Hello guys, as you guys are aware Tudor has announced their first in-house (manufacture) movement earlier this year, it will be installed in the brand new model North Flag and also the existing model Pelagos. I think all Tudor fans and Rolex potential buyers have been all excited and waiting for the launching, and looking forward to get a feel in metal eagerly, well, I have to say I am no different, I even visited the Rolex Tudor show room few months before and left my contact detail so that they can contact me when the watch arrives! OK let's cut all this crap short, the watch arrived 2 weeks ago and I got the phone call from Rolex, here you go, below is some sharing of my hands-on experience.
First, North Flag comes in 2 configurations, i.e. Matt black Leather Strap with yellow stitching, it comes with a very well made deployant clasp, the picture and retail price as below (in UAE Dirham):
You guys can have a glimpse of the display case back, but nothing to shout about.
The stainless steel bracelet and the retail price:
Comparison side by side:
Now some wrist shots with my wrist size of 6.5 inches:
Leather:
Metal bracelet:
I am not going into too much detail of the specification, which you guys can Google for more, plenty of review online for your reference, below is a quick brief of my finding and opinion.
To start off with the Dial, it is in matt black, no sunburst, no lacquer, pure toolish! as for the Indexes, they are all applied instead of printed, which give you some 3D effect, I think Tudor is good at this, if you like the 3D effect. Elaboration on the dial are printed in white, including the Tudor brand name and logo, font and spacing are well proportioned, it is not as busy as the new Pelagos, also worth mention is the minute/ second indexes, simple and nice, I personally dislike it if they are divided into fractions of minute/ second.
Date function, oh may God... the date change is something to die for, if it is not better than Rolex, it will be on par, it's so rapid and almost instantaneous, on the dot when the minute hand hit 12 o'clock sharp. I even tried to hold my blink and look at the date change, I failed to see the transition, quicker than my scan rate for sure! It has a white back ground, hence a very good contrast, which also blends well with other hour markers.
Power reserve, it will run for 70 hours when fully wound, as per Tudor website. The unique part about the PR indicator is that it is not a hand but a rotating disc, at 9 o'clock position, with a sporty looking static yellow scale.
As for the bezel, it is brushed stainless steel on top, with a matt finished ceramic ring mounted around it, the config is slightly different than the conventional of either ceramic OR metal (aluminium or steel or titanium), not exactly sure whats the reason behind, but for sure combination of both gives a toolish functionality and will hide hair line scratches very well, definitely good for everyday use.
Bracelet lug width, this piece of info I have been searching around in so many websites to no joy, it's a good piece of info to share. I took the measurement with a ruler I borrowed from the sales assistant, well they are kind enough to entertain me though. It measures 22mm at the lug, well not the conventional 22mm as the bracelet is almost integrated to the casing of the watch, and it tapers to 18mm at the buckle. I think Tudor has done a good job on the bracelet, it doesn't feel hefty like other Tudor models which mostly are straight and untapered, nor it doesn't feel skinny like the big brother Rolex which tapered to 16mm (from 20mm), which I feel 18mm is just nice for gent's wrist.
The stainless steel bracelet, as all review has commented, very well made to Rolex standard, comfy and feels solid, the buckle clicks well when closed. As for the leather strap it is not the soft type, but it is comfortable enough. The inside of the strap and the stitching along is yellow, matches well with the yellow second hand and the PR scale, my only concern is the ability to withstand dirt, and of course human perspiration. For the small price difference, I would say the stainless steel bracelet is a no-brainer.
The 40mm satin-finished stainless case has a modern approach with integrated lugs and a massive mono-bloc shape, this lug design is definitely not friendly to those who fancy bracelet/ straps change. It comes with a display case back, of which you can see something, but nothing much to see... ;=). Crown is attached with a screw-in feature for water resistance, however, it has no crown guard as the big brother's sports model.
As for the movement, it is the 1st in-house of Tudor, with very good power reserve of 70 hours, I think this is one of the must-have features of modern movement. Also, it comes with non-magnetic balance spring, hacking feature, running at 4Hz, and it is now follow the Rolex tradition, COSC certified. Decoration wise it is to the minimum, to complement the toolish outlook of the watch.
Finally, I could not find any design or manufacturer flaws in the watches, this is very well-manufactured piece made to Rolex standard, and it is a new mile stone of Tudor, another piece of history is made! If you like the outlook/ design of the watch, this is it!
Hope you enjoy my hands-on experience on this marvellous piece.
