Some additional thoughts on Tiger, Tudor and TAG...

My previous thoughts first...

Well... Personally, I think Rolex messed up big time with Tiger... Not that Tiger wasn't a good person to have represent the firm, far from it as a matter of fact, but how they handled it (was not not optimal).

Tudor suffers from, face it, the reputation of being a "poor-man's Rolex". My closest cousin wear's a Rolex Date-Just. And for him it's a perfect watch. So if I were to buy a Tudor (the affordable watch made by Rolex with common ETA movements) say about me were I to buy one? I'm a poor man's version of a my cousin? It doesn't really matter if the watch is a good or even great one (I do like some of the Pre-Tiger Tudor 7750's) basically what it says is that I don't have enough appreciation of the Daytona and am willing to settle for a substitute.

In a way that's what Rolex was saying about Tiger too. He's good enough to represent our economy/entry level brand, but not our Premier brand.

I can see why Tiger wouldn't feel any great compulsion to stick around. His bolting Tudor to go to TAG-Heuer reflects on Tudor as well. TAG-Heuer has in one easy step positioned themselves above Tudor. Or at least that's one way to look at it.

They also made the mistake of putting Tiger's name on the dial. Now I don't know about you, but personally I have a problem with someone (other than the manufacturer) putting a celebrities name on my watch... No matter what level of esteem I hold Tiger in. At least TAG-Heuer (and Omega too) have had the good sense to name a certain model a Hakinnen model (or Last man on the moon model) but not print the name on the dial.

Two additional points on this.

When Tudor put Tiger's name on the dial, they made all of the "Pre-Tiger" Tudor's more desirable. Nothing wrong with that. Rolex has this thing about having very desirable chronographs and controling the supply rather drastically. But the difference between the Stainless Daytona and the Pre-Tiger Tudor was that Rolex wasn't making any more of the Pre-Tiger's to capitalize on the spike in popularity of the older model! Since Tiger bolted, Tudor has re-dialed the line, but I don't care for the looks of the new dial. Something goofy about the way the sub-dials look. So if ever get a hankering for a Tudor Chronograph it'll be a Pre-Tiger or nothing...

Lastly, have you seen some of the dial's they put on these Tiger-Tudor's?

Frankly I've seen Rush Street pimp's plying their wears with better taste than to wear one of these! I mean the Blue isn't awful, but the Red one... Geez!

-- Chuck