Tudor North Flag

The North Flag was the first Tudor watch with an in-house caliber. The independently developed caliber MT5621 has a 70-hour power reserve when fully wound, which far exceeds the reserve of many watches. It's easy to recognize when your watch is about to run out of energy with the help of the power reserve display at 9 o'clock. Thanks to the silicon balance spring, this movement is anti-magnetic and especially accurate. This is further proven by its certificate from the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). Their test allows for a maximum deviation of -4 to +6 seconds per day. A date display at 3 o'clock rounds out the North Flag's range of functions.

The 40-mm watch with a stainless steel case was released in 2015 and belongs to the manufacturer's group of tool watches, which also includes the Pelagos diving watch. The Oyster Prince served as one of the inspirations for the Tudor North Flag. This historic watch accompanied the members of the Royal Navy on their expedition to Greenland in the 1950s. Even then, automatic watches were proven to have impressive accuracy and reliability. In the tradition of those expedition watches, the Tudor North Flag strives to meet the requirements of a scientific instrument. The design feels technical and modern with a retro flair.

Prices for a Tudor North Flag in mint-condition are around 2,500 euros. You can purchase a pre-owned version in very good condition for a few hundred euros less. The version with a stainless steel bracelet costs around 2,700 euros or 2,500 euros when pre-owned. This demonstrates what a sound investment this functional timepiece is. Being the first Tudor watch with an in-house movement also means that their demand and value could increase in the future.

In addition to the Oyster Prince expedition watch from the 1950s, several other watches from Tudor and Rolex have impacted the design of the North Flag. For example, there are similarities with the rare Tudor Ranger II from the 1970s. Similar to the North flag, its band is integrated into the case and it has a rod-shaped minute hand and an arrow-shaped hour hand. The shape of the case is also very similar. The Rolex Ref. 1530 likewise comes from the 70s and features an integrated band. This rare watch is considered an insider tip among collectors and remains at a reasonable price point.

The main features of the Tudor North Flag are its entirely satin-brushed case and sapphire display back, through which you can see the movement at work. When looking at the caliber, you will notice that Tudor put minimal finishing on the MT5621. Instead, functionality is paramount. Nevertheless, the winding rotor is skeletonized and you can watch the balance wheel, which is straddled by a bridge, as it swings. Of course, Tudor also uses sapphire glass on the front to protect the display. To keep the glass in place, the Genevan manufacturer decided on a double bezel made of stainless steel and ceramic that enhances the timepiece's technical look.

The matte black dial is outfitted with luminous indices as well as Arabic numerals at both 6 and 12 o'clock. Tudor has followed a somewhat different path to other manufacturers when it comes to the North Flag's power reserve display: Instead of a hand, an arrow on a black disc, which is integrated into the case, points to a yellow scale on the dial to indicate how much power is left. The second hand is also yellow and has a rectangular box covered with a luminous material on its end. All three hands glow brightly so you can read the time even when it's dark. In terms of bands, you have the choice between stainless steel and leather. The latter has an inner yellow lining and yellow seams, highlighting the watch's sporty feel. Fold-over safety clasps make sure that both versions of this tool watch stay firmly in place on your wrist.