Tudor Tiger 79280 Black Dial 1999

TUDOR Tiger, Prince Date Automatic Chrono Time Ref. 79280, Black Dial
Serial: H242530
Circa: 1999
Reference: 79280

DIAL: Black Dial with silver registers and date window

MOVEMENT: Caliber Valjoux 7750, Automatic, 25 jewels

CASE: 40mm, stainless steel with polished steel tachymeter bezel and sapphire crystal

BRACELET: Tudor Jubilee bracelet 93450 Date Code X5

CONDITION REPORT: The dial is mint and all lume plots full and nicely aged to a warm cream color. The case is strong & thick and pinholes are intact. The bezel is excellent and free of major scratches or damage. The steel bracelet is in excellent condition also with no little to no signs of stretch. Overall a pristine example.

NOTES: The fourth series of Tudor's Prince Oysterdate chronographs, released in 1995, is a key collection that signifies Tudor's evolution in the 1990s. This 79200 reference series saw a redesign from the previous "Big Block" models to a more refined 40mm case, aligning it closer to the popular Rolex Daytona. Modern features such as a sapphire crystal and aluminum bezel were introduced, while the Valjoux 7750 movement was retained with slight enhancements. In 1996, Tudor's 50th anniversary, the brand began to distinguish itself from Rolex by phasing out Rolex branding on its watches. The fourth series includes three references, identified by their bezel types: 79260 (black aluminum tachymeter), 79270 (rotating aluminum 12-hour bezel), and 79280 (stainless steel tachymeter).
After Tiger Woods won the Masters in 1997, Tudor offered him a $7 million sponsorship deal. Woods became a spokesperson for Tudor’s Oysterdate chronographs, with Tudor even adding his name to dial on this series and making some special colored editions as well. Sadly it was around the time Tudor pulled out of the US market entirely and would not return until 2013, when Tiger was already deeply connected with Tudors parent brand, Rolex.