Collector Guide

THE HOME OF GOLF

The Old Course at St Andrews, also known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady, is considered the oldest golf course. It is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by the St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament.

The Old Course at St Andrews is considered by many to be the "home of golf" because the sport was first played on the Links at St Andrews in the early 15th century.

Golf was becoming increasingly popular in Scotland until James II of Scotland banned the game in 1457 because he felt that young men were playing too much golf instead of practising their archery.

The ban was upheld by James III, and remained in force until 1502, when James IV became a golfer himself and removed the ban.

Official timekeeper of St Andrews Links 

Rolex stands behind St Andrews Links and other leading institutions in golf, helping to ensure a vivid stage for tomorrow’s generation of golfers. The Swiss watchmaker was the first company to position tournament clocks on major championship golf courses, a tradition dating back to the 1981 Open Championship.

However, Rolex’s association with golf dates back further than this. In 2017, they celebrated 50 years of partnership with the game. 

Rolex will be present as Patron of The Open Championship when the 150th edition of this historic Championship is staged at St Andrews from 14–17 July.

Over these years, they have been at the forefront of the evolution of sports sponsorship beginning in golf with the late, great Arnold Palmer. By the mid-1960s ‘The Big Three’ of Palmer, Nicklaus and Player were part of the Rolex family. Icons of the game that share a philosophy of preserving great traditions, embracing innovation and pursuing perfection. A sentiment that resonates deeply here at the Home of Golf. Rolex’s partnership with the finest players has grown over the years with a new guard of Testimonees seeking to add their chapter to golf's illustrious history. 

In tandem with their growing player partnerships, Rolex have enjoyed a relationship with St Andrews Links for over 20 years. Born out of a shared goal in achieving peerless quality in the products and services provided, in 2012, the relationship was taken further as Rolex became an Official Partner of the Links. 

Looking to the future, we seek to continue combining tradition and innovation through our partnership to ensure the games’ prosperous development here at its home in St Andrews and beyond.

The brand’s relationship with the final men’s Major of the season  is one of the most important in its expansive partnership with golf. Rolex clocks have adorned the roster of venues for more than 40 years, having first appeared at Royal St George’s in 1981. Its ties with The R&A, organizer of The Open and also the AIG Women’s Open, were founded on a mutual respect for tradition, integrity and humility.

Bank of England says inflation will hit 11% after raising interest rates to 13-year high – as it happened

UK central bank has raised interest rates to 1.25%, warned inflation will exceed 11% in autumn, and cut growth forecast for this quarter

• Latest: Economists predict large rise in rates in August
• Inflation likely to exceed 11% in October
• Bank estimates UK GDP will shrink 0.3% this quarter
• Breaking: BoE raises rates to 1.25%, highest since 2009
• Three policymakers wanted higher rise, to 1.5%

The Bank of England has raised interest rates for the fifth time in a row, again by 0.25 percentage points, to bring the total rate to 1.25%. This is the highest rates have been in 13 years but the move is part of the central bank's challenge to tackle rising inflation.

Inflation in the UK is currently at 7.8% and the economy reported a 0.3% contraction in growth for April, following 0.1% contraction in March. Q2 is expected to continue the trend of negative GDP, putting the UK halfway to recession.

The BoE report forecasts even worse to come for the British public, with figures of over 11% inflation being touted by October - the same time that Ofgem's energy price cap increases once again. The FTSE 100 was down 3.05% in response and has today closed below 7000 points, while the FTSE 250 was down 2.92% but has made a slight recovery.

Many experts argued the Bank of England needed to raise rates further, and that's exactly what the Federal Reserve did with a swift 0.75 percentage point rise to bring US interest rates to between 1.5% and 1.75%. US markets have also suffered in recent days with weak consumer data leading to recession fears. The result has been sizeable losses to the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, as well as crashes across the crypto market. 

Australia, Korea, Canada, New Zealand and now Switzerland are amongst the vast global list of central banks that are raising interest rates. 

Rolex is a leading brand in the world of luxury watches. They have a substantial collection of watches both in circulation and discontinued.  

When considering their value, it is important to first consider that they’re not only beautiful but functional.

For one, this piece of Swiss engineering has been proven to be a good investment as it will last for multiple generations. Not only that, but market demand also currently exceeds new product supply, leading to a strong secondary market for pre-owned watches. According to Bob’s Watches, Rolex has been outperforming gold, houses, stocks and even diamonds over the last 10 years. Even entry level models are now priced higher than their original retail price. 

Why do some people choose to invest in Rolex instead of gold or diamonds? 

Investing in luxury time pieces like Rolex can help offset the risks posed by inflation. Luxury watches can be a great choice if you want to protect your investments from inflation. This is due to factors such as demand stability, resale value, and liquidity.  

While there are no future guarantees, the last decade has shown that Rolex outperforms both gold and diamonds when it comes to percentage increase and returns. Rolex time pieces have been found to have better appreciation values, are easy to buy and sell, and have less red tape compared to traditional investment routes. This trend is predicted to continue over the next few years, which is why some investors have started diversifying their portfolio to include luxury timepieces. 

You’ve finally taken the plunge and decided to invest in your first luxury watch, congratulation! 

There’s a lot of factors you’ll need to consider before settling on your first purchase, such as price, style, brand, model, or even resale value, will influence which watch you add on to your watch collection.  

As experts in Rolex and Tudor, we are always being asked to make recommendations for first time purchases.

As a result, the question: “Should I invest in a Rolex or a Tudor?” comes up a lot. While this is a valid question, the answer is not so easy or clear cut. There are many things to think about before choosing to align yourself with one brand or the other. 

We do however, have a lot of data about which products are popular, and have found the Tudor 76214 Prince Day Date to be a regular favourite amongst novice watch collectors.

Here’s a brief guide to the model, it’s specs and some reasons why you might want to consider buying it as an early collection piece. 

Part of the Tudor brand’s Prince collection, and the second most popular in the resale market, the 76214’s average price is valued at somewhere between £2,600 to £3,600 depending on the marketplace and availability. 

While most people generally see it as a lower cost version of its fancier, bigger cousin, the Rolex Day Date, the time piece does pack its own individual punch.  This is a stylish watch for those looking for an everyday, professional piece with the robust trimmings typical of the Tudor.

A lot of these pieces usually come at a 36mm size - which in our humble opinion, is a great size for something sleeker and more elegant.

Compare to Oyster Perpetual 36mm, the Tudor 76214 is a bit thinner, who can resist a watch that’s well placed under a cufflink while still being waterproof and tough? 

The watch comes in a wide range of designs and colour ways for those who would like to find something unique. Our current favourite is the 2017 rare blue dial time piece. Encased in a 36mm case (see what we meant by 36mm being elegant?) with an 18k white gold bezel, this masterpiece is a perfect accessory for those fancy but professional occasions.  

Speaking in general marketplace terms, the most common Tudor Prince Day Date 76214 can be usually found on a stainless steel 62480 Tudor bracelet with 630 end links. It has automatic movement, a white dial with the day at 12 o'clock and date at 3 o'clock under a cyclops magnifier.  We could go all day singing its praises, but that will take too long and might put you off. Needless to say, we highly recommend the watch for new collectors. It is comfortable, not too heavy but with enough heft to make it memorable. The applied designs on the chronograph are easy to read, and the graphic elements make it unique without being too flashy. 

How can one talk about Tudor, without mentioning its far more famous big brother, Rolex? Realistically, you can’t. Despite all that, the brand has its own niche corner in the market, one that been producing some of the most coveted watches currently in production. From the start, Tudor time pieces were offered as watches for the ‘working man’, products with the same reliability and dependability as a Rolex, but on a lower budget. A perfect watch for the financially savvy gentlemen out there, wouldn’t you say? 

Tudor, the brand and their products. 

It's safe to say that the brand has managed the above and more, they have a strong heritage, while also having the creative freedom to create innovative and interesting timepieces – a thrilling prospects for watch collectors, both novice and experienced. This can be seen in their interesting line up of ambassadors – Tiger Woods, Lady Gaga, David Beckham, Jay Chou, and even the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team! 

courtesy of Tudor

If you’ve always wanted to start your collecting journey, but haven’t quite yet figured out where to start, we highly recommend considering Tudor timepieces. While Rolex products are some of the best in the market, their price ranges and long waiting lists can make it almost impossible to make a purchase – not everyone has the patience to wait 36 months for their new shiny toys?

Start your watch collection with some Tudor timepieces.

Tudor timepieces are a great gateway into watch collecting for beginners, you purchase Rolex quality products and experiences for only a third of the price. Not only that, but they are also a great way to figure out what type of watch styles are the most attractive to you – in terms of price, investment potential, style and other preferences. 

Here’s a quick list of our picks on some of Tudor’s popular models to look out for, with comprehensive but easily digestible insights as to why we think they’re great! 

Popular Watches 

 Tudor Prince Day Date 76214 

Originally created as both a homage and an affordable alternative to the inimitable Rolex Day Date, the Tudor Prince Day Date has since developed its own striking design and style and place in the market. Our best-selling timepieces, Tudor Prince Day Date watches and their predecessors, the Prince Oyster Dates have soared in popularity and collectability, making them ideal investment pieces. 

So, what makes these timepieces so special? Well suited for any occasion, formal or casual, the timepiece’s black, silver sunburst, and linen dials continue to be an unmarked example of functionality and appearance, hence their popularity.

Not only that they are extremely versatile timepieces with highly useful features such as date windows, day functions, and a wide range of bezel combinations to choose from. 

 79260 Chrono Panda Dial 

 Famously won by Tiger Woods at the start of his career, the Tudor 79260 is a chronograph automatic wristwatch with date function powered by Tudor 7750 automatic movement.

While borrowing from Rolex’s design cues, this range has its own distinctive look that separates it from the rest. These What’s great about these timepieces is their chunky utilitarian look that a lot of watch collectors look for – especially the 12-hour bezels that give it its standout look. 

 Hydronaut 89190.

Roughly dating to the late 90s, just before Tudor briefly paused sales in the US market, the Hydronaut I is one of the few watches that was released with multiple dial and bezel combinations and offered rubber straps and bracelets – for those that like a unique watch experience. Currently unaffected by the fluctuations of the watch market, these timepieces deliver the best value for money. 

Well, that’s it for today folks! If you’re curious about our other Tudor offerings, you can check them out here