TUDOR News

1950s Ads Reveal TUDOR's Guiding Principles

Jul 24

The “Trial of Destruction” campaign highlights TUDOR’s dedication to crafting the toughest watches possible.

From its inception, TUDOR has been committed to creating watches that are both beautiful and durable. Just a decade after the brand was founded in 1926, Hans Wilsdorf introduced the symbols of the Tudor rose within a shield to symbolize this unique blend of strength and elegance. These complementary qualities have guided the brand ever since.

In 1952, TUDOR had the chance to put its watches to the ultimate test during the British North Greenland Expedition. Led by Commander James Simpson, the expedition involved 30 men conducting scientific research in the harsh, remote region above the Arctic Circle. Accompanying them were 26 TUDOR Oyster Prince watches, essential tools for the safety of the scientists and the success of their mission.

A TUDOR advertisement from 1952 stated, "these wrist-watches will undergo every ordeal a watch is heir to. They will have to withstand temperatures of 90 degrees below zero; climb 9,000 feet in the rarefied atmosphere; suffer 100 miles an hour blizzards; live underground in tunnels of snow!" At the time, the Oyster Prince was a new model, and the British North Greenland Expedition, with its harsh and relentless conditions, provided the perfect opportunity to test the watch's limits. Within TUDOR, there was a strong belief that the best way to improve a product was to field test it with professionals who would push it to the extremes. While in-house testing was thorough, its physical limitations meant it could only go so far. To continuously produce a superior watch, TUDOR subjected it to the world's harshest environments, including Greenland’s Arctic.

The good news is that the watches endured the expedition, with their 34mm stainless steel Oyster cases, Perpetual automatic movements, and white dials with luminous hands and markers proving reliable throughout the explorers' two-year mission. In fact, one of these watches has survived to this day and is now part of TUDOR’s archive in Geneva.

This rigorous testing method, dubbed the “Trial of Destruction,” served as both a model for research and development and a marketing concept. The idea was simple: if a watch could survive Greenland’s arctic conditions, it could withstand whatever challenges an average consumer might face.

The “Trial of Destruction” concept emerged from one of TUDOR’s core principles: creating watches for people who weren’t delicate with their tools. From blue-collar workers to field scientists, TUDOR watches were designed to handle adverse conditions and more.

Other “Trial of Destruction” campaigns showcased events like the Monaco International Trophy for motorcycle racing, emphasizing the TUDOR Oyster Prince’s resilience to “1,000 miles of merciless vibration!” that “no ordinary self-winding watch could endure.” The campaigns also highlighted the watch's endurance through “3 months’ hammering” by a stone-cutter who “never once removed” his Oyster Prince during continuous work.

Some campaigns went to great lengths to detail the specific conditions under which TUDOR watches were tested. In a 1953 advertisement titled “Shock treatment at the coal-face,” readers learn that a self-winding Oyster Prince watch was worn by a coal miner working 1,000 feet underground for 252 hours of drilling and hewing at the coal-face, specifically to test its resistance to vibrations. A 1954 advertisement continued the story, this time highlighting riveters building skyscrapers. The ad described how the riveter wore the watch while punching rivets into steel girders, washing, bathing, and sleeping, stating that he “could not believe that any watch could take such a beating and go on ticking. The Oyster Prince did more – it kept perfect time.”

The message was clear: Whether you were exploring the Arctic, mining coal, racing motorcycles, or doing something far less physically demanding, the TUDOR Oyster Prince was battle-tested and ready for any challenge.

More than half a century later, this ethos remains at the core of every TUDOR watch. From dedicated sport watches like the Black Bay Pro and Pelagos to more classic designs such as the 1926 and Style collections, every TUDOR watch is crafted to withstand anything thrown its way – and much more.