Rare 1988 Tudor 94210 “Big Block Monte-Carlo” – Unpolished!

Rare, colorful, and never polished since its birth almost 40 years ago, this Tudor chronograph reference 94210 from 1988 is very sought-after by collectors, who nickname it the “Big Block Monte-Carlo”.
The bold and contrasting design of its dial combines with the stainless steel Oyster case invented by Rolex in 1926, thicker than usual to accommodate, for the first time in Tudor’s history, and over 10 years before Rolex, a self-winding chronograph movement.
Today we present what we believe to be the rarest and most aesthetically balanced variant of the Tudor 94xxx line chronographs, furthermore preserved in superb vintage condition.

The production of chronographs at Tudor began in 1968. What collectors call the third series of models, produced between 1977 and 1988, is the trio of references 9420(/)0 (fixed bakelite bezel), 9430(/)0 (fixed steel bezel, engraved), and 9421(/)0 (rotating bezel). Presented here is what we consider to be the rarest and most aesthetically balanced variant of the Tudor chronographs from the 94xxx line.

This model is nicknamed the “Big Block” by collectors due to the fact that, to house the rotor of the automatic Valjoux 7750 caliber, Tudor had to thicken the case by 1.5 mm compared to the older hand-wound references. Indeed, these were Tudor’s first self-winding chronographs, over 10 years ahead of Rolex!

Big Blocks were produced with different types of dials. Among them, the “Exotic/Monte Carlo” configurations (a moniker due to the dial resembling casino roulettes) are by far the most sought-after. And amongst the various variations of Monte Carlo, the rarest and most exciting is precisely this one: gray with black and orange accents.

This watch has spanned the decades and remained in superb vintage condition, with a vibrant dial, perfect luminous material on the markers and hands, and a case that we believe has never been polished since leaving the factory, retaining particularly crisp bevels/chamfers.

The back and crown are, as expected, signed Rolex, as is the Oyster bracelet reference 78360, with Tudor-specific 589 end linkd.
Never before have we seen such an attractive example. This is a very rare and collectible watch, with substantial proportions, a strong design identity and a sought-after colorway, not to mention its wonderful condition.

The imposing stainless steel case of this Tudor Big Block Monte-Carlo has never been polished, and retains crisp edges and chamfers. Almost 40 years after its creation, this case now presents superficial scratches, which we have chosen not to remove in order to preserve this rare and superb watch in its original proportions.
The unpolished case back is in very good condition and only has superficial scratches.
The graduated black insert is in very good condition and shows no significant dent.
The self-winding movement works perfectly, and displays impeccable values ​​of 327° amplitude, +6 s/d, and 0.1 ms beat error.
The steel Rolex Oyster bracelet is in excellent condition and has no stretch; we satin-finished it for greater everyday wear confort.
The multi-colored dial is remarkably well preserved, and the original luminescent material of all the markers and hands is in ideal condition and has developed a magnificent and even patina.

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