It’s hot and terribly humid, you fight your way through the forest undergrowth. This is the moment you wanted, months of planning for this expedition. Still you trudge on, covered in weeks of rainforest filth, sweat, blood from a couple of minor accidents. You notice the rest of your group are tired, the light in the sky is diminishing. You pull back your sleeve to check the time, as you do you forget about everything else and are mesmerised by this plucky little Tudor Oyster 7394 Small Rose. Covered in dirt and debris, you notice the glint of blue from the thermally coloured second hand, the black crosshairs over an eggshell coloured dial. The word ‘Precision’ at the bottom reminds you that this watch can take a serious beating and still do its job better than most. It’s become akin to you over the past few months, almost like another member of the group, a reliable friend. The time tells you that you are close, as you look up you see the light from the lodge. Your destination is close, so close.

You make it to the camp, with a wave you split from the other members of your group. “Dinner at 7!” one of them yell out to you. You nod and make your way to your bungalow. You get ready for dinner, black tie and as you are about to leave you see your Tudor, covered in filth still sitting at the edge of the sink. You walk over, turn on the tap and rinse it off. Clean as a whistle you dry it off and put it on. Now you are ready for dinner.

“Tudor, for dufflecoats or dinner jackets” was the slogan used at the time of this watch’s inception. Like Omega’s “For town, sea and country”, the 1950’s was the time of the one and done rugged, dependable and classy wrist watch and this Tudor small rose from 1959 is no exception.

The Tudor Oyster 7394 Small Rose is housed in Rolex’s 34mm oyster case making it water resistant to 100m. The raised acrylic crystal is beautiful and similar in design to the more modern Rolex watches with their raised sapphire. Inside there is an ETA mechanical wind cap 1156, 17 jewel movement running at 18,000 ah. The movement specs don’t seem to be too exciting, but it is reliable, dependable and accurate. It also has added cap jewels for the escape wheel adding to shock protection and lubrication to an otherwise thin and vulnerable pivot.

The dial has turned to a lovely eggshell beige which is something I personally love. Cross hairs and a little rose make the dial special in my mind. The indexes and hands were once high polish but now show tarnish, the thermally blued second hand still shining in the right lighting.

When I purchased the watch it needed a bracelet and a service. I lovingly set about servicing the movement ending up with a deviation of +6 seconds. A period correct bracelet was sourced and lightly refurbished by my own hands. Stretching was reduced significantly and minor scratches removed. The seal kit was changed and the watch pressure tested. Still good to 100m (check the photos for proof of water resistance, weak hearts don’t look), I love this watch and wear it as much and sometimes more than any other in my collection.

It wears rather well even for its size. Just make sure you are man enough for the WUS trolls commenting on your “ladies sized, poor man’s Rolex lol”. The bracelet is the folded hollow type and it does jingle jangle a bit but it isn’t a detractor for me.

If you want a piece of history that makes you feel like an explorer, something robust and accurate, then look no further than Tudor’s back catalogue.

Pros

– It’s a vintage Tudor

– Reliable and robust

– Better dial and hands than a Rolex of the time

Cons

– It’s 34mm but is that a con?

– Jingly jangly Rolex bracelet…. Yep you know the one

-Condition will vary on each example