Watches | Tudor
Tudor - The ranger lineup expands
| 2025-11-19 |     |
New Ranger models augment the lineup of TUDOR’s original expedition watch. From the ice caps in the 1950s with the British North Greenland Expedition to the dunes of Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter with the Dakar Rally today, robust TUDOR watches have accompanied daring adventurers in some of the most inhospitable regions on Earth for decades. The new Ranger models carry that legacy—now also in 36mm and in "Dune white".
In addition to a new "Dune white" dial, the Ranger now also comes with a 36mm fully brushed stainless steel case in addition to the existing 39mm diameter size. The Ranger is a watch that was designed to stand up to any environment or situation. The perfect tool for the job. With additional Ranger models, that spirit is only strengthened..
Complexity increases the likelihood of failure. And when it comes to the Dakar Rally, a mechanical failure is the difference between finishing the race and spending a part of the night in the desert, cold and alone. There are parallels in watches. Simplicity and purity make up the character of the TUDOR Ranger. Robust, reliable and simple. The least amount of complexity, but the most amount of adaptability. The new matt "Dune white" dial joins the lineup as a permanent option, some may say as a subtle homage to TUDOR’s involvement in the world’s toughest race. With a permanent population of zero, the only things you’ll find along the tracks of Dakar are extreme heat, rocks and towering sand dunes. It’s also exactly the kind of place the Ranger was made for.
There are no watchmakers in the toughest corners of the world, so you’d better bring along a watch that works when you need it. Whether you’re launching for the poles or cruising through Rub' al Khali tomorrow, the Ranger will go any range.
the Ranger saga
The origins of the TUDOR Ranger family date back to 1929. This was the year when Hans Wilsdorf registered the "Ranger" name, three years after registering his "The TUDOR" trademark. At the time, the name was not used to indicate the model specifically, but instead to add an adventurous aspect to certain watches in the TUDOR collection. The aesthetics that we now recognize as the Ranger didn’t appear until the 1960s, with its large Arabic numerals, generously coated with luminescent material at 3 (for models without the date), 6, 9 and 12 o’clock, as well as its uniquely designed hands.
Offered in a number of variations over the course of its history, examples existed with and without the date, with automatic or manual winding and initially with the TUDOR rose logo followed by the shield on its dial. As early as 1973, a version of the Ranger was made with an integrated bracelet under the name "Ranger II"..
The spirit of an expedition watch
The new Ranger model respects the aesthetic standards established in the course of its history, especially its dial with Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock, whilst incorporating new state-of-the-art technical elements, in particular a high-performance Manufacture Calibre and a TUDOR "T-fit" clasp with a rapid adjustment system. It continues, within the TUDOR collection, the tradition of the expedition watch, born with the Oyster Prince watches used by the members of the British North Greenland Expedition. The tradition of a robust, practical and affordable instrument.
To echo this functional heritage, the case and the bracelet of the Ranger are satin-brushed, creating an overall matt finish, in the purest spirit of an expedition watch. Some elements, however, are polished to strengthen the lines of the case, including the edge of the bezel. As for the dial, an attentive eye will notice a detail of historic influence: painted hour markers. Beige or black in colour, they perfectly contrast with the respective grained, matt dial and match the tone of the TUDOR shield logo and inscriptions. The arrow-shaped hands, rounded for the hours hand and angular for the seconds hand, are characteristic of Ranger aesthetics, with a TUDOR signature touch: the tip of the seconds hand in burgundy.
Steel bracelet or fabric strap
The Ranger models are offered with an entirely satin-brushed stainless steel bracelet, with the TUDOR "T-fit" clasp equipped with a system for rapid length adjustment. Easy to use, requiring no tools and offering five positions, this practical system allows wearers of the Ranger to carry out fine, instant adjustments of the total length of the bracelet along an adjustment window of 8mm. Also offered as a configuration with all Ranger models is a single-piece earth tone tri-colour fabric strap. Woven in France on 19th century Jacquard looms by the Julien Faure company in the Saint-Étienne region, its manufacturing quality, robustness and comfort on the wrist are unique..
Field testing the tool watch
The British North Greenland Expedition represented a seminal moment for TUDOR and its tool watches. In fact, this was one of the very first long-term tests, under real-world extreme conditions, implemented by the brand. The members of the expedition monitored variations in the precision of their Oyster Prince watches compared to the hourly signals emitted by the BBC, and recorded them in notebooks specifically provided for this purpose. In light of the expected temperatures, the TUDOR watches sent for this project were specially lubricated with "Arctic" oil and provided with bracelet extensions so the watches could be worn over the sleeves of the parkas. Upon returning from Greenland, one of the members of the expedition wrote in a letter to TUDOR, which has been preserved in the brand’s archives, that his watch "maintained remarkable precision" and that "at no time did it need to be rewound by hand".
This approach to testing, termed "destructive", where the watch is evaluated in the field by professionals under extreme conditions, echoes the theme of TUDOR’s first large-scale advertising campaign launched in 1952. Such testing steered the development of a number of the brand’s tool watches. This notion of robustness remained at the heart of the TUDOR philosophy as evidenced in particular by its branding over the following decades, always focused on technical performance under difficult conditions rather than on questions of aesthetics or prestige status. At the beginning of the 1970s for example, in a TUDOR catalogue, the Ranger model was presented on the wrist of a lumberjack who "chose his watch as carefully as he chose his chainsaw". Ranger models have perpetuated this concept of the tool watch, a robust, practical and affordable instrument, born at TUDOR during this time. A concept that today sits perfectly at home aboard a Dakar Rally car cruising madly in the Empty Quarter.
The Tudor Manufacture
Every TUDOR watch is assembled and fully tested to TUDOR’s superior standards at the TUDOR Manufacture located in Le Locle, Switzerland. This state-of-the-art facility, bringing together the know-how of watchmakers with the best in production management and automated testing systems, was completed in 2021 after three years of construction. All decked out in TUDOR red, the Manufacture spans over four levels totalling 5,500 square metres and is physically and visually connected to the neighbouring Kenissi Manufacture, the TUDOR movement production entity founded in 2016. With Kenissi and a network of TUDOR-owned affiliates, the brand has been able to integrate the development and production of high-performance mechanical calibres. As a consequence, TUDOR now fully masters the manufacturing of strategic components and can guarantee their quality.
About Tudor
TUDOR is an award-winning Swiss-made watch brand, offering mechanical watches with sophisticated style, proven reliability and unmatched value for money. The origins of TUDOR date back to 1926, when "The Tudor" was first registered as a brand on behalf of the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf. He created the company Montres TUDOR SA officially in 1946 to offer watches with high quality and dependability at an accessible price point. Throughout their history, thanks to their robustness and affordability, TUDOR watches have been chosen by some of the boldest adventurers on land, on ice, in the air and underwater. Today, the TUDOR collection includes emblematic models such as the Ranger, Black Bay, Pelagos, 1926 and Royal. Since 2015, it has also offered mechanical Manufacture Calibres with diverse functions and superior performance.