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Old 30 December 2013, 05:46 AM   #11
Carlos the Jackal
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Ireland
Posts: 1
Hi, I'm looking for some information on a Tudor Prince Hydronaut.
I bought it from a Rolex dealer in South Africa in 2010.
It was brand new and unworn as it had been sitting in a safe for a number of years.
I purchased it in preference to the Sub Mariner from Rolex as it was far cheaper and more "collectable".

Anyone can walk into a dealer and buy a new Sub Mariner but I've never seen a new Tudor Prince Hydronaut for sale anywhere.
I think the new price was around $2000, I've seen second hand sales asking up to $3500 now; so the watch depending on the prospective buyer or seller it seems to have appreciated in value.

I understand the watch is nothing special but it is an acceptable equivalent to the Sub Mariner and its relative "rarity" makes it more attractive to me as a personal timepiece; it's nice to have something a little different.

I do however have a few questions for the more informed collectors out there.
Your assistance in educating me will be greatly appreciated.

My Tudor is on the steel bracelet [of the "older" Rolex design which most people criticise]
and it is the Black dial model.

I am aware of a number of variations ie; rubber of fabric straps and different coloured dials from white, blue, black ect.

My questions are pertinent to my model only ie. steel braclet and black dial.

Every Prince Hydronaut of the same model I have seen is printed either with "Hydronaut", or "Tiger" [Tiger Woods/golf I think?] on the lower portion of the dial just above the 200m/660ft depth rating.

Unusually mine has nothing but the depth rating printed on the lower portion of the dial. It is exactly as all the others I have seen except there is no "Hydronaut" or "Tiger" printed on the bezel.

Can anyone tell me why mine simply is printed "Tudor Prince Date" at the top of the dial and "200m/660ft" on the bottom of the dial and why "Hydronaut" is "missing"?

Is it possible I may have one of the very "first generations" of the watch and that "Hydronaut" or the "Tiger" editions were added after?

I've included a generic image for reference only; as I explained my own watch is identical but missing "Hydronaut".
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