Just curious if anyone has a Tudor BB36 or has had one. I ran into someone selling one and am interested. Not 100% on the size but I don’t mind vintage watches. My understanding is it does have an in house movement and decent reviews. Just poking around at the moment.

 

I also want to buy one and have the same questions like walrus. I love the looks , it reminds me of an explorer and I think I like the blue dial more than the others. Interested to read the replies below ...

 

Agreed saw someone showing off a new one on Reddit. They were stating it is running -7 seconds but then went on to say he hadn’t worn it for months due to working on machinery etc and hasn’t wound it. I do like the looks of it rather simple and straightforward but solid. Shortly after found someone I know in a neighboring state is selling one. Not that it’s wise to travel for watches at the moment but it happens to be in the same state my mother is in and I need to go regularly

 

Actually I need to correct myself. After a little research it is not an in house movement. I guess it an ETA “modified” by Tudor. The owner on Reddit mentioned an in-house movement

https://www.watchadvice.com.au/4357/tudor-bb36-review/

 

I have the BB41, love it, and wear it all the time as 'go anywhere, do anything watch'. I think the dial proportions of the BB36 are better, but felt too small on my wrist. The 'slab sides' seem off-putting to some, but I like them. It's like an explorer, but a bit less refined...sort of a 'sporty dressy watch'.

Movement is nothing to get excited about, but that makes it very affordable to buy and service. I got a full set used for $1700, I think. I haven't tracked mine in a while, but it was averaging +-5 sec a day at one point.

 

It’s a really nice watch.

I had bought the black for my wife and she wears it on the camouflage nato. It’s interesting because though she’s very feminine it suits her well. At the same time, looks good on me too.

Some folks don’t like the how crown sticks out, but I find it gives it that extra bit of uniqueness. Also quite versatile for business casual at work and weekend wear.

Personally like it best on the bracelet.

 

Lady Gaga is a Tudor "ambassador"- the Bb36 is marketed as totally unisex- and completely agree.


I personally think this is the bargain in the line. It is the modern interpretation of the vintage Explorer/Ranger and far closer to the concept of the 1016 than the current Explorer IMO.
One of these is on my list.

 

++ to the explorer 1016 connection.

If this watch was discontinued, it'd be worth 3-4x as much.

I think it's a brilliant piece, you should get it!

 

Agreed with a lot of the above - the BB36 may have better proportions, but I found the size too small for me. I own a few vintage watches including a 36mm Seamaster from the 1960's, so I thought the smaller size would work well for me. That being said, the actual size of the dial is smaller than these comparable vintage pieces because of the polished fixed bezel. So keep that in mind.

I would recommend trying on both the 36 and the 41 - I ended up buying the 41 and have loved it. It's much thinner than other BBs with the in-house calibers and fits under a sleeve nicely. It does wear more modern due to the size, but you easily adjust to it. Because of the case shape, it does feel a bit larger than an Explorer 1 (but if that's a comparison for you, they are very different watches IMO).

As for the movement, I wouldn't be too disappointed that it isn't in-house. The Tudor 2824 is robust, accurate, and easy to service. Mine has consistently performed at +1.5 seconds/day since I bought it (I haven't measured it in multiple positions and cannot infer that it meets any standard, but I can say that this top-grade ETA-based movement has served me well).

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the feedback. The 41mm is not an issue to me but the lug to lug on the 41 is a problem. I read it’s dimensions and although I can’t quote it off hand i just know I wouldn’t be comfortable with it. It’s like right at the max of what I’m comfortable with. Anyway just something I’m looking into and I appreciate the feedback it’s always helpful.

 

I hear you - the "on paper" lug to lug sounds large (and was a concern I shared). I have 17cm / 6.75" wrists, so not the largest wrists and I can say that the watch feels comfortable and not too large across the wrist - although I might not go any bigger.

I think there are two reasons for the wingspan being more manageable in person vs on paper:
- The case shape curves down at the lugs, which nicely flows the shape of the watch to contour to smaller wrists than you'd think
- The end links feature a pivoting joint to the first link of the bracelet, so unlike many modern Rolex models the bracelet can articulate more where it joins the watch head (these Rolex models feature a fixed and protruding end link, adding to the wingspan).

You know your wrists and tastes better than anyone - but I would still recommend getting them on your wrist in person before writing off the larger 41 model. Best of luck.

 

See that is quite interesting and yes I can see it would make a significant difference. I’m not in a state that is known for having a bunch of nice watch shops but yes with this info it would make sense to search harder to see if my state has a place with these. Pre covid I could just hop on a train and go to Manhattan. I don’t live my life in fear with this disease going on but since I’m involved in health care they ask us to to be “very careful” about unnecessary travel. I’m not trying to veer the thread off on a covid discussion we hear enough about it everyday just explaining my situation

 

Lux Bond and Greene in West Hartford. Closer than Manhattan any day

 

I actually contacted them about something once. Do they carry Tudor etc. I think they are an omega place right. I have never been

 

i remember when this dropped. i was gung ho and already planning my $1500 purchase on a grey or almost new.

over 5 years later it's not really that much on the radar. something bothers me about it. i dunno if it's the larger indices or knowing if i think the sinn 556 wears small, this is even smaller............

amazing how we can change tastes in a short period of time, even w/o owning it. much like the iterations of the planet ocean, which isn't even a consideration for me anymore.

 

Good luck with your decision. But be careful, I think there's a lot to enjoy in the current Tudor lineup. Might end up falling in love with other pieces while you're there. God help me, I think I'm even starting to like the P01

 

An easy tell with modern Tudors as far as I know: if it has the “smiley face” (the curved writing “Self-winding”), it is an ETA. If it has straight text boasting it’s chronometer certification, it’s in-house.

 

Pretty sure this is not accurate, the 79220 comes in both smiley and straight and both have the ETA movement

 

A good looking watch and great value IMHO however overall I prefer the Omega Aqua Terra which I think has similar aesthetics, wears well on smaller wrists and has the METAS certified 8900 movement.
My personal preference only and of course the AT is considerably more expensive

 

Im going to correct myself on this - when I wrote this, it did not sit well with me - so went to see what I can find. Based on this it appears that when MT5602 was introduced, its when the straight writing got applied - so Im wrong.