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Old 8 July 2018, 01:08 AM   #1
Insured
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Tudor North Flag - 30 Minutes In

Greetings fellow WIS's,

I figured I'd christen my new profile on this forum with a brief review of a watch I just bought off of Rolex Forums (my first dealing here).

First off, like many others out there I will admit that since seeing the photos of this watch after it was introduced I have had a love/hate relationship with it. I have also never owned a Tudor and after owning several Rolex's I decided to test drive the brand family with a watch that I was so-so on..... what could go wrong??!!

My impressions after ~30 minutes on the wrist:

1. The dimensions online are no doubt accurate but I would call this watch a watch that "wears" like 39-40mm watch even though it's called a 40mm watch that can at times wear a touch bigger. Because of the integrated lugs angling very sharply downwards from the case I would definitely call this watch a great option for a small-wristed individual looking for a sporty-sized watch because the lugs don't span too fa across the top of the wrist the way certain other watches would, certain Omegas for example.

2. The yellow accents are far less annoying in person than in close up pictures (in my opinion). I like a watch with a little something to make it different and Id say the yellow here does that without being too obvious or cheapening the watch.

3. A tapered bracelet from the case to the clasp, just like on all modern Rolex sport models that I can think of at the moment as well as some of their dressier models, is absolutely the way to go! That slight taper down "feature" adds to the comfort of any watch I've been able to have it on. My Datejust and SubC (with the bigger case) to name two that I own.... makes it much more wearable and in my opinion a little more classic versus some of the watches I own that don't taper, Longines Hydroconquest and Fortis Spacematic to name a couple.

4. If I were going to state one gripe I would say that it feels that it sits a tad high on the wrist with the black ceramic bezel accent so I'd say that could be a hair smaller. I have no idea if it would fit under a cuff or not but just aesthetically I think it could be a little more fitted down to the wrist top.

After a half hour I'd give this watch a solid B+, and for the price point when comparing it to other options I'd say the value this watch offers it tremendous. I can't comment on the movement other than to say for Rolex/Tudor to make a display case back it must mean that they want people to talk about it, so there, I talked about it! LOL

I will also conclude by saying the weight on the wrist is nice. Not too heavy, not too light. A great sports watch in that regard. Pic attached on my ~6.6" wrist, for reference.
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Old 8 July 2018, 11:55 PM   #2
GradyPhilpott
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It's a great watch to be sure.

I agree that the yellow accents don't detract from the "seriousness" of the watch, the way one might expect from looking at macro-photography.

Overall, the watch is large, legible, and robust, without ostentation, while the integrated bracelet reinforces those qualities perfectly.
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Old 10 July 2018, 12:54 AM   #3
Insured
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Definitely, Grady. The yellow accents look to be a bit much when you're viewing a picture of the watch on a full screen monitor, but, when the watch is actually on the wrist the yellow accents are a matter of only several millimeters and they are far less obtrusive to the entire aesthetic.

After wearing for a couple days I have a few more thoughts:

1. The watch is fairly understated when compared to some of its "older siblings" like the Rolex Explorer I or Rolex Submariner. I consider these the older siblings because of both the similarities in case and bracelet finish as well as the sporty collection from the Rolex/Tudor family of brands. I don't see this in the same category as the Black Bays, for example, which to me are a tad bigger and represent more of a vintage throwback type of visual compared to the more modern visuals of the watches I mentioned. So, I call this watch understated because I feel it could be worn to a client meeting, for example, without screaming "I'm a nice watch!!!" in the same way that the Explorer I or Submariner might (because of the Rolex logo which is instantly recognizable) but yet still has the same fit with that general case shape and size, the bracelet shape and size, etc.

2. The integrated case-to-bracelet design is something that I'm a touch confused on right now as far as if I think it's the way watches are definitely meant to be or never meant to be. Of course I drool over some of the Genta options that are designed like this but all said and done there may be something to the formula of watch-than-bracelet vs. watch-into-bracelet if that makes any sense.

3. The value proposition of this watch is off the charts, plain and simple. Especially if purchasing pre-owned I would say you would be hard pressed to find a better offering from Omega, Breitling, IWC, and some of the other "big" sport watch brands that would have the same character combined with not being totally overplayed. How many watch get togethers do you go to and see multiple versions of Speedmasters, for example?? How often do you notice somebody wearing a basic Breitling sports/pilot watch?? Now think about how often you see a North Flag out in the wild.... never! Maybe it's because people hate them LOL but I personally like that this watch isn't as common and yet offers the same if not more in terms of value.

I see this one staying in my collection for awhile, though, I've said that before and been wrong. But this time I think I'm right!
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Old 24 July 2019, 10:01 AM   #4
bosshog104
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This one will be a sleeper in the long run. I'm keeping mine also and agree with all your points

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