1969 Tudor Oyster Prince Date+Date Automatic 38mm 7017/0

Here we have a 1969 Tudor Prince Day/Date 7017/0 with a 38mm Rolex Oyster case that curves over your wrist and features tapered, drilled lugs. First introduced in 1969, this was the first time we saw the Tudor shield, which replaced the Tudor Rose. The Prince Day/Date is nicknamed “Jumbo” due to its large case diameter for the time; it was one of the largest in their Prince line of watches. Polished and brushed surfaces transition with crisp, well-defined lines. A fine bevelled edge leads the eyes towards a lug-to-lug length of 47mm, and a thickness of 11.5mm ensures a comfortable fit on your wrist. On the right side, a Rolex-signed screw-down crown. A polished bezel holds a domed plexiglass crystal above a sunburst silver dial. An outer minute track with Tritium pips surrounds applied, chamfer-edged baton indexes marking the hours. At 12 o’clock, a Spanish day crescent with a date window at 3 o’clock completes the dial, complete with a cyclops magnification. Slender baton hands with a lume infill are complemented by a tapered sweeping seconds hand. Tudor Oyster Prince Date + Day is precisely printed, with an applied Tudor shield at 12 o’clock and “Rotor Self-Winding” at 6 o’clock, completing this attractive, versatile timepiece. On the reverse, a coin-edged screw-down case back is signed “Case by Rolex Original Oyster”. Inside is an automatic AS Cal. 1895, 25 jewels, beating at 21,600 beats per hour, a quality Adolf Schild movement used by Girard-Perregaux and Blancpain. The watch comes fitted with its 20mm vintage-style leather strap.

This watch is sold “Watch Only” and therefore without its Tudor box or paperwork. The watch comes paired with a 20mm vintage-style leather strap. The watch is from Circa. 1969 and is sold in worn condition, but as you can see from the photographs, it has a sharp case, original hands, and dial. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.

I genuinely think these Prince Day/Date models represent some of the best value vintage Tudor watches still available on the market today, especially in this fantastic 38mm “Jumbo” size. What I love most is how effortlessly they bridge the gap between vintage and modern. At 38mm, it wears much like a contemporary watch, yet you still get all that wonderful vintage charm, from the domed plexiglass crystal and silver sunburst dial to the classic Rolex Oyster case. Add in the Spanish day wheel and the fact that this dates to the very year Tudor introduced its iconic shield logo, and you've got a seriously charming piece of Tudor history. So much watch for the money, and one I'd happily wear every day. Snap up this vintage gem for your collection today!

Reference : 7017/0
Movement : Automatic AS Cal. 1895
Age : Circa. 1969
Year : 1969
Case Size : 38mm
Case Thickness : 11mm
Lug to Lug : 47mm
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box and Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
The wrist model's wrist size is 7inch

The Tudor trademark was first registered in 1926 by the Swiss watchmaking company “Veuve de Philippe Hüther” on behalf of Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex watches. Wilsdorf took it over himself in 1936. Just after the Second World War, Hans Wilsdorf, Founder of Rolex, knew that the time had come to expand and give the Tudor brand a proper identity of its own. The Tudor Rose started to appear on their dials from this time. Thus, on 6 March 1946, he created the “Montres TUDOR S.A.” company, specialising in models for both men and women. Rolex guarantees the technical, aesthetic and functional characteristics, along with the distribution and after-sales service. In 1948, we saw the first Tudor-specific advertising. A few years later, they introduced the TUDOR Oyster Prince in 1952. Hans Wilsdorf allowed Tudor to use their waterproof Oyster case and the original self-winding Perpetual ’rotor’ movement. This was an exclusive arrangement that benefitted both brands. Development soon commenced with the introduction of the TUDOR Oyster Prince Submariner, reference 7922, in 1954. This watch was quickly adopted by the French Navy in 1956. Building on its reputation for robustness, in 1961 the Rose was replaced by the shield. Later, in 1969, we saw the design changes in Ref. 7016, where, for the first time, square indexes and angular hands nicknamed “Snowflake” allowed for a greater amount of lume to be applied, and the divers of the French Navy appreciated this. Today these innovations can be seen in the Black Bay and Pelagos collections. In 1971, Tudor introduced the Oysterdate chronographs nicknamed “Monte-Carlo” due to their resembling a roulette wheel. Celebrating their 50th anniversary in 1996. In that same year, Tudor decided to shed Rolex-signed components such as the cases, crowns and bracelets in favour of Tudor-branded ones. Today, Tudor uses their in-house movements, developed initially in 2015 in collaboration with Breitling.