Tudor Watches That Are Similar To Rolex Part II

Following up on my recent article, Tudor Watches That Are Similar to Rolex Part I, we’ve now arrived at Part II. Today we’ll cover the similarities (and differences, of course) between diving watches, chronographs, and everyday GADA watches made by both Tudor and Rolex. Let’s get into it. 

Tudor Black Bay 41 & Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41

Image Source: tudorwatch.com

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual has long been the brand’s entry-level watch, offering the two essentials that provide the foundation of almost all modern Rolex watches: a water-resistant “Oyster” case and a self-winding “Perpetual” movement. The Oyster Perpetual has also become one of Rolex’s most popular models in recent years thanks to a wide assortment of dial colors (some of which are very bright) and sizes. 

Tudor also offers a comparable time-only collection of water-resistant automatic watches in various sizes and with several dials — the Black Bay 31/36/39/41 watches. If we compare the recently released Black Bay 41 ref. 79680 with a light champagne dial and the Oyster Perpetual 41 ref. 124300 with a silver dial, we immediately see the resemblance. Both models sport 41mm steel cases, are paired with steel three-link bracelets, and house time-only dials in similar shades. They’re both water resistant to 100 meters and both run on in-house automatic movements with 70 hours of power reserve. 

Image Source: rolex.com

The Tudor Black Bay 41 style is sportier due to the use of snowflake hands and lume-filled plots while the Oyster Perpetual is a touch dressier with its gold baton hands and gold-framed baton hour markers. 

Tudor Black Bay 41 ref. 79680 Retail Price: $4,225

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 ref. 124300 Retail Price: $6,400

Tudor Black Bay Chrono & Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

Image Source: tudorwatch.com

You’d be hard-pressed to find a luxury chronograph that’s more sought-after and revered than the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. Launched without much success in the 1960s but now one of the most popular watches on the planet, the always-out-of-stock Rolex Daytona is an elusive purchase for many. An easier (and vastly more affordable) buy would be the similar-looking Black Bay Chrono by Tudor. 

When comparing the white dial Tudor Black Bay Chrono ref. 79360N and the white dial Rolex Daytona ref. 126500LN, there are a handful of parallels to note. First, they both feature steel cases, steel three-link bracelets, black bezels, and black registers on their white dials. Furthermore, there are also the screw-down chronograph pushers, touches of red text on the dial, and automatic 70-hour-power-reserve movements. 

Image Source: rolex.com

Conversely, there are a few differences to point out too. For instance, the Black Bay Chrono is not only larger, measuring 41mm compared to the Daytona’s 40mm, but it’s notably thicker too clocking in at 14.4mm compared to the 11.9mm thickness of the newest-generation Daytona references. Moreover, the Daytona includes a ceramic bezel while the BB Chrono has an aluminum one. Lastly, Tudor opted to furnish the Black Bay Chrono dial with two counters and a date window whereas the Daytona has only ever been home to a trio of counters on its dial. 

Tudor Black Bay Chrono ref. 79360N Retail Price: $5,550

Rolex Daytona ref. 126500LN Retail Price: $15,100

Tudor Black Bay & Rolex Submariner

Image Source: tudorwatch.com

Finally, we’ve landed at the brands’ signature diving watches: the Black Bay by Tudor and the Submariner by Rolex. Of all the comparable Tudor and Rolex models we’ve discussed side-by-side, these two may be the most divergent – yet, they both originate from similar divers that were developed at the same time in the 1950s. 

Although they both have 41mm steel cases, black time-only dials, unidirectional timing bezels, and three-link steel bracelets, the current production Black Bay ref. 79230N leans into that vintage heritage while the current production Submariner ref. 124060 is an entirely modern execution.

Image Source: rolex.com

Playing up to that vintage vibe, the dial of the Black Bay ref. 79230N features plenty of golden accents, its winding crown is guardless, and its bezel is made from aluminum. Plus, the riveted bracelet is another retro touch. Conversely, the Submariner boasts a ceramic bezel, a modern Oyster bracelet, white text on its black dial, and the customary protective shoulders around its winding crown. Additionally, the Submariner is water resistant to 300 meters while the Black Bay can safely dive down to 200 meters deep. 

Tudor Black Bay ref. 79230N Retail Price: $4,100

Rolex Submariner ref. 124060LN Retail Price: $9,100

That sums up our two-part look at Tudor watches that are similar to Rolex models. While many of these watches look the same, it must be said that many find them to offer different wearing experiences. As such, plenty of watch enthusiasts own models from both brands – even similar ones — and enjoy wearing them equally.