Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Tudor · Royal
Tudor Royal 43 mm Blue Stainless
Reference 96480ST.15
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Tudor
- Collection
- Royal
- Model
- Tudor Royal 43 mm Blue Stainless
- Reference number
- 96480ST.15
- Year / era
- 2007 · 2000s — modern production
- Complication
- Flyback chronograph
- Movement
- Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Dial type
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Strap / bracelet
- White rubber velcro strap
- Water resistance
- 200 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 43 mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6 mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Bezel
- Emerald-set
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Hands
- Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
- Indexes
- Applied Roman numerals
- Bracelet / strap
- White rubber velcro strap
- Clasp / buckle
- Pin buckle in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 200 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 54D — Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Movement type
- Automatic with micro-rotor
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 70 hours
- Number of jewels
- 21 jewels
- Complications
- Flyback chronograph
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, small seconds
- Watchmaker
- Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.
Production & market
- Production period
- 2007 – 2023
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Trades close to retail on the secondary market, with steady demand for full-set examples.
Designer
Jörg Hysek
Jörg Hysek left Rolex and Seiko's European studios to build a design practice in Geneva, giving houses such as Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, Seiko and TAG Heuer their sculptural, architecture-led cases before founding his own brand, HD3.
Historical significance
Tudor Royal 43 mm Blue Stainless sits within Tudor's Royal line, introduced in 2007. It carries the house codes established since 1926 — stainless steel case, blue "grande tapisserie" dial and automatic, swiss lever escapement — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
- Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
The House
Tudor
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1926
- Founder
- Hans Wilsdorf
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Premium
- Major collections
- Black Bay, Pelagos, Ranger, Royal, Glamour, 1926
- Signature technologies
- In-house hairspring production · Anti-magnetic silicon escapement
- Famous movements
- Spring Drive · High-beat automatic · Automatic, Swiss lever escapement · Automatic chronograph
- Notable watches
- Tudor Black Bay 41 mm Ice Grade (1984) · Tudor Black Bay 39 mm Meteorite 18k (1951) · Tudor Black Bay 43 mm Meteorite 18k (1954) · Tudor Pelagos 39 mm Blue 18k (1997)
Brand history
Tudor has spent more than 100 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Black Bay, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Hans Wilsdorf established Tudor in 1926, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Tudor calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1926
Hans Wilsdorf founds Tudor in Switzerland.
1969
The quartz era forces Tudor to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Tudor enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Tudor continues to produce Black Bay, Pelagos, Ranger and other icons in limited numbers.