Does Tudor ever quickly discontinue non LE references?

[Guppydriver]

I was at a Tudor AD in New Zealand trying to decide between an opaline and black dial BBGMT. (Stoing US dollar and duty free makes for great watch shopping BTW).

Anyway, the sales associate mentioned he doesn’t see the Opaline dial being a “long run” and could be more collectible (his words). Now, I just buy the watch I like best, but it got me thinking.


Does Tudor have a history of short run standard production runs? Rolex does. The turquoise OP being a recent example.

I know Tudor discontinued the heritage chronograph a little while back, but it had a very healthy production run IIRC.

Any examples of Tudor releasing standard production (not limited edition) references only to pull them shortly thereafter or was this just the sales guy doing his job to close a sale? (As he should, he was a nice kid)!!

[ArtNouveau]

I’ve been buying Tudor since the late 90’s and the only true LE’s were those made for a third party’s commemorative occasion. I think they will produce the opaline GMT as long as they’re selling.
The current pink Chrono is a case in point. It was introduced as a LE for the Miami soccer club. Got a lot of hype and six months later it’s on all their international websites as a production model with a price. Some dealers are still playing dumb with it but my local AD says yes they will get them regularly once production ramps up.

[Dan Pierce]

Not any Tudor references I know of. I agree the opaline dial will be available for a while since it seems to be a good seller.

What I really like about new Tudor releases, as of late, is that they are available for the most part at the time of release.

So................which BB GMT did you buy??
dP

[-dustin]

how long was the North Flag in production - 5 or 6 years? Is that considered short?

[soho]

Not sure this counts (that is, not sure that it lends support to the sales associate’s comment), but the black version of the original Black Bay line (ETA movement, smiley text, rose logo) had a pretty short run, as Tudor switched to the in-house movement shortly after its release.


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[ap1]

White for the win

[opawlows]

Originally Posted by soho

Not sure this counts (that is, not sure that it lends support to the sales associate’s comment), but the black version of the original Black Bay line (ETA movement, smiley text, rose logo) had a pretty short run, as Tudor switched to the in-house movement shortly after its release.


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This was the only one that came to my mind as well. Does anyone else remember those speculation threads that it would hit 10k USD fairly easily on the secondary market. Mine hasn't seen the light of day in a few years but earlier this year when I was moving some pieces I was quoted I think $2200 for it towards a trade. I think its dropped a bit more since then!

[Guppydriver]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

Not any Tudor references I know of. I agree the opaline dial will be available for a while since it seems to be a good seller.

What I really like about new Tudor releases, as of late, is that they are available for the most part at the time of release.

So................which BB GMT did you buy??
dP

Funny you mention that…

I went into the AD about an hour before I had to leave for the airport. I would have bought the Opaline, but I had no idea NZ does their duty free differently. You pay for the watch without tax. They give you the box and papers and then you collect the watch at the airport .

Needless to say, we didn’t have time. However , I go back in December and assuming the NZ $ is still weak, I’ll be buying the Opaline. I finally had a chance to examine the legibility, and it wasn’t too bad.

For those curious, the US $4375 MSRP watch would have cost me a little over $3700 out the door. . I was blown away since it’s about a grand more than my local AD (considering tax).

[Dan Pierce]

Originally Posted by Guppydriver

Funny you mention that…

I went into the AD about an hour before I had to leave for the airport. I would have bought the Opaline, but I had no idea NZ does their duty free differently. You pay for the watch without tax. They give you the box and papers and then you collect the watch at the airport .

Needless to say, we didn’t have time. However , I go back in December and assuming the NZ $ is still weak, I’ll be buying the Opaline. I finally had a chance to examine the legibility, and it wasn’t too bad.

For those curious, the US $4375 MSRP watch would have cost me a little over $3700 out the door. . I was blown away since it’s about a grand more than my local AD (considering tax).

That's an odd procedure for sure. Hope those numbers work out when you return. Then get yourself a 5-Link bracelet and experience an already great watch on a whole new level.
dP

[soho]

Originally Posted by opawlows

This was the only one that came to my mind as well. Does anyone else remember those speculation threads that it would hit 10k USD fairly easily on the secondary market. Mine hasn't seen the light of day in a few years but earlier this year when I was moving some pieces I was quoted I think $2200 for it towards a trade. I think its dropped a bit more since then!

Nonetheless still a great piece. Sold mine a few years ago and miss it.




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[jacowestt]

It’s great that you’re enjoying your watch shopping experience in New Zealand!

Tudor does not have quite the same pattern of short production runs as Rolex, but they do occasionally release models that are limited or have relatively short production runs, especially in terms of certain dial colors or variations. For example, the Tudor Heritage Chronograph was discontinued after several years, but it had a pretty healthy production run. The Tudor Black Bay series, including the BB GMT, has seen variations, but overall, Tudor tends to maintain a more consistent production cycle compared to the more limited nature of some Rolex pieces.

As for the Opaline dial on the BB GMT, while it might be perceived as less common or more niche, Tudor’s approach generally leans toward maintaining production of popular models for several years, with periodic updates and dial variations. The associate’s comment about collectibility might hold some merit if Tudor decides to phase out the Opaline variant, but there’s no guarantee it will become a sought-after collector’s piece.

Ultimately, buying what you like is the best approach, if you’re drawn to the Opaline, go for it! You might end up with a rare piece down the road, but either way, it’s a solid choice.

[CarlOver]

Sales person is trying to light a fire under you to make a purchase.