Then and now: a Tudor watch that went on the British North Greenland Expedition in the 1950s and the modern-day Ranger it inspired.
Source:
https://scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3201696/style-edit-tudors-latest-ranger-honours-its-exploratory-roots-watch-pays-tribute-historys-greenland Luxury
STYLE Edit: Tudor’s latest Ranger honours its exploratory roots – the watch pays tribute to history’s Greenland expeditions with a new calibre, case size and standard-beating timekeeping accuracy
- Tudor founder Hans Wilsdorf registered the name in 1929 with all Rangers subsequent to the British North Greenland Expedition based on the model used there – the Oyster Prince Ref. 7808
- The Oyster Prince Ranger Ref. 7995 set the aesthetic tone, while the new model – available with a steel bracelet, or leather or Jacquard fabric strap – incorporates the latest Manufacture Calibre MT5402
The latest Tudor Ranger borrows its looks from a long heritage of rugged previous models ideal for explorers and adventurers, with the option of a steel bracelet, rubber and black leather, or Jacquard fabric strap. Photos: Tudor
Seventy years ago, one of the world’s most important scientific expeditions of its time braved the harsh conditions of northern Greenland for two years, dedicated to advancing the sum of human knowledge. They were accompanied on that trip by Tudor watches of extraordinary ruggedness and reliability, which in turn inspired one of the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s most coveted series: the Ranger. Now, to mark seven decades since that intrepid expedition, there’s a new addition to the Ranger collection, complete with a new calibre and case size.
The British North Greenland Expedition was an epic undertaking. Lasting from 1952 to 1954, it involved some 30 people, who undertook pioneering work in a range of scientific fields – from glaciology and meteorology to physiology – as well as making first ascents of several mountains in the inhospitable region. They did so in extraordinarily unforgiving conditions, with temperatures during the trip dipping as low as -66 degrees Celsius, calling for timepieces that were every bit as robust and resourceful as the men – many of them military personnel – who carried out the expedition.
The Ranger line, though, has even older origins than that. It was registered as a name by house founder Hans Wilsdorf in 1929, a year after the Tudor name itself, and was added to various watches over the following decades. Since the North Greenland Expedition though, all subsequent Rangers have been based on the model used there – the Oyster Prince Ref. 7808, making them the ultimate in tool watches. The aesthetic code of the Ranger, meanwhile, was set in the 1960s, with models such as the Oyster Prince Ranger Ref. 7995.
The Tudor Ranger comes with a satin brushed finish and an arrow-shaped hour hand.
A number of innovations have followed over the years, culminating with the current model, which honours the spirit of the pioneering expedition that set off seven decades ago in its robustness and practicality. At the heart of the new Ranger beats the latest Manufacture Calibre MT5402, which comes with a variable inertia balance and a non-magnetic silicon balance spring that allow the watch to offer superb timekeeping accuracy, above and beyond the standard needed to qualify for chronometer certification from the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute.
The Ranger comes with a 39mm case featuring a smart, satin brushed finish for a matt effect that echoes the collection’s functional history. It surrounds a dial that also faithfully recalls that history, with bold Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock, hour markers painted in luminescent material and an arrow-shaped hour hand.
The new Ranger takes early 20th century utility and turns it into a 21st-century aesthetic.
The steel bracelet is also satin brushed, and comes with a Tudor “T-fit” clasp, which allows the length to be rapidly adjusted to five different positions without using any tools. There’s also the option of a fabric strap in olive green with red and beige stripes, woven the traditional way on 19th century Jacquard looms; and a third strap option in rubber and fabric-like textured black leather.