The Tudor brand was conceived in the late 40’s by Rolex in order to create a brand that made affordable watches with the quality that Rolex was known for. This was achieved by using outsourced ETA movements housed in Rolex cases, and the result was a success.
At the heart of Tudor’s line up was the Oyster Prince, a watch that featured an automatic movement inside an Oyster waterproof case. This was built with the intentions of being nothing else but a tool watch, and the fact that the Royal Navy issued Oyster Princes to their personnel for the famous scientific expedition to North Greenland speaks volumes.
This example is an early reference, the 7909. Not only that, while ordinary Oyster Princes can still be had for cheap, this is a very special example, featuring a black waffle dial. While black honeycomb dials are already rare, it is not very often that you come across a waffle dial, distinguished by the bigger square texture. Furthermore, the gold markers and hands have aged and developed to a maple syrup tone. The result is a beautiful and complex dial that you won’t see anywhere else.
