*Unpolished* 1997 Tudor "Small Block" Prince Date Chronograph (Ref. 79280) Silver Dial

While Tudor is often considered Rolex's little sibling, the brand has its own storied history of iconic chronographs, dating back to the release of the Oysterdate in 1970. That legacy continued into the late nineties and early 2000s with the 79000 series, which directly succeeded and improved upon the previous "Big Block" designs.

During this time period, Tudor was ushering in a new era as their own brand, with the separation from Rolex becoming more evident as the crown, case, and bracelet are all signed Tudor, and the dial no longer features the text "Oyster." 

Introduced in 1995, the Tudor Prince Date Chronograph is a true neo-vintage model, featuring a more contemporary design, with a sapphire crystal and reduced case thickness, though it is still considered one of the last "vintage" designs from Tudor.

Prince Date Chronographs were produced in a variety of styles, some with black fixed bezels, others with rotating bezels, and others still with steel bezels that closely resemble the Rolex Zenith Daytonas of the same era. There are also many ref. 79000 chronographs that bear the "Tiger" text underneath the 12 o'clock register, which was done in collaboration with Tiger Woods. Tudor also produced "polished" versions that featured unique reference numbers ending with a "P" to represent the unique case finishing. Non-"Tiger", polished case variants are considered to be much less common and more desirable than the rest of the stable. 

And this ref. 79280 is a fantastic example of that latter grouping, featuring a uniquely patinated silver "Tiger"-free dial, black sub-dials, a fixed steel "tachymeter" bezel, and its original stainless steel bracelet, all of which are in excellent condition. This isn't a poor man's Daytona; it's an icon in its own right, and a beautiful chronograph from an incredibly storied watch brand.