We live in a digital age, where computers do all the work for us. This is the case in so many facets of our lives including our personal pursuits and professional occupations. Storm patterns are predicted by computers, seismic reactions are electronically modelled and computer-flown drones can give us real-time, high-definition pictures of any part of the planet. But it hasn’t always been like this and back in the analogue era, humans were sent out into the unexplored territories to carry out scientific research to help humanity better understand our world. The analogue era relied on analogue communication and timing and the development of the wristwatch made it perfect for the great early-to-mid-20th century explorers to carry for timekeeping. Precise timekeeping was an important safety concern for the teams who explored extreme climates and locations. These expeditions were the perfect opportunity for watch brands to test their products to their climatic and physical limits.

Hans Wilsdorf was a man who saw an opportunity to support expeditions to both test his watches and capitalise on the incredible marketing opportunities they offered. He was confident that not only could his timepieces handle the conditions, but that they would thrive and work flawlessly. I wrote extensively about the Explorer and the pre-Explorer watches, supplied by Rolex, that were used during the historic ascents of Everest. You can read the article here.

This time the focus is on the younger brother of the Wilsdorf family, the Tudor Oyster.

I have long been fascinated by the Tudor Oyster watches from the early-1950s, with the vast array of dial variations and case references. The first Tudor Oyster watches were sold in 1946 and housed manual-wind movements. The Oyster Prince was unveiled in 1952 – Prince signaling an automatic movement and the equivalent of the Rolex Perpetual. The early watches were of what collectors refer to as monoblock construction (or monoblocco in Italian) where the mid-case and bezel are made from one piece of steel. The Oyster case refers to the screw-down winding crown, screw-on caseback and pressure-fitted crystal – all of which combine to create a waterproof watch-case that is hermetically sealed like an oyster. Truly rugged in construction, these watches were conceived as pieces to be worn for all rugged occasions as highlighted in early Tudor Oyster adverts featuring construction workers, motorbike racers and polar explorers. And there was no more rugged test for the watches than an expedition to Greenland.