Tudor celebrates 100 years with the surprising Monarch. Historically one of the more obscure models in the brand’s catalogue, the earlier generation of Monarch was retired in the early 2000s. Now the name makes its return, but in an entirely different form, with the latest iteration bearing an unexpected emphasis on movement finishing and quality – with a display back that shows off Tudor’s first-ever decorated in-house movement.

Initial Thoughts

It is no secret that Tudor had its fair share of hit and misses in terms of design, especially during the 1990s. The original Monarch arguably fell into the latter category as an unfortunate blend of sporty and elegant design elements, which resulted in a rather unappealing and mostly forgotten product. 

The new Monarch, on the other hand, has almost nothing to do with his ancestor, save for the name. The new timepiece reimagines the beloved if quirky California dial, improves greatly in terms of movement finishing and manages to blend well both classy and sporty elements.   

At first sight one might be tempted to assume the Monarch is a dress timepiece, but elements like the metal link bracelet, angular overall profile and screw-down crown give it a sporty, rugged edge. 

Tudor made an interesting choice with the dial colour, going for a brushed sand-hued piece paired with black applied indices. The California configuration paired with the small seconds at six o’clock is dressy, but the angular case makes for a thoroughly sporty look. 

The specific case shape is vintage-coded but benefits from modern execution techniques. The new bracelet shape is a welcome departure from Tudor’s usual Oyster-inspired straps and fits in well with the vintage trope.

Perhaps the greatest surprise if the new MT5662-2U movement, which is visible through the caseback and decorated to an unexpected degree. Tudor manufacture movements are known for their sturdy industrial look, but it appears the brand might be moving away from that aesthetic. 

The Monarch is an especially compelling package as it offers an original design, a well-decorated METAS-certified movement and comes in the sub-CHF5,000 category, priced at CHF4,800.

Balanced design

Tudor’s new Monarch strays away from the exclusively sporty, diver oriented design language which has come to define the brand. The timepiece embraces vintage design cues (the case in particular reminds strongly of ‘70s’ pieces) without fully emulating a particular watch. 

The case size is a 39 mm in diameter which works rather well with the styling. Made from stainless steel, the case is both polished and brushed, making for a play of textures which smartly complements the angular lugs.

The dial is among Tudor’s more interesting offerings and probably the only fully and unapologetically elegant element of the Monarch. The California configuration blends Roman and Arabic numerals and the classic look is made whole by the small seconds sub-dial. 

A polished movement

Tudor manufacture calibers are among the best in-house workhorse movements on the market today, but rather lacking in terms of finishing. This might be changing in the future, with the METAS-certified caliber MT5662-2U showing us a different side of Tudor. 

The calibre is still based on the reliable MT56xx-platform but has a number of tweaks and improvement, the most notable being the high-end finishing. 

Where past Tudor movements were simply grained, the MT5662-2U is decorated with Côtes de Genève and perlage, not to mention a healthy amount of machine beveled edges. Surely the finishings are all machine applied, but the quality is undeniable. 

The rotor has been redesigned and features a luxurious 18K yellow gold inlay framing the cutouts and filling the Tudor signature. Apart from these cosmetic aspects, the MT5662-2U caliber remains a very reliable and sturdy machine, running for 65 hours on a full wind while beating at the industry-standard 4 HZ using a silicon hairspring. The movement is both COSC and METAS certified inside Tudor’s own licensed facilities, which guarantees the watch will stay inside the +0/+5 seconds per day deviation. 

Key facts and price

Tudor Monarch
Ref. M2639W1A0U

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 11.9 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: MT5662-2U
Functions: Hours, minutes, and small seconds
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 70 hours

Strap: Steel bracelet with T-fit clasp

Availability: Now at Tudor retailers
Price: CHF4,800, VAT included

For more, visit Tudorwatch.com.