It may not be as widely known that Tudor is actually a sister company to Rolex. While the entire world knows the Rolex brand, the Tudor brand has been becoming more popular in recent years. Today we are going to compare the very similar-looking GMT models of both Tudor and Rolex.
Rolex vs Tudor
The Rolex GMT II is considered one of Rolex’s finest achievements. Not only does it have a bright Pepsi-colored bezel with blue and red indicating day and night, but the large red hand offers the traveler a 2nd-time zone with 24-hour engravings around the bezel at each hour marker.
The rotating bezel gives the airline pilot, traveling business person, or sports or rock hero the ability to adjust the 2nd time zone to the specific one you just landed in – quickly without needing to remove the watch and adjust the screw-down crown.
The red part of the bezel indicates daytime hours – 6 am to 6 pm. The blue, by contrast, gives you the night hours 6 pm through to 6 am. The black dial gives the timepiece ultimate visibility with luminescent hour markers and large luminescent hands.
Is Tudor and Rolex GMT the Same?
If you look at the Rolex and Tudor models side by side quickly, you will see that both timepieces essentially look the same at first glance. The same coloring and hour markers, are initially what strike you. Even the 24-hour hand is bright red on both timepieces.
However, there are some significant differences. The Rolex numbers on the 24-hour bezel are bold and use a fatter font. The Rolex hour markers are quite a bit larger than the Tudor markers, but the Tudor snowflake hour hand is significantly larger than the Rolex hand. The winding crown of the Rolex is protected by two guards but is smaller than the Tudor crown, which has no guards. The bezel grip around the Tudor has 10 x more notches than the Rolex grip.
The 24-hour hands are both red, but Rolex has a luminescent triangle for a tip, while the Tudor has a diamond. The Tudor features an Oyster bracelet and the Rolex features a Jubilee. One fairly noticeable difference is that the Rolex offers a larger date window at 3 o’clock and has a Cyclops lens, whereas the Tudor does not offer any enhanced lens over its date window.
The Caliber Differences
Although Rolex has been developing its own calibers in-house for many years, Tudor launched its own in-house movement only in 2015.
Tudor is powered by a caliber MT5652 with a 70-hour power reserve. The Rolex GMT-Master II is powered by a caliber 3285 with an identical 70-hour power reserve. Interestingly, the Tudor GMT actually has better waterproofness than the GMT Master II, with support to 660 feet as opposed to 330 on the Rolex.
Which Timepiece Wins?
It is hard to deny that the Tudor timepiece is in almost every way equal to the mighty Rolex GMT II. When you look at the price of the Tudor, that could make it even seem like a bargain. At a list price of only $4,300, it is almost a third of the price of a new Rolex GMT Master II.
The Tudor GMT clearly copies much of the Rolex design and is an eye-catching and well-made timepiece. Although it may be seen as the “poor man’s Rolex” and the growing popularity of Tudor can be quite enticing as a collector, however, there is nothing like owning your own piece of the Rolex history. Which GMT do you prefer – Rolex vs Tudor?
Rolex vs Tudor – Battle of the GMT Bands
Rubber B offers a tremendous selection of bands for both Tudor and Rolex timepieces. All Rubber B bands are made 100% in Switzerland of pure vulcanized rubber. All bands are nontoxic, nonmarking and allergen-free. Additionally, no coatings, blends, glues, or bonding are used in the manufacturing. Even the 2 – tone bands are constructed with pure forms without any adhesive that can wear down or warp over time.
The Rubber B signature “T” design for the Tudor GMT is engineered to fit the Tudor Heritage Black Bay 41mm and the Tudor deployant buckle or any other 18mm tang buckle. There are 7 different band options, including the new Rubber B Swimskin model and several 2-tone color options. For more information go to our Tudor GMT bracelet page here.
For Rolex GMT Master II, Rubber B has pulled all the stops and developed a band that uses the Original Rolex Clasp, the Classic Series that offers a 316L steel Tang buckle, a Velcro Closure band and the new Swim and Skin Rubber Cuff Series band that looks and feels like a regular combat strap but is 100% rubber. No matter what band you choose, Rubber B is up to the challenge to support active travelers.
