New Beginnings

Tudor's newly opened manufacture in Le Locle marks the beginning of a new chapter for the century-old Swiss brand

- DHIRAM SHAH

Swiss luxury watch brand Tudor finally opened its doors to its brand new manufacture in Le Locle, Switzerland just a couple of days before this year's Watches and Wonders show. Although the brand has been around for almost a century, this new state-of-the-art facility is Tudor's first-ever exclusive production site, which was completed in 2021 after three years of construction. The opening of Tudor's new manufacture marks an important milestone for the brand which is ready to finally emerge out of Rolex's shadow and carve out its own individual identity. Before we go into the details of the beautiful new building in the picturesque town of Le Locle, it's important to talk a little about Tudor's history.

It was in 1926 when Tudor was set up by the Swiss watchmaking company Veuve de Philippe Hüther on behalf of Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Rolex. After a few years, Wilsdorf took over the reins and established Montres Tudor SA in 1946. For decades, Tudor's main purpose was to offer a high-value, lower-priced alternative to Rolex watches, without compromising on the watchmaking quality offered by the iconic Swiss brand. Most of Tudor's watches featured designs similar to Rolex models and even shared some components while being equipped with cheaper ébauche calibers. It wasn't until 2009 that Tudor decided to initiate a major brand relaunch and give itself a new identity with new product lines. And the launch of the hugely popular Heritage Black Bay in 2012 became an important turning point for the company. This brings us to the opening of Tudor's first industrial facility, which is a crucial step in the watchmaker's path to success.

Picture-perfect Setting