On July 8, 1952, a group of British scientists and researchers departed from London and headed for Greenland. The group—known as the British North Greenland Expedition—spent two years amid frigid temperatures, freezing winds, and driving snow while studying the massive ice sheets of the Arctic island. While learning more about Greenland’s landscape was the primary mission, the group also had another task: Putting a brand-new Tudor watch to the test. Seventy years later, the new Tudor Ranger honors that scientific mission and the hardy timepieces that accompanied the scientists on their journey.
The new Tudor Ranger draws inspiration from several models of the past. First is the Oyster Prince, Tudor’s first automatic, waterproof timepiece. In 1952, the brand sent these watches with the British North Greenland Expedition to see how they would hold up in an extreme Arctic environment (in a letter to Tudor, the scientists reported the watches performed flawlessly). While it bears a different name, today’s Tudor Ranger evokes that watch’s emphasis on durability, tough construction, and utility. The Ranger name goes back even further: It was trademarked in the ’20s and applied to multiple watch models over the years. The Ranger look we know today—with hallmarks like large Arabic indices and unique hand designs—emerged in the 1960s.
The new Tudor Ranger combines these various influences into one handsome, rugged timepiece. It features a 39mm stainless steel case that’s satin-brushed for a low-key, utilitarian look, and it’s paired with a fixed bezel with a polished inner edge. It has a matte black domed dial; quintessential Ranger-style hands (a rounded hour marker and a square seconds hand, now with a burgundy tip); and large, easy-to-read Arabic numerals at 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock. As you’d expect with a tool watch, the hour markers and hands are coated with Super-LumiNova for strong legibility after dark, and it’s topped with domed sapphire crystal.
Courtesy Image
The result? A timepiece that combines the handsome simplicity and clean layout of a field watch with the refinement of a stainless steel dress watch. It’s also available with three straps (a striped fabric option, a leather and rubber version, and a stainless steel bracelet), so you can dress it up or down depending on your taste or where you’re headed. Added bonus: The bracelet features Tudor’s T-fit clasp, which allows you to make on-the-fly adjustments to the bracelet’s size.
Better yet, the Tudor Ranger is powered by Tudor’s finely crafted MT5402 movement. It’s COSC-certified for accuracy, and it even exceeds COSC standards: Tudor ensures that each watch stays within -2 and +4 seconds’ variation once fully assembled. It’s also waterproof to 100 meters and has a lengthy 70-hour power reserve, so you can take it off for a couple days and it’ll be ticking when you pick it up again.
According to Tudor, the Ranger name has developed a hallowed reputation as “robust, practical, and affordable.” Who wouldn’t want a watch like that?