The Tudor Sport Date: A Hidden Gem Gaining Momentum

We here at Everest do not believe that watches should be purchased for the purpose of reselling them for a profit. We believe that you purchase a Rolex, Tudor, or any other watch for that matter to wear it and enjoy it. However, we love to see what watches are growing in value on the secondary market. Who doesn’t like to hear that the watch they purchased, recently or decades ago, has gone up in value? One model in particular has always caught my eye: the Tudor Sport Date, reference 20020. Recently, I have noticed that this watch has caught the eye of other watch collectors, as well.

Image Source: Zeitauktion

Here is a quick background on the watch from my perspective. I say “my perspective” because there really isn’t much history on this Tudor model range. I purchased one around Christmas of 2007 while I was in Geneva with my then fiancée and now wife. While on holiday in Geneva, I actually had my sights set on a Rolex Submariner. However, when I found out the price of a Rolex back in 2007, I felt it was too expensive and decided that the Tudor was more my financial speed. I vividly remember the sales person telling me that the watch had been recently released (there really isn’t a ton of information about when the watch was released), and that it was only available in select countries. Tudor as a brand had been somewhat dormant for years. It was sold in Japan, certain European countries such as Italy, and of course Switzerland, but up until 2013, the brand wasn’t globally available. From the little knowledge I have of Tudor during this time, production numbers were low and the property overall was somewhat ignored by Rolex.

Image Source: Touch of Modern 

From a technical point of view, the watch was pretty avant garde for 2007. The watch has a very refined 2824 ETA movement. It is beautifully decorated by Tudor and tells excellent time. I am confident that Tudor put a lot into this movement. The dial options were pretty impressive: white, black, carbon fiber, silver sunburst, mother of pearl, and a semi-matte navy blue. The indices are pretty impressive as well. They aren’t just rectangular cups, but actually lume material that's been perfectly placed, rolling over the top and bottom of each index. The case sits flush to your wrist and is exceptionally thin. The jubilee/five link style bracelet is incredibly comfortable and meticulously finished.

Tudor has changed quite a bit since my first Swiss watch purchase in 2007. The brand has become larger than life and now has positioned itself amongst the premiere brands in the watch industry. With that being said, many of their models are hard to acquire and, like their older sibling, some actually have wait lists. The boutique versions are especially hard to find such as their new Tudor Chrono model.

In 2007, this Tudor Sport Date was priced around $1,500.00-$1,600.00. The second hand market wasn’t particularly nice to this watch and at one point it could be found for about 60% of its initial MSRP, dipping into the triple digits. As you can see from the Chrono24 charts, the tide has turned. It now sells for a premium at close to 2X its original price, sometimes hitting the $3,000 mark.

Image Source: Bob's Watches

I can see that a few examples are listed on Chrono24 and other trusted well-known sites, but this piece definitely falls under the 'connoisseur watch' category. This Tudor is far from mainstream and its unique look doesn’t fit the “Sub Homage” archetype even one bit. This model and the Hydronaut II mark a period where Tudor was testing the waters on design. I suspect the Tudor design team had a lot of freedom and really broke the mold when it came to design DNA with Tudor. It is somewhat wild to see the shape and dimensions of this model next to the Rolex Submariner 116610. The lug and crown guards share similar proportions, but when that redesigned Submariner was released in 2010, it absolutely shocked the watch world.

We will keep our eyes out for other Tudor/Rolex models that are seeing swells in the market. This is a fun one; it shows that the watch aficionado market isn’t dead but rather taking a hiatus from the mainstream models. 

Header Image Source: Touch of Modern