Vintage Tudor Big Block 79180 Automatic Chronograph - SOLD
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Tudor was created to be the value-focused little brother to Rolex, a less costly alternative to a brand that cemented its name in luxury. Fortunately for enthusiasts today, this not only led to a string of both "little brother" models to their Rolex counterparts like the Tudor Submariner, Date -Day, and a slew of others, but Tudor also carved out its own path of very interesting watches now considered classics, often as a result of what seemed like daring experimentation Rolex would never attempt with its main brand.
The Big Block series of chronographs that debuted in the 1970s are a great example, with a number of now coveted "exotic" dial configurations as well as more common versions. The Big Block gets its name from the oversized case used to house the fledgeling at the time Valjoux 7750 movement, which was the largest production case Rolex made until the Deep Sea came along in 2008.
The big blocks went through a number of iterations through the early 90s when the case changed to be a bit curvier, add a sapphire crystal, and take advantage of inking Tiger Woods as a megastar sponsor at the time by adding "Tiger" to the dial. What we've managed to track down is the last generation of the true Big Block chronographs, the 79180. It's got a plexi crystal, that big chunky Rolex made case and signed screw-down crown, and the iconic oyster bracelet. The icing on the cake is a reverse-panda dial with polished hands and markers and a polished tachy bezel that completes the look so well. There's not much more you could ask for in a chronograph.
Take a look at the photos and see our condition description below:
Case: 40mm stainless steel case in very good condition as seen in the photographs with thick lugs, flat lug holes, and strong chamfers with only minor surface wear save a small nick on the 7 o'clock lug as pictured. Crown is Rolex signed and screws down smoothly, as do the pushers. B63XXXX serial number dates production to circa 1993.
Bezel: Polished steel tachymeter bezel in very good condition with only light wear. There are some minor marks and nicks visible in the photos.
Dial/Hands: Black polished stick marker dial with contrasting white subdials and polished hands. Dial is excellent and free from any scratching or staining. Hands are mint with intact tritium lume.
Crystal: Freshly installed new OEM Rolex acrylic crystal.
Caseback: Steel Rolex signed caseback in very good condition with minor surface wear visible in the photos.
Movement: Valjoux 7750 movement in excellent mechanical condition. The watch keeps very good time and all functions work as they should including the chronograph start, stop, and reset to zero. Service history is unknown.
Bracelet: Original 78360 bracelet with 589 end links. Clasp is Tudor signed and the bracelet will fit a 7.25" wrist.
Accessories: None, sold as watch only.
The Big Block series of chronographs that debuted in the 1970s are a great example, with a number of now coveted "exotic" dial configurations as well as more common versions. The Big Block gets its name from the oversized case used to house the fledgeling at the time Valjoux 7750 movement, which was the largest production case Rolex made until the Deep Sea came along in 2008.
The big blocks went through a number of iterations through the early 90s when the case changed to be a bit curvier, add a sapphire crystal, and take advantage of inking Tiger Woods as a megastar sponsor at the time by adding "Tiger" to the dial. What we've managed to track down is the last generation of the true Big Block chronographs, the 79180. It's got a plexi crystal, that big chunky Rolex made case and signed screw-down crown, and the iconic oyster bracelet. The icing on the cake is a reverse-panda dial with polished hands and markers and a polished tachy bezel that completes the look so well. There's not much more you could ask for in a chronograph.
Take a look at the photos and see our condition description below:
Case: 40mm stainless steel case in very good condition as seen in the photographs with thick lugs, flat lug holes, and strong chamfers with only minor surface wear save a small nick on the 7 o'clock lug as pictured. Crown is Rolex signed and screws down smoothly, as do the pushers. B63XXXX serial number dates production to circa 1993.
Bezel: Polished steel tachymeter bezel in very good condition with only light wear. There are some minor marks and nicks visible in the photos.
Dial/Hands: Black polished stick marker dial with contrasting white subdials and polished hands. Dial is excellent and free from any scratching or staining. Hands are mint with intact tritium lume.
Crystal: Freshly installed new OEM Rolex acrylic crystal.
Caseback: Steel Rolex signed caseback in very good condition with minor surface wear visible in the photos.
Movement: Valjoux 7750 movement in excellent mechanical condition. The watch keeps very good time and all functions work as they should including the chronograph start, stop, and reset to zero. Service history is unknown.
Bracelet: Original 78360 bracelet with 589 end links. Clasp is Tudor signed and the bracelet will fit a 7.25" wrist.
Accessories: None, sold as watch only.
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