About 90 years ago, Hands Wildorf had the idea of making a watch that his sales agents could sell at a more modest price than his Rolex watches without compromising the quality and reliability of a Rolex timepiece. Therefore, he decided to form a separate company named Tudor Watch Company, today, that company, continues to put out amazing watches that won't break the bank like the Tudor Heritage Advisor ref. 79620TC we are reviewing here. While the Tudor Heritage Black Bay and the Tudor Heritage Ranger are Tudor's top sellers, this is a very special watch in their line-up that deserves talking about.
The Tudor Advisor was originally released in 1957 as ref. 7926 —produced for only 11 years—, until it was replaced by ref. 10050. The Tudor Heritage Advisor ref. 79620 was released in 2011 and with its mechanical alarm function, is a perfect modern reinterpretation of the brand’s 1957 classic with a more robust case size at 42 mm —the original Tudor Advisor was fitted with a 34 mm case. Initially offered with a silver dial ref. 79620T and a black dial ref. 79620TN, this year Tudor released yet another iteration of this timepiece, now with a cognac colored dial that is a true chameleon.
The Dial & Case
The Tudor Heritage Advisor ref. 79620TC Cognac Dial like its predecessors, is equipped with a very robust and thick 42 mm titanium case with smooth stainless steel bezel. The case features a combination of highly polished and satin brushed areas that compliment its elegant dial very well. The cognac colored dial with Opaline center, is a true chameleon depending on the lighting conditions with color variations going all the way from a lighter cognac brown to a dark chocolate brown. The dial is somewhat busy but still legible. Perhaps the biggest downside when it comes to readability on this watch, is the domed sapphire crystal without any type of anti-reflective treatment. Under certain lighting conditions, we noticed that most of what you see when checking out the time, is a good reflection of your surroundings. Now, if you are a crazy Instagram user like we are, taking good pictures of this watch for you to post, will be nearly impossible. Definitely an opportunity area for the brand.
The dial features a date indicator at 6, a power reserve indicator for the alarm mechanism at 3, an On/Off alarm aperture at 9 o'clock and a red hand that is used to set the alarm time. The multilevel dial construction features a sunburst finished outer minute track, sandblasted finish for the flange and power reserve indicator and snailing on the center of the date indicator subdial. Applied beveled and pyramidal markers, Arabic numerals at 12, 9 and 3 o'clock and elegant dauphine hands with thin luminescent inserts complete the ultra refined look of this watch.
The Crowns & Pusher
The Tudor Heritage Advisor ref. 79620TC Cognac Dial features two stainless steel crowns on the right caseband and a stainless steel pusher on the left caseband. The crown located at 4 o'clock, is engraved with the Tudor rose and is used to wind and set the time/date on the watch. Unfortunately the crowns are not of the screw-down type, a feature we would've liked to have being this a Tudor timepiece. Regardless, this is not a deal breaker. Regardless of the lack of screw-down crowns, the watch is waterproof to a 100 meters.
The crown located at 2 o'clock, is engraved with the word 'Advisor' in black lacquer and is used to wound and set the alarm time. Pulling this crown out to the first position, allows for the wearer to wound the alarm mechanism —developed exclusively by Tudor— and by pulling it to the second position, allows the wearer to set the time for the alarm as the red alarm hand moves in a counterclockwise direction.
The oblong-shaped stainless steel pusher located at 8 o'clock on the left caseband, is used to engage the alarm mechanism switching between the 'Off' and 'On' positions. By pressing this pusher —which doesn't require too much force—, not only the wearer can set the alarm on or off, but he/she can also silence the alarm as it goes off without having to wait for the power reserve on it to fully deplete and stop buzzing —approximately 13 seconds from the moment it starts buzzing. The sound of the alarm is very unique and totally different to that on a Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox or a Vulcain Cricket, let's say more in line with the sound from an alarm desk clock but without the annoying pitch associated to them.
The Movement & Bracelet
The Tudor Heritage Advisor ref. 79620TC Cognac Dial is powered by a generic automatic ETA 2892 movement with a power reserve of 42 hours and unfortunately not by the new in-house calibres recently launched by the brand. However, the mechanical alarm module that was added to the ETA movement, has been fully developed in-house by Tudor. This additional mechanical module solely provides the alarm function with its power reserve indicator and on/off aperture and it boasts perfect sound clarity. The Heritage Advisor comes with a choice of a stainless steel bracelet with the usual folding clasp with safety catch —like that on the Heritage Black Bay or the Heritage Chrono— or a cognac colored alligator strap with a folding clasp. Each model is also accompanied by an extra black silk strap edged in satin, reminiscent of the decoration on the trousers of a tuxedo.
On the Wrist & Pricing
On the wrist, the Tudor Heritage Advisor wears true to its actual size and quite light, granted that you have a 7.25" or larger wrist size. This is for sure a watch with a lot of wrist presence considering its price tag and one that when compared to other mechanical alarm timepieces out there, will give you a lot of bang for the buck. In a few words, the Tudor Heritage Advisor is a perfect watch for every day wear whether you are spending a day by the pool or meeting tight deadlines in your office cube.
Sticker Price $6,075 USD on stainless steel bracelet and $5,850 USD on cognac alligator leather strap. For more info on Tudor Watches click here.
