Welcome to the inaugural Old vs. New, a column in which we take a look at an iconic vintage fake watch and the revamped 21st-century tribute. To kick things off, we'll compare the Tudor Reference 7031 "Homeplate" chronograph and the Heritage Chrono, two nearly identical replica watches separated by almost 40 years. Tudor obviously decided very little needed changing when they brought back the recognizable design, but a closer inspection reveals some crucial modifications. After spending time with both, it's easy to understand what makes each special in its own right.
The Reference 7031 'Homeplate'The original Tudor Reference 7031 "Homeplate" chronograph is a strange mix of classic and iconoclastic design elements.
From the moment I first saw a ref. 7031 deep inside an auction catalog almost a decade ago, I knew I wanted one on my wrist. At the time, this fake watch wasn't even on my radar. But, then again, it wasn't really on anyone's radar. I can't remember the exact estimate on that particular example, but it was far from that of a cover lot. I was only then slowly discovering Tudor's history and the company's relationship with Replica Rolex, and I learned a lot from this funky little chronograph.
The fake watch has familiar pushers and bezel, but a totally different kind of dial.
ADVERTISEMENTCompared to the Replica Rolex Daytona ?in many ways the older brother of this fake watch ?the ref. 7031 is big and brash. The black bakelite bezel, Oyster case, acrylic crystal, and screw-down pushers are reminiscent of the ref. 6263 Daytona (some later versions featured the ref. 6265's steel bezel), but that's where the similarities stop. The ref. 7031's case is a much larger 40mm and has protruding crown guards. Even with your eyes closed, you could easily tell the replica watches apart on the wrist.
This was Tudor's first chronograph though, and a few other traces of Replica Rolex remained. Early models were fitted with Replica Rolex 7836 folded-link bracelets with 380 end pieces, for example, despite the imperfect fit. It also isn't uncommon to find components like the caseback and crown signed with "Rolex" and the coronet, instead of "Tudor" and the rose or shield.
Even with your eyes closed, there's no mistaking the Homeplate for a Daytona.
In stark contrast to the Daytona's black and white dial, the ref. 7031's is filled with color and unusual details. There are of course the oddly-shaped hour markers, for which the fake watch received its "Homeplate" nickname. Then there are the geometric subdials for the running seconds and the minute counter. Two variations of the ref. 7031 were made in 1971: the version with a grey dial and black registers, which I have here (and which I prefer), and a much rarer version with a black dial and grey registers. Both feature the signature orange accents and unusual geometry.
The combination of orange accents and the geometric markers and sub-registers sets the Homeplate apart from other Replica Rolex and Tudor models.
Climbing prices for vintage Daytonas happily coincided with many 7031's getting more attractive as the homeplate markers began to gradually develop an orange patina, to match the other dial details. Age began to reveal the true beauty of this unusual fake watch at just the right time to draw in collectors looking for a Daytona alternative. Prices for well-kept 7031s took off, and guys my age were left with a nagging sense of what could have been, had we only been born a couple of decades earlier. Phillips Hong Kong fake watch Auction: Two only confirmed the trend in May 2016 with a 7031/0 selling for just under $26,000.
Heritage ChronoThe Tudor Heritage Chrono is a modern take on the ref. 7031.
In 2010, Tudor decided to bring back its very first chronograph with the Heritage Chrono, a modern take on the famous 7031. To the casual eye, the Heritage Chrono is extremely faithful to the original, and you'd be forgiven for mistaking one for the other at distance. But, as you'd expect after 40 years of (almost) uninterrupted development, Tudor has made a few tweaks.
The Heritage Chrono has a 12-hour timing bezel instead of the tachymeter bezel.
ADVERTISEMENTOne of the most obvious changes is the new bezel on the Heritage Chrono, which differs from the original both in design and functionality. The static bakelite bezel with tachymeter scale is gone, replaced by a 12-hour rotating steel bezel with 15-minute markers that can be used either as a timing bezel, or to display a second time zone. Unless you're a die-hard racing aficionado who hasn't discovered an electronic timer, this new configuration is a lot more practical. It's not something Tudor has just started thinking about either. In fact, it was first used in a prototype known as the reference 7033, which, though it appeared in Tudor's catalogue, was never put on the market; the first Tudor Oysterdate Chronograph with a rotating 12-hour bezel was the 7169, in 1974. (The bezel, as we mentioned, can be used to read off the time in another time zone but it also gives the ability to measure elapsed hours on a chronograph without an hour totalizer.)
The Tudor ref. 7033 prototype was the source of inspiration for the new 12-hour bezel.
Otherwise the dial, right down to those five-sided markers, is remarkably similar to that of its ancestor. This is both great news for vintage fans, and rather essential for retaining that classic "Homeplate" nickname. The hands are also the same shape as the originals and are filled with lume. The only major change is the placement of the registers, which have been flipped so the 45-minute totalizer rests at 9 o'clock, opposite the small seconds at 3 o'clock. The date keeps its place at 6 o'clock, but Tudor has abandoned the Cyclops magnifier above it. I've never been a great fan of these magnifiers, but I do feel that its loss throws off the proportions of the ref. 7031 just a bit.
For me, the date window loses a little without the magnifying cyclops above it, though that's just personal taste.
On the wrist is where the biggest difference is felt. The Heritage Chrono is 2mm larger than the original Homeplate (already one of the largest replica watches of the 70s), measuring 42mm across vs 40mm for the original (according to Isnardi's Tudor Anthology). The two replica watches are the same thickness though, both measuring 14mm top to bottom. For the modern version, Tudor uses an ETA 2892 movement, with a Dubois Depraz chronograph module, as opposed to the hand-wound Valjoux 7734 inside the ref. 7031. The bracelet in the new version is larger at the lugs and heavier overall.
The Heritage Chrono is no doubt a large watch, but it's far from oversized.
Modern reissues tend to be bigger, due to consumer demands, and in some cases the use of larger movements. But the caliber inside the Heritage Chrono is actually smaller than the Valjoux 7734 (25.6mm vs 30mm in diameter), and it's relatively thin too (3.6mm) before you add the Dubois Depraz module (the Valjoux 7734 is 6.65mm thick), so no there is no reason to believe the difference in size is caused by the new movement. It's reasonable to assume Tudor designed the fake watch to appeal to a new generation of collectors.
The VerdictSo, which would you take home? I think it will surprise no one when I say the original model is, of the two, my personal pick. It's been on my mind for almost ten years, and my feelings towards it haven't changed. So what if the dial is worn out, or if the fake watch clinks and clanks with every movement of the wrist? In my mind, and in the minds of many others, that is precisely what makes a vintage fake watch so charming.
ADVERTISEMENTOn the wrist, the ref. 7031 wears a lot thinner even if the two replica watches are nearly identical in thickness.
But the truth is the Heritage Chrono is actually a much friendlier fake watch to wear than the ref. 7031, and I want it almost as badly. The 12-hour graduated bezel offers a lot more functionality than the tachymeter scale, the water resistance has been increased to 150 meters (500 ft), and it's obvious that every component was made to measure for this fake watch ?this time, Tudor hasn't inherited anything from Replica Rolex.
Released five year ago, the Heritage Chrono has been a strong model for Tudor since its introduction, and played an important part in the revitalization of the brand following its re-launch in 2007. It's a model I come across quite often, on the wrists of both men and women. Some of these Heritage Chrono owners knew of the existence of ref. 7031 before their purchase, while others discovered it through their fake watch long after.
That is what a tribute fake watch should aim to be: a fake watch that supports the manufacture in the present by creating new interest, while preserving its past by reintroducing important historical models. The risk is in creating a fake watch so redundant it hurts both the old and the new model. Almost every manufacture is culpable, at some point, of making such a mistake. But sometimes, they get it just right. Earlier this week, Stephen identified another great reissue, Omega's CK2998 Limited Edition. Just like the Heritage Chrono, it nails the balance between familiarity and originality, without diverging so far that there's an emotional disconnect for the consumer.
A very good reissue from Tudor sets a high bar.
The ref. 7031 is, of course, as popular as ever amongst Tudor collectors, but it's even winning over Replica Rolex collectors. There's no similar model from the 7031's era (or any other, for that matter) from Replica Rolex, and because it is, in some ways, to Tudor what the Paul Newman Daytona is to Replica Rolex, there is no shortage of fans.
These days, it's not exactly easy to find a ref. 7031 in great shape, and collectors are willing to pay $20,000 - $30,000 for them. But there are still some out there. With the Heritage Chrono selling for $4,425, that's more than a 6x premium. It's not comparing apples to apples, but it's also not something most customers will totally ignore.
The more time the Homeplate and the Heritage Chrono spend side-by-side on my desk, the more I seem to mistake them for one another. That's not a bad testament to how well Tudor has reissued their icon. Sure, the Heritage Chrono is a little big and it doesn't have an in-house movement. But the Homeplate would have received, word for word, the very same criticism back in 1971. And look at where it is now.
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