgotten wristwatches have been pulled from sock drawers and brought back into the well-deserved limelight. While the greatest attention is being paid to the sports models such as the ‘snowflake’ Submariner and Monte Carlo Chronographs, there are also a number of superb casual and formal dress pieces being ‘found’ and brought back to life. Such is also the case for Tudor's neo-vintage offerings. This particular Prince, a Reference 74000, dates to circa 1996 and features a 34mm stainless steel case, a magnified sapphire crystal, a signed crown, a glossy black Tritium dial with printed Arabic numerals a matching handset, a robust a proven automatic-winding ETA movement within, and a matching stainless steel multi-link bracelet with a signed blade clasp. These pieces are incredibly versatile for everyday use, and can easily be dressed-up for formal occasions or dressed-down and worn as a sporty everyday companion!

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

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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