Blue 7169 Tudor Monte Carlo

As @kingflum pointed out to me recently, value is a relative metric. In many regards, it can only be considered subjective. Many collectors love the 7159 (steel bezel) and 7149 (bakelite bezel) Monte Carlos for their fixed bezel designs, doubling down on classic chronograph style. The 7169 has always lagged behind the market ever so slightly. This has always perplexed me, as I find the fully graduated 12-hour format quite a clean and precise aesthetic (perhaps even a bit Heuer Jochen Rindt-adjacent in its design). Value? You tell me.

The 7169/0 and its above mentioned siblings are a descendant of the first-ever Tudor chronographs, the ‘Home Plate’ series, slightly more bold in accents. The reference garnered its moniker for its similarity to the roulette tables of Monaco, with orange, white, grey, and black/blue track details. I want to say that this is a Daytona for people with with taste, but that’s a bit extreme and I still lust for a 6240. Let’s just say this is a discreet Wilsdorf chronograph, for watch people alone to enjoy. While the majority of these references are found with black tracks, subdials, and bezels, this example is one of the more flamboyant blue dials.

With a 40mm steel oyster case and column-wheel Valjoux 234, the components are somewhere generic. However, this watch is more than the sum of its parts. Moreover, this 234 calibre was the first to feature a non-cam driven chronograph and a higher beat rate. Still further, there is one detail which draws colossal enthusiasm from the detail-obsessed Rolex crowd: it has its own unique style of squared-off crown guards. Pair that with an oyster-case and its screw-down pushers to create something of a spectacular chrono-side silhouette. It should be no surprise that Tudor chose establish its new identity in 2013 with just a reissue of this Monte Carlo and the Black Bay. While niche, this chronograph is core to the brand’s identity.

This example sports an exceptional case with full unadulterated chamfers on a 78360 Oyster bracelet. The blue dial is clean and without fault to my eye. Its tritium is aged to a light cream tone on dial and a just ever-so-slightly more greenish hue in the handset. Its bezel shows no significant bashes. It comes without box and papers from a well-regarded retailer.

Find this 7169 here from Bulang & Sons for 19900 EUR.