Rolex and Tudor share a founder, Hans Wilsdorf, and for decades shared a factory, but they now sit at opposite ends of the same idea: a tool watch built to work. Rolex costs several times more at retail and on the secondary market, uses its own in-house movements across the range, and is the brand almost everyone recognises; Tudor uses movements co-developed with Breitling's parent group ETA and its own manufacture calibres, sells almost its entire catalogue at list price with no wait, and gives up little in finishing or water resistance for a fraction of the cost. This guide compares the two on history, movements, price, resale and the models that compete head to head, then sets out which to buy. Bizak & Co. sources both brands to order; the Submariner collection and the Tudor collection show what we can seek.
Last reviewed on September 26, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.
Rolex vs Tudor: the short answer
Buy a Rolex if you want the watch with the strongest resale value and the widest recognition, and if you are prepared to pay a premium or wait for a steel sports model. Buy a Tudor if you want a genuinely well-built dive or GMT watch with a five-year warranty and a manufacture movement, at roughly a third of the price, and you do not need the watch to hold its value the way a Rolex does. Many buyers own both: a Rolex as the watch they keep, a Tudor as the one they do not worry about scratching.
Rolex and Tudor compared
| Rolex | Tudor | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1905 in London by Hans Wilsdorf; Geneva since 1919 | 1926, registered by Hans Wilsdorf as a lower-priced line built on Rolex cases and bracelets |
| Ownership | Privately held by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation | Also held by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation; run as a separate company since the 1990s |
| Movements | All in-house, Chronergy escapement, Parachrom hairspring, chronometer certified | Mostly in-house manufacture calibres since 2015 (MT series), some entry models still use modified ETA or Sellita ebauches |
| Case sizes and water resistance | 40 to 44 mm depending on model, 100 to 300 m | 36 to 41 mm, 150 to 200 m on most, 500 m on the Pelagos |
| Warranty | Five years | Five years |
| Retail entry point, steel, 2026 | Oyster Perpetual, mid US$6,000s and up | Black Bay 58, low US$4,000s |
| Secondary market | Steel sports at or above retail; dress models below | Below retail on most references; a few discontinued colours hold closer to retail |
| Availability | Allocated at authorised dealers; waits on professional models | Walk-in for almost everything |
Sources: the Rolex collection pages for current Rolex models and certification, and the COSC site for the chronometer standard Rolex tests to; Tudor does not publish as extensively, so its specifications here are drawn from the watches' published references and Bizak's own inspection.
The shared history: how Tudor started as Rolex's other brand
Hans Wilsdorf registered the Tudor trademark in 1926 and, from the 1940s, built Tudor watches on Rolex Oyster cases and bracelets fitted with third-party movements, aiming to offer the same durability at a lower price for retailers who could not stock full-price Rolex. That relationship lasted decades: many vintage Tudor Submariners share cases with their Rolex counterparts and are collected for exactly that reason. Tudor separated more sharply from Rolex through the 1990s and 2000s as it developed its own case designs and, from 2015, its own in-house movements badged MT, ending its long dependence on ETA. The two remain under the same ownership but operate, design and price their watches entirely independently today.
Movements: in-house Rolex against manufacture and ETA-based Tudor
Every current Rolex calibre is designed and built in-house, with the Chronergy escapement and Parachrom hairspring giving strong resistance to shock and magnetism, and every cased watch is tested to Rolex's Superlative Chronometer standard of -2 to +2 seconds a day. Tudor's manufacture calibres, the MT5400 series used in the Black Bay 54 and Pelagos and the MT5600 series in the Black Bay 58, are COSC-certified chronometers built with Breitling's Kenissi, a joint venture Tudor co-founded, and they carry a silicon hairspring on several models for resistance to magnetism. Tudor's cheaper references, including some Black Bay 32, 36 and 41 variants, still use a modified ETA 2824 or Sellita SW200 ebauche rather than a manufacture calibre, which is worth checking on the specific reference before buying. Neither brand publishes accuracy figures as tightly specified as a METAS Master Chronometer, but in practice both keep good time well inside a few seconds a day.
How much does a Rolex cost compared with a Tudor?
At retail, a steel Tudor sports watch has cost roughly a quarter to a third of its closest Rolex equivalent through 2025 and 2026: a Black Bay 58 against a Submariner, a Black Bay GMT against a GMT-Master II. On September 26, 2026 Bizak's sourced catalogue listed a brand-new no-date Submariner 124060 at US$13,632 and a pre-owned example at US$12,622, against a Tudor Black Bay 58 steel at US$4,806; a Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLNR at US$20,048 against a Tudor Black Bay GMT Pepsi at US$3,699, all sourced to order. The gap widens further on the secondary market, because the Rolex holds its retail price and the Tudor generally trades below it. Our Rolex price guide gives the Rolex bands by model.
Resale value: why the gap is wider used than new
Rolex's steel sports models are made in numbers below demand and carry a brand that non-collectors also recognise, so a Submariner, GMT-Master II or Daytona bought at retail has in most years since 2010 resold at or above its purchase price. Tudor makes enough of most references that dealers and private sellers rarely need to wait for a buyer, so used prices settle below retail, often by 15 to 30 percent on a common Black Bay reference within its first two or three years, with a handful of discontinued colours and the Pelagos an exception that holds closer to retail. Neither brand's resale profile is a reason on its own to buy or avoid it; it is a reason to be honest about what a Tudor purchase is for, which is wearing a well-made watch rather than storing value.
Rolex vs Tudor model by model
| Category | Rolex | Tudor | What decides it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dive watch | Submariner 124060, 41 mm, calibre 3230, 300 m | Black Bay 58, 39 mm, calibre MT5400, 200 m | The Submariner holds value and wears larger; the Black Bay 58's smaller case and vintage proportions suit narrower wrists at a third of the price |
| Serious dive tool | Sea-Dweller, 43 mm, 1,220 m | Pelagos, 42 mm titanium, 500 m, automatic helium escape valve | The Pelagos is lighter, titanium and has its own case, at well under half the Sea-Dweller's price |
| GMT | GMT-Master II 126710BLNR, calibre 3285, rotating bezel | Black Bay GMT, calibre MT5652, rotating bezel | The Rolex trades above retail and is the harder to obtain; the Tudor is available at list and does the same job |
| Vintage-styled three-hander | Explorer 224270, 40 mm, calibre 3230 | Black Bay 54, 37 mm, calibre MT5400 | The Explorer is the more established reference; the Black Bay 54 is closer to the 1954 original's dimensions |
Which should you buy?
- First serious dive watch, kept for years. A Black Bay 58 is very hard to beat for the money; a Submariner 124060 is the safer store of value if the budget allows it.
- A watch you can wear hard without worrying. Tudor. The Pelagos and Black Bay range are built to the same tolerances at a fraction of the replacement cost.
- One watch that may be sold later. Rolex. A steel professional model bought sensibly is the more liquid asset.
- Availability today. Tudor, or a pre-owned Rolex from a dealer.
- A collection of several watches. Many owners run a Rolex as the anchor piece and a Tudor as the watch for travel, water and daily knocks.
Buying a Rolex or a Tudor: what to check
- Warranty card. Both brands issue a card with the serial matched to the case; check the date against the five-year warranty balance on either brand.
- Movement type on Tudor. Confirm whether the reference carries an in-house MT calibre or an ETA or Sellita ebauche; the specifications sheet or the case back reference will say.
- Bracelet and clasp. Rolex's Glidelock and Tudor's own folding clasps should operate cleanly with no play; missing links cost money on both.
- Case and bezel condition. Sharp lug chamfers and an unscratched bezel insert on either brand; ceramic inserts on the newest Tudor references do not fade.
- Price against the band. A Rolex offered well under the market is the more common warning sign; on Tudor, a used watch asked at or above retail should raise a question.
- Service history. Roughly a ten-year interval on Rolex; Tudor recommends similar intervals for its automatic calibres.
Our authentication process describes what we inspect before dispatch.
Quick answers
Is Tudor owned by Rolex?
Tudor and Rolex are both controlled by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation but operate as separate companies with their own design, manufacturing and pricing. Tudor was founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1926 as a lower-priced companion brand.
Is a Tudor as good as a Rolex?
On build quality and water resistance, very close for the price; Tudor's manufacture MT calibres are COSC-certified chronometers. Rolex's advantages are its own in-house heritage across every calibre, wider recognition and far stronger resale value.
Why is Tudor so much cheaper than Rolex?
Tudor makes enough watches to sell nearly its whole catalogue at list price without a wait, uses a mix of in-house and shared movement architecture, and does not carry Rolex's brand premium, so it prices and resells lower across the board.
Does Tudor use Rolex parts?
No, not on current watches. The historical link was closer decades ago when Tudor watches used Rolex cases and bracelets with third-party movements; today Tudor designs its own cases and builds most of its calibres in-house or with Kenissi.
What is the Rolex equivalent of the Tudor Black Bay 58?
The Rolex Submariner 124060 is the closest match in size, layout and water resistance, at roughly three times the Black Bay 58's price and with a stronger resale position.
Request a Rolex or Tudor sourcing quote
Tell us the model and reference, whether you want brand new or pre-owned, the year range, condition and set you need, and your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, card and final price before you commit. Catalogue entries: Submariner 124060, Black Bay 58 steel, Black Bay GMT Pepsi; browse the Submariner collection, the Tudor collection, or sell or trade your watch.
Related reading: Submariner 126610LN guide · GMT-Master II Batman guide · Best first Rolex · Rolex price guide.
0 comments