The Return of the Tudor Monarch, for the Brand’s 100th Anniversary

There are names that you think would be best if forgotten… This was the case of the Tudor Monarch collection, a range of watches with an elegant-sporty edge, which never proved to be the most successful or appealing. And, for the past years, many of us simply forgot about it. But the Tudor Monarch is back, and it looks both surprising, appealing, unusual for the brand, higher-end… Well, Tudor but not Tudor as we’ve come to know it for the past 10-15 years. Let’s check the details. 

The return of the Tudor Monarch is there to mark the 100th anniversary of the brand, in style. The name itself is a statement, but doesn’t come out of the blue, as it was used in the past already. What the new model isn’t is a reproduction of the past, but more a higher-end take on the brand’s usually pragmatic concept, with several refined details to be checked… Small seconds display, champagne dial, original markers as a dressy take on the California dial, a refined case and a more decorated movement than usual, visible through the back… A new watch with a name that carries a century-old legacy, as Tudor puts it. It relies on the highest-grade components developed from the brand’s network of in-house and independent suppliers.

The new Monarch starts as a 39mm steel watch, with a mix of elegance and sportiness, and a sharp, facetted look, but not another integrated-styled watch. The case has sharp angles, an almost tonneau shape, and strong contrast between satin-finished and polished surfaces. Thickness is given at 11.9mm, and the lug-to-lug measurement is compact, sitting just above 46mm. The case is 100m water-resistant, has a screw-down crown and an open back, which reveals something quite pleasant.

The dial of the 2026 Tudor Monarch is a clear surprise, with an unusually refined take on the California dial and on the emblematic Snowflake hands. This “papyrus-toned” dial, a dark champagne colour with vertical brushed finish, comes with distinctive applied hour markers in black, with Roman numerals at the top and Arabic numerals at the bottom, in classic California fashion. It also features a small seconds at 6 o’clock, again unusual for Tudor, and a railroad minute track. The hands, both look familiar and unprecedented, as a refined, facetted and blackened take on the Snowflake design.

Turn the watch over, and the full display case back frames a movement unique to the Tudor Monarch. And there are good reasons to show the movement, as the new calibre MT5662-2U, still produced together with Kenissi, has potentially the best decoration ever seen on a Tudor. It features perlage on the mainplate, Côtes de Genève on the bridges, and an 18ct gold inlay on the rotor. The rest, apart from the small second display, remains classic Tudor with a 4Hz frequency, variable inertia balance wheel maintained by a sturdy traversing bridge, and paired with a silicon balance spring. The calibre MT5662-2U has a 65h power reserve and is Master Chronometer certified by METAS, ensuring precision (-2/+4 seconds per day) and high resistance to magnetic fields.

The Tudor Monarch comes worn on a 2-link, brushed and polished bracelet with H-shaped links, which overall feels nicely integrated with the overall design, but isn’t a truly integrated bracelet like we’ve seen in recent years in most brands. It is equipped with the T-Fit clasp with micro-adjustment.

Released as a single model for now, the Tudor Monarch feels like the new flagship of Tudor, and that is reflected in the price, at CHF 4,800 or EUR 5,400. That being said, it remains reasonable considering the overall package. For more details, please visit tudorwatch.com.