A Vintage Take on the New Ranger
Chatting Tudor’s latest release, some history, and vintage rarities
There’s been a lot of buzz recently with Tudor. Following the success of the vintage-inspired Black Bay line, enthusiasts have been begging the brand to release a new Ranger.
That wish finally came true on July 8th, and it’s created quite a stir in the watch world.
In today’s discussion, we examine all aspects of this new Tudor from its construction, marketing, and vintage models to back its release.
What is a Traditional Ranger?
The Tudor Ranger is a vintage response to the Rolex Explorer offered by the sister company throughout the 1960s and 1970s. These pieces (in good condition) are rare as hen’s teeth, and remain a ‘cult classic’ of the watch world. They are characterized by their dial including an ‘Explorer’ layout with bold numerals and a distinctive handset.
Before I dive into references, I’d like to point out that Rescapement has perhaps the best article published about the vintage Rangers.
Rangers were offered in both date (commonly the reference 7996) and no-date references (7995 as an example). They were an extension of the Oyster Prince line, yet were unmistakably sporty.
A reference 7995 / Credit: Tudor
Similar to their Oyster cousins, inside these Rangers were equipped with simple off-the-shelf movements such as the ETA 2483.
Interestingly, the Ranger is one of the most faked watches in the world. This is because scammers will swap fake Ranger dials into genuine (albeit much cheaper) Tudor cases with an ETA inside and call it a $10,000 watch. This is where the infamous Red Ranger comes into the conversation - pieces widely considered not genuine.
Rangers have steadily increased in value alongside their Rolex counterparts such as the 1016 reference. Their prices reflect their rarity, and remain some of the most expensive Tudors you can find. Despite how uncommon a Ranger is, they remain a keystone of Tudor’s heritage - hence the motivation behind the brand’s most recent release.
Specifications, Compare/Contrast
In comparison to the traditional 34mm vintage examples, the new Ranger is offered at 39mm. This appears to be one of the most common complaints from the watch world. Many collectors were hoping for a 36mm case - a seemingly sweet spot blending heritage with modern sizing. Tudor, however, opted for a much larger case more similar with that of the Explorer 39 (a discontinued piece).
A look at the new Ranger / Credit: Tudor
Instead of an ETA inside we have the Tudor caliber MT5402, a movement more inline with the Black Bay series. This new Ranger not only serves as an update to their previous offering, but another heritage release by the brand. In typical Tudor fashion, this piece is available on either a bracelet or nato-style strap.
Is the new Ranger Actually a Ranger?
This seems to be where most of the controversy lies with Tudor’s new release.
While the design is the same as that from the 1960s, and the dial bears the ‘Ranger’ insignia, is this piece flawed in principle?
When Tudor was teasing the new Ranger, they kept pushing images from the 1952 British North Greenland Expedition.
An iconic image from this mission in 1952
This mission is famous in Tudor-lore because the brand outfitted the explorers with Oysters to test/prove their reliability. This was at an era when Tudor was very much in the shadow of Rolex and in dire need of its own identity/marketing.
Somehow, the community was able to easily deduce that a new Ranger would be released based on this historic imagery, yet the British North Greenland Expedition had nothing at all to do with the Ranger. On this mission, it was the reference 7809 and 7909 that accompanied the explorers. It wasn't until the following decade that the original Ranger was released by the brand, making its catalog debut in 1969 (17 years later).
A reference 7909 / Credit: Pinaplwtchs
Additionally, the actual watches from the North Greenland Expedition had very little in common with the Ranger. They featured slightly different Oyster cases, an FEF 390 caliber inside, dauphine hands, and radium-burned eggshell dials. All in all, the original Rangers were nothing more than oddballs of the catalog with little history other than its similarity to the Rolex Explorer.
The OG / Credit: Hodinkee
Tudor is now manufacturing this apparent heritage in typical Wilsdorf fashion just as they did with the original Everest “Explorer”. The difference with the Everest Expedition, however, is that Rolex made the Explorer as an ode to the mission that proved the dependability of an Oyster Perpetual.
That being said, is 2022 still an era where brands can get away with faux heritage? In my view, it would have been understandable had Tudor released a new take on the Oyster Prince commemorating the history of the expedition. However, in an era where historic information is readily available, it really begs the question if Tudor had the watch geek in mind with the new Ranger? Or perhaps they purely seek to use this 1952 mission as a selling point for those ill informed?
I applaud Tudor for their efforts with the professional line, especially with the Marine Nationale Pelagos. These pieces seem to follow the tool-watch-ethos of Tudor and remain more innovative than Rolex has been in the past decade. Additionally, the Black Bay line is a nice wink to the past, offering vintage styling for the modern collector. But for the brand to keep pushing this vintage-inspired theme with every new release, it almost feels their efforts are geared toward looks, and not watchmaking.
Part of what makes Rolex so successful is their reluctance to change timeless designs. Tudor, on the other hand, has fallen victim to a constant release of vintage-inspired models. To the Tudor purist, it just feels trendy.