Tudor has entered its 100th year in the business, and the Swiss watchmaker is popping open the champagne. Well, the champagne dial, that is, one attached to a criminally underrated sport watch from of recent vintage.

To mark a century of rugged tool watches and horology that punches above its weight, Tudor is reviving a forgotten wristpiece. The Monarch, a sports watch line central to Tudor’s offering in the early 2000s but overshadowed by the Black Bay launched in 2012, is finally back.

The 2026 Monarch boasts the new calibre MT5662-2U movement, which is Master Chronometer certified by METAS and helps justify its price ($5,875) at the top-end of Tudor’s range. And the newness continues onto the outside, featuring a steel bracelet and 39mm case with sharp angles unlike the Monarchs that came before, yet the 2026 Monarch still carries the vibe of an early-2000s sports watch. Much of this retro feel comes from the yellow champagne dial with its textured, vertically brushed finish Tudor created to evoke old papyrus paper.

The dial matches that of Tudor’s first-ever moonphase watch, released last year, and its unveiling has been met with equal levels of surprise at this year’s Watches & Wonders. 

The Rolex-owned watchmaker was expected to bring out limited-edition takes on fan favorites for its centennial. And Tudor did just that at the watchmaking convention, presenting several Black Bay designs like the first fully blacked-out ceramic and a sapphire blue Black Bay 54. 

But those were expected, somewhat, whereas the Monarch’s revival was a left-field choice. This isn’t a widely-known watch nor one that’s been building a buzz among vintage collectors, yet its few small tweaks made it arguably the standout from Tudor’s big 100th-anniversary moment. 

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit HS Shopping for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.