For the second year in a row, a revived Tudor has made its way into the GP100. This is no coincidence. After the Heritage Chronograph Blue’s release last year, no one would have been surprised by a break in 2014, but instead Tudor kept up the intensity. Hearing the calls of its fans, Tudor delivered a home run in the form of the Heritage Ranger.
If there were another old reference that fans of the brand wanted to see re-booted, it would be the Ranger. Very much the cousin of Rolex’s Explorer I, the original Ranger was a handsome, utilitarian field watch. Tudor has done well in honoring its historical references in the past, and this time they even went a step or two further. Taking direct cues from not just their original Ranger, but many other past watches, Tudor opted for a genuine painted dial — no applied markers, and no printed markers. It may not sound like much, but the painted numbers and markers add an extra level of vintage feel. Some may decry the use of faux aged markers, however; in the days of using luminova for lume, natural aging is a thing of the past, and modern markers don’t have to be white. If not for the increase in size from 34mm to 41mm, one might very well mistake the new Heritage Ranger for an original.
The original Ranger, in addition to being an excellent field watch, had looks for many situations. This time around, Tudor displays versatility through the option of a steel bracelet (with an old-school straight-bar end link), a brown two-piece leather strap, or a tan leather Bund strap. All options also come with a high-quality, camouflage woven canvas NATO strap. Looking across each option, it’s obvious the Heritage Ranger can “chameleon” its way into any outfit without missing a beat. What’s more, Tudor did right by tool watch enthusiasts, opting for drilled-through lugs, which make strap changes look like NASCAR pit stops.
Powering the Heritage ranger is a veritable workhorse: the ETA 2824-2. Throughout the years of production, the original Ranger used a variety of ETA movements, with or without a date function. This time around, Tudor left the date out, which keeps the dial clean and symmetrical. For a watch intended for field use, the 2824-2 is nearly impossible to beat, save for battery-powered options.
Lightning doesn’t strike twice — but clearly that rule doesn’t apply to Tudor. Tool watches have been their strength, from divers to racing chronographs, all with vintage looks that vintage watch fans love. With the resurrected Ranger, Tudor has created a timepiece worthy of any collection.