The year 1976 saw the launch of the third family of Tudor chronographs, known as “Big Block”. With the Prince Oysterdate models, the brand presented its first chronographs equipped with a self-winding mechanical movement and confirmed what the Oysterdate family had begun. Tudor offered immediately recognizable chronographs with excellent technical qualities just like the bigger brother Rolex Daytona line of chronographs. The movement uses the Valjoux caliber 7750. Having the same diameter as the manually wound Valjoux 234, 30.4 mm or 13 lines, it was 1.5 mm thicker than the latter and had a frequency of 28,800 beats per hour. Its chronograph mechanism was a highly reliable cam and oscillating pinion system.
The Tudor Big Block was an exciting piece for Tudor as it was the first automatically wound chronograph from the WIlsdorf stable – a full decade ahead of the reference 16520 Rolex Daytona.
Information:
Serial: B,486,XXX
Year: 1992
Case Reference: 79170
Bracelet: 78360 Clasp Code with 589 Endlinks - Stainless Steel
Dial: Reverse Panda - tritium - MK2
Hands: Tritium
Case Size: 40mm x 14.5mm Thickness
Lug Width: 20mm
Case: Stainless Steel
Caliber: Valjoux 7750 - Automatic - Running ( 2 s/d 302 amp)
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date, Chronograph
Accessories: Inner box - no papers
Crystal: Acrylic
Bracelet size: 7.5”
Condition: Great vintage condition
Case is unpolished with very light surface wear. Bracelet has light normal surface wear with nothing notable, and minimal stretch. Dial has light subdial wear. Hands have some deuteriation to the steel with lume intact. Crystal is free of wear. Running ( 2 s/d 302 amp).
