Tudor Ranger I

I’ve long hankered after a Rolex Explorer I, but if any Rolex is expensive, Explorer Is are particularly so given how plain they are. So instead I turned my eye to Rolex’s ‘budget’ brand Tudor, and came across this little gem:

It’s a Tudor Prince Oysterdate Ranger I, and dates from sometime in the early 1970s. It came on a black leather band, and I’ve also tried it on a black and grey ‘Bond’ NATO … but it really needed a proper Oyster bracelet. It’s not too big at 35mm, but with the black face and smooth bezel, it doesn’t look too small on the wrist.