Tudor North Flag: A Guide to Tudor’s Best Tool Watch
Tudor has always been known as the diet version of Rolex. In some way, that statement is true. However, people often make the mistake of thinking that Tudor’s lineup only consists of Submariner copies. Nothing is farther from the truth. In fact, Tudor has their own lines like the Tudor Pelagos and of course, the Tudor North Flag.
Despite being unpopular, the Tudor North Flag is something every watch enthusiast should read about. It is as important to Tudor’s long history, as with the Black Bay series. With that said, let’s take a closer look at this underrated timepiece.
History of the Tudor North Flag
At first glance, the Tudor North Flag looks as modern as a watch can be. Indeed, its thick hour markers and neon yellow accents give it a science fiction-esque vibe. This is why I’ll take a wild guess and say that you didn’t expect it to draw inspiration from a 70’s watch. As a matter of fact, it takes design cues from Tudor’s old model called the Ranger II.
Inspired by a ’70s Watch
As mentioned above, the Tudor North Flag shares a lot of similarities with the Ranger II, which was Tudor’s take on the Rolex Explorer. If you have never heard of this watch, then I don’t blame you. Admittedly, it is one of Tudor’s least successful watches in terms of sales. Be that as it may, you should not dismiss it so quickly because it features a lot of iconic elements during its time.
The Tudor Ranger II had a case that is tonneau-shaped, a distinguished bezel, and an integrated metallic bracelet complete with large links. All of these characteristics can be seen in today’s Tudor North Flag.
Apart from that, they have the same set of hands. Both watches sport an arrow hour hand paired with a yellow syringe seconds hand. However, the one on the vintage model comes closer to the shade of orange instead of yellow. The numerals and indexes also come in the same font and shape.
It is important to note that when Tudor released the North Flag in 2015, they made no mention of its relation to the Ranger II. However, fans could just not ignore the uncanny resemblance of the two watches.
Tudor’s First Manufacture Calibre
When the Tudor North Flag was first introduced in 2015, it distinguished itself for a few things. Firstly, it is a new model from the brand. It also helped ignite excitement when people realised that it’s not a diver. Indeed, Tudor has been feeding the market with a lot of Black Bays and Pelagos for some time that this launch became a breath of fresh air.
The second but more important reason is that the Tudor North Flag features the brand’s own in-house calibre. That was a major first for the brand as they were known for using modified ETA movements on their watches. This certainly is a big win for Tudor since having an in-house movement gains much respect from the community.
It is true that the Tudor Pelagos received the same treatment in 2015. However, it was the Tudor North Flag that spearheaded the introduction of the new in-house movement. In fact, the North Flag even has a see-through caseback for the purpose of admiring the calibre. This is a very rare thing to see from a watch that belongs to the Rolex Group. All things considered, a lot of watch enthusiasts view the Tudor North Flag as the avenue to showcase the brand’s new milestone when it comes to watchmaking.
Tudor North Flag’s Specs
Firstly, let’s look at the specs. Here are a few things that you should know about the Tudor North Flag.
- Case material: Stainless steel
- Case diameter: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Power reserve: 70 hours
- Water resistance: 100m
Case
I am sure that very few people will complain about the dimensions of the case. It measures at 40mm — the sweet spot when it comes to watch sizes. Not too big, and not too small. It is also considered thin with a height of only 13.4mm.
While the case itself is made with stainless steel, the outer bezel is crafted with black ceramic. It seems that mixing different materials is a trend in the Tudor laboratories. In fact, the Pelagos is made with a combination of stainless steel, ceramic, and titanium. Going back to the North Flag, our guess is that they used black ceramic solely for aesthetic purposes.
Looking past the case size, the influence from the Ranger II is obvious. It features integrated lugs and a distinct shape that’s unmistakably from the ’70s. Apart from that, it makes the watch a lot more comfortable to wear.
Lastly, its crown screws down to offer a water resistance of up to 100m. And despite its size, it’s still comfortable on the wrist. It is also pleasing to use as it winds smoothly, thanks to its mechanism. Of course, it bears the Tudor shield emblem and comes with a satin finish to it.
Dial
Moving on to the dial, we can see much of the Ranger II in it. That is to say, it definitely gives off that rugged vibe that you’d get from most tool watches. It features a matte black dial that brings a strong contrast against the white hands for superior readability.
Meanwhile, the power reserve indicator on the left side draws divisive opinions from watch enthusiasts. It consists of a neon yellow gauge that curves in a clockwise manner around a disk. To add, its shade of yellow is similar to that of the seconds hand. Going back, the disk is painted with a white arrow to indicate how much power the watch has left.
Apart from those mentioned, the chapter ring also adds personality to the watch’s dial. While most are white, the markers that line up the hours are made with the same high-vis yellow material as the power reserve indicator. Furthermore, this gives the dial a deep-dish look.
Another watch complication that the dial displays is the small date window right beside 3 o’clock. It is small, unobtrusive, and keeps the dial clean. It is also a nice addition since a date complication is one of the most useful features that a watch can have.
Lume
The North Flag’s hour markers and hands are applied with lume. It comes in a light blue colour and its brightness is above average when it comes to quality. This means reading time in low-light conditions will be a breeze. This is an important feature that a tool watch must have, and I’m glad that Tudor did not skimp on this.
Movement
As mentioned above, the Tudor North Flag bears the brand’s first in-house movement. It is called the MT-5621 movement which is also seen in the Pelagos. A lot of people consider this calibre on par with most, if not all, Rolex calibres. In my opinion, that is impressive considering it is Tudor’s first shot.
· Power Reserve
When it comes to the movement’s performance, the difference is night and day between the MT-5621 and the previous calibres. One of the most useful improvements is the 70-hour power reserve. Yes, that’s almost three days’ worth of juice. It is also impressive even when up against other high-end watch models as a lot of movements provide only 40 hours of power reserve.
· Anti-magnetic properties
Another upgrade to note is the silicon hairspring instead of a metallic one. A few of its advantages are stability against external vibration or shock, immunity to magnetism, and superior dimensional stability. On top of that, the movement features an anti-magnetic spiral and a balance wheel with variable inertia screws that vibrates at a frequency of 28,800vph.
· Balance Wheel
Much of the movement’s impressive performance can be attributed to the balance wheel. If you look at it through the see-through caseback, you would see that its design is similar to a lot of Rolex movements like the 3135.
It is also important to note that the balance wheel is free-sprung. This is one of the signs that a movement is high-end and Swiss-made. In fact, big watchmakers like Patek Philippe, Omega, Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre are among others that use this design.
· Accuracy
The MT-5621 is a COSC-certified chronometer with an accuracy rating of no more than -2 to + 4 seconds per day, which is impressive and reliable enough for the years to come.
· The Importance of the MT-5621
Before the introduction of the North Flag, Tudor had always used outsourced calibres. To be specific, a lot of their watches use modified ETA movements. This is one of the things that Tudor adopted in order to keep their watches’ prices low. Even now, it is quite impressive how Tudor can spew out high-quality movements yet still keep a reasonable price tag. Hats off to them!
Consequently, it was also one of the things that kept it under Rolex’s shadow. Indeed, this new foray into in-house movements turned Tudor into more than just a stepping stone to its sibling companies. Indeed, Tudor has come a long way and has grown to take its own identity.
· Caseback
Lastly, here’s good news for hardcore enthusiasts who love admiring the movement of a watch. The North Flag’s caseback features a see-through crystal. Having this type of caseback is rare for watches that belong to the Rolex group. However, I can see why Tudor decided to make this an exception.
As we all know, the new in-house movement is one of the most important milestones of the brand. And what better way to show it off than to make it visible from the back of the watch? Indeed, the Tudor North Flag has become a symbol of the brand’s expertise when it comes to watchmaking.
Strap/Bracelet
First and foremost, the Tudor North Flag comes in two options — with a leather strap or a metal bracelet. While the latter is the more popular choice between the two, the leather strap should not be overlooked. Here is what we think about the two.
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Leather Strap
A leather strap on a tool watch? I can hear the gasps of different watch snobs from all around the globe. These watches are indeed a rare breed. However, we have to say that the Tudor North Flag pulled it off pretty well.
If you look closely at the black leather strap, it contains subtle patterns that give it a more casual vibe. Apart from that, it comes with neon yellow stitching that stands out against the whole strap. This adds a pop of colour to the watch without going overboard with the design. And yes, you guessed it right. The yellow stitching matches the neon accents on the dial.
Overall, the version of the Tudor North Flag that comes in leather strap has a bit more flair than the other version. It looks more refined, but it’s still obvious that the watch was made for adventures. In our opinion, you should get the leather strap if you want to add more personality to your North Flag. Indeed, it is a good way to deviate from the norm while still staying true to the tool watch persona of the timepiece.
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Metal Bracelet
As a lot of watch collectors know, the metal bracelet is one of the most common weaknesses of watches within this price range. Honestly, it is one of the compromises that watch companies make to cut down on costs and keep the watches affordable. But lucky for us, it seems that Tudor refused to settle for less as the bracelet is very impressive.
The bracelet is solid, satin-finished, and is integrated with the case itself. This small detail allows for a more compact and comfortable watch as you will not likely feel the lugs protruding from the wrist. In truth, this type of design requires delicate modelling work to achieve those clean lines. It even reminds us of the build of the Royal Oak’s bracelet. So, hats off to Tudor for that!
Apart from those, the bracelet is fitted with Tudor’s folding clasp and safety catch to make sure that your watch stays put on your wrist. This is a very useful feature for those who love going on quick hikes or treks.
One last thing to note is that the metal bracelet version of the Tudor North Flag costs more than the leather strap. Do we think that the price mark-up is worth it? Definitely! We really appreciate how Tudor put in the effort to provide optimum ergonomics. In truth, this is rarely seen in watches that belong to this price point.
Pros and Cons of the Tudor North Flag
For a watch as cheap as the North Flag, it is inevitable that Tudor cut some corners to keep prices low. So before you hand over your credit card, it is important to know which ones are the good and the bad parts of the watch. With that said, here are the pros and cons of the North Flag.
Pros:
1. It is the first Tudor watch with an in-house movement.
As stated earlier, one of the things that make this watch special is its engine. Not only because it is the first Tudor watch to have an in-house movement, but also because it rivals the calibres of watches from other luxury brands.
For a brand’s first time, they really exceeded the expectations of their critics. And this reason alone should be enough to catch the attention of watch enthusiasts.
2. It offers tremendous value for money.
When Tudor announced that they would start offering watches with in-house movements, the normal thing to expect is that prices would sky-rocket, maybe even rivalling the price tag of Rolex. Fortunately for the consumers, it didn’t happen. With that said, you are getting more than your money’s worth with the North Flag.
3. It is a reliable tool watch.
The Tudor North Flag is a tool watch. It does everything that a tool watch is expected to do and it does it well. It is made with durable material, it is legible, and most importantly, it tells accurate time. Another bonus is that it wears comfortably on the wrist.
Cons:
1. The quirky dial is not for everyone.
I admit, throwing in the neon yellow accents on the dial was a bold move for Tudor. It was definitely a hit or miss for watch enthusiasts. To add, the power reserve indicator, despite being useful, looks tacky to most people.
Tudor meant to make its design quirky and if it throws you off so much, then this watch may not be for you.
2. It has limited strap options.
This is terrible news for people who like switching things up every now and then. As mentioned above, the Tudor North Flag has integrated lugs that make it comfortable to wear. However, to achieve that comfort, there is a trade-off. You will likely have a difficult time replacing the strap.
Basically, the only choices you have are the off-the-rack original leather, the metal bracelet that it comes with or the rubber strap of the Pelagos. If you’re determined to have a different strap, you would have to resort to custom-made ones.
But that’s not to say that there’s a need to change its OEM strap. In fact, you might not even find a reason to. As can be seen above, Tudor really put in the extra work in making the North Flag’s bracelet.
Final Notes
If there’s one watch that conveys the story of Tudor’s success, it’s definitely the North Flag. It introduced the Calibre MT-5621 movement and the brand even took the extra mile to show it off with a see-through caseback. And apart from the movement, the North Flag also shines in a lot more ways.
This watch is solid proof that people don’t purchase a Tudor just because they need to quench their thirst for a Rolex on a budget. Well, that may be true in the past. But now, people buy a Tudor simply because it’s made by a promising company that offers high-quality watches at a low price.
Need a cheaper watch you can use for exploring? Check out our review on the Seiko SNK809!
