Tudor, which is the subject of perhaps one of the most magnificent comeback stories in the world of watchmaking, is under the spotlight with its half-century of passion and experience dedicated to the chronograph feature, one of the most useful complications of all times.

Tudor introduced its first chronograph, the Oysterdate, in 1970. This robust and functional watch marked the beginning of the history of the Tudor Chronograph with its unique design, which has been ongoing for half a century.

7000 Series - "Homeplate"

The first Tudor chronograph was launched under the name Oysterdate and had a solid place among mechanical sports watches. The model was called the Homeplate because the hour indices on the gray or black dials resemble the starting point plate on a baseball field. The model, powered by the hand-wound Caliber Valjoux 7734, attracted attention with its sharp lines and characteristic case-dial combination. Tudor's first chronograph series was available with three different bezel types. Ref: 7031 had a tachymetric scale of 500 units on black anodized aluminum, Ref: 7032 a tachymetric scale of 500 units on brushed steel, and Ref: 7033 a scale of 12 units on bidirectional, black anodized aluminum. Unfortunately, Ref: 7033 never passed the prototype stage. In the meantime, the minute counter of the Tudor Oysterdate's chronograph model had a 45-minute counter, not 30, contrary to the usual.

7100 Series - "Monte Carlo"

The second-generation Tudor chronographs, which were available between 1971 and 1977, took the Monte Carlo name due to their dials similar to a roulette wheel. The same case with the previous model has been used in the series, but the movement was changed. The Valjoux 234, which replaced the Valjoux 7734, offered a refined chronograph feel to its owner, with its more sophisticated chronograph start system. This series was available in blue and blue-gray tones, which have become one of Tudor's signature designs. The models introduced with three different references were also distinguished from each other by bezel designs. Bezels had a blue, 500-unit tachymetric scale in Ref: 7149, a brushed steel 500-unit tachymetric scale in Ref: 7159, and a bidirectional 12-unit scale in Ref: 7033.

9400 & 79100 Series - Automatic, "Big Block" Chronograph

In 1976, TUDOR launched a new product family, the 9400 series, representing a small revolution for the brand. The new Prince Oysterdate models went down in history as the first Tudor chronographs equipped with self-winding movements. The case has been resized to accommodate the increased thickness of the automatic movement while maintaining the general lines of the previous series. This update caused it to be called the "Big Block". By 1989, the same model was re-released with minor changes, this time as the 79100 series. Like the previous generations, the 9400 and 79400 series consisted of three references, each distinguished by the bezel type. Likewise, there were several dial variations. These included two aesthetic trends; the first one was freely inspired by the spirit of the dials of the previous two series, and the second one with the strong contrast between the dial and chronograph counters in black-and-white or silver-white combinations.

The new chronograph models got the Valjoux 7750 movements, known as one of the most successful automatic chronographs of modern watchmaking. The sub-dial layout was changed and the hour counter of the chronograph was added to the dial due to the new movement architecture.

79200 Series - "Sapphire" Chronograph

The Prince Oysterdate model received significant visual updates with the introduction of the new Ref: 79200 series in 1995. The case, which has maintained its bold and sharp look throughout the previous three generations of chronographs, has gained more refined and rounded lines. The model, which got the nickname "Sapphire" chronograph with the sapphire crystal glass added to the series, continued to beat with the Caliber Valjoux 7750.