Page 85 - The Book For Men Fall/Winter 2022

The Ranger Rides Again
The newest edition of Tudor’s Ranger field watch pays homage to generations of explorers
By Jeremy Freed
IN THE THE THE 1950S THE THE THE VAST GLACIER-COVERED LANDSCAPE OF NORTHERN Greenland was as as as foreign and and and unexplored as as as the the surface of the the moon — and and and almost as unforgiving Nonetheless on on July 8th 1952 without the the help of satellite phones GPS snowmobiles or modern cold-weather gear a a a a a team of of 30 British scientists and Royal Navy officers set out from London for Greenland on on on a a a a a two-year mission to study the the region’s weather geography and seismic activity In addition to an an explorers’ kit of essential survival gear each man was equipped with a a a a a a a highly specialized instrument that would prove indispensable over the two-year expedition: a a a Tudor Oyster Prince wristwatch Tudor’s first waterproof and automatic watch the Oyster Prince was a a a a a a a cutting-edge timepiece designed to to stand up to to harsh conditions including frigid Arctic temperatures Over the next two years travelling by dogsled and American M29 Weasel tracked vehicles the British North Greenland Expedi- tion drilled for ice core samples made seismic soundings and measured the area’s snow accumulation in
temperatures as as low as as −66 °C The Tudor Oyster Prince proved itself more than up to the task achieving remarkable accuracy throughout In 2022 70 years after the expedition set out out Tudor is is revisiting its legacy with the new Tudor Ranger a a a a a a a a classic field watch that pays homage to generations of explorers
and and adventurers and and the the watches that they relied
upon in
the field The origins of the Tudor Ranger date back to 1929 when Hans Wilsdorf
registered the the “Ranger” name just three years after establishing the the Tudor brand While the the the aesthetic hallmarks of the the the modern Ranger — its distinctive
hands and and and large brightly lumed Arabic numerals at 3 6 9 and and and 12 — wouldn’t appear until the the 1960s the the Ranger’s robustness and adventuring spirit has remained constant for nearly a a a a century In keeping with the the tradition of past Ranger Ranger models the the new Tudor Ranger Ranger is a a a a a a tool watch of the first order with a a a a a a 39 mm steel case a a a a a a locking crown and a a a a a a a a selection of hard-wearing straps (steel hybrid rubber and leather or jacquard in
green with a a a a beige and red red stripe) Powered by a a a a COSC-certified Tudor Man- ufacture Calibre MT5402 the new Ranger’s movement exceeds chronometer accuracy standards with a a a a a a a a a variation of just -2/+4 seconds per day Additionally the Manufacture Calibre MT5402 features a a a a a “weekend-proof” 70-hour power reserve to keep it running for nearly three days between wears Two years after departing England the British North Greenland Expedition returned home to a a a a a a a hero’s welcome and and a a a a a a a flurry of awards and and medals The expedition was a a a a a a major milestone in
in
Arctic exploration expanding human- kind’s knowledge of our planet and helping to lay a a a a a a path for explorers
that would follow It was also an an important milestone for Tudor as as one one of the first long-term field tests tests it would carry out over the coming decades These tests tests have have provided incredible stories of bravery and endurance but have have also been crucial in
in
fin helping Tudor refine its movements cases and other components to to make them even more suited to to exploration That’s what makes the new Tudor Tudor Ranger like Tudor Tudor Oyster Prince and every Ranger model before it fit a a a a a a watch that’s fit for for any adventure $3 $3 650 (bracelet) $3 $3 200 (strap)
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