The Tudor Hydronaut Era: The Bold, Blocky, Forgotten Watches of the Early 2000’s
If you visit Tudor’s website, you’ll see lots of their nice new releases along with a proud historical timeline featuring pictures of many of their popular vintage watches. Notably though, the Tudor Hydronaut and its ilk are nowhere to be found. It’s as if 1998-2009 never happened. Most Tudor collectors largely ignore that time period, too. That was when Tudor was first distancing itself from the Rolex lineup. Perhaps they were trying a bit too hard to seem hip and different, because they released some watches with…pretty aggressive aesthetics. Their undeniably dated look is somewhat charming now, though. Here’s our guide to the Tudor Hydronaut, Iconaut, and all the other forgotten ‘Nauts from Tudor’s blocky early-2000’s era.
All Tudors of this time period use ETA movements. Also, note that Tudor pulled out of the North American and UK markets entirely sometime around 2004. They didn’t return to the US until 2013, one year after the triumphant release of the Tudor Black Bay that ushered in Tudor’s next chapter. The “Hydronaut Era,” however, had started back when the Hydronaut replaced the beloved Tudor Submariner.
Tudor Hydronaut
With few exceptions–like serti dials, the Rolex Hulk, and salmon Tudor Submariners–all Submariner dials are either black or blue. But right out of the gate, the Tudor Hydronaut established itself as a more colorful/contemporary dive watch lineup when it debuted in 1998. Orange, yellow, blue mother-of-pearl, and even carbon fiber dials were offered.
I don’t know if there’s a name for the wacky geometric hands that the Hydronaut uses. They’re quirky, but highly legible. The bezel features a contemporary typeface and blocky markings from 0-15 minutes. Unlike the Submariner, the Hydronaut was available with a rubber strap. Oyster bracelets were never offered on the Hydronaut, presumably because Rolex was focused on differentiating the Tudor and Rolex brands, so the only bracelet option was the five-link Tudor Prince Bracelet.
The Tudor Submariner was made in five sizes over the years (Lady, Mini, midsize, full-size, plus a rare 31mm reference) but the Hydronaut came in only three: 28mm, 36mm, and 40mm. The largest ones are the most popular. Because Tudor was sponsoring Tiger Woods from 1997-2003, they decided to write “Tiger” seemingly at random on some (but not all) Hydronaut dials. And the very first ones actually just say Tiger and not Hydronaut. The Tudor Hydronaut, which was the last Tudor sports model to get Rolex’s famous date cyclops, was replaced by the Black Bay in 2012.
Tudor Hydronaut Specs
| Model Name | Hydronaut | Hydronaut (Midsize) | Hydronaut Lady |
| Reference Number(s) | 89190, 89193 | 85190, 85193 | 99090 |
| Year Debuted-Discontinued | 1998-2012 | 1998-2012 | 1998-2012 |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel or Two-Tone | Stainless Steel or Two-Tone | Stainless Steel |
| Case Diameter | 40mm | 36mm | 28mm |
| Water Resistance | 200m | 200m | 200m |
| Movement Caliber | ETA 2824-2 | ETA 2824-2 | ETA |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours | 38 hours | 38 hours |
| Movement Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date | Hours, minutes, seconds, date | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Bracelet/Strap Options | Bracelet or Rubber | Bracelet or Rubber | Bracelet or Rubber |
| Market Value (May 2024) | $1,900 | $1,500 | $1,350 |
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Tudor Hydronaut II
The Hydronaut II came out sometime around 2006, and it was basically just a Tudor Sport ref. 20010 with a rotating bezel. The earliest examples (ref. 20020 and the two-tone version, ref. 20023) don’t actually say Hydronaut II on the dial; they have a water resistance of “only” 150m and, surprisingly, a bidirectional bezel.
The following Hydronaut II models (ref. 20030 and 20040) were given 200m depth ratings along with unidirectional bezels like you would expect on a proper dive watch. The two-tone option was dropped, and a 31mm ladies’ size was added. Tudor also gave the Hydronaut II bezels a bit of a “roulette wheel” look by adding black squares behind the numbers.
Ref. 20060 debuted in 2010 with some aesthetic tweaks like a more Seiko SKX-like bezel insert, hands similar to those on the first Hydronaut, and huge “Hydronaut II” text on the dial. Although the crown guard, lugs, and bezel of the Hydronaut II are pretty aggressive, it’s otherwise a fairly straightforward dive watch. Unlike some of the watches we’re showing you here, there isn’t too much craziness going on with the dials (although the checkerboard carbon fiber dial option is cool). Note that the Hydronaut II didn’t replace the Hydronaut; they were both made concurrently until the Black Bay replaced them in 2012.
Tudor Hydronaut II Specs
| Model Name | “Pre”-Hydronaut II (Mark 1) | Hydronaut II (Mark 2) | Hydronaut II (Mark 3) | Hydronaut II Lady |
| Reference Number(s) | 20020, 20023 | 20030, 20040 | 20060 | 24030, 24040 |
| Years Produced | 2006-2007 | 2007-2012 | 2010-2012 | 2007-2012 |
| Case Material | Stainless steel or two-tone | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Case Size | Diameter: 41mm Thickness: 10.5mm Lug-to-lug: 46.6mm | Diameter: 41mm Thickness: 10.7mm Lug-to-lug: 46.6mm | Diameter: 41mm Thickness: 10.7mm Lug-to-lug: 46.6mm | Diameter: 31mm |
| Water Resistance | 150m | 200m | 200m | 200m |
| Movement Caliber | ETA 2824-2 | ETA 2824-2 | ETA 2824-2 | ETA |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours | 38 hours | 38 hours | 38 hours |
| Movement Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date | Hours, minutes, seconds, date | Hours, minutes, seconds, date | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Bracelet/Strap Options | Steel bracelet (with gold center link on TT version) or rubber strap | Steel bracelet or rubber strap | Steel bracelet or rubber strap | Steel bracelet or rubber strap |
| Market Value (May 2024) | $2,200 | $2,300 | $2,200 | $1,300 |
Tudor Hydronaut II Chronograph
The Hydronaut II chronograph, ref. 20360N, is the rarest of all the Tudor ‘Naut models. It was only made from about 2009-2012, but in that short time it overlapped with no less than six other Tudor chronograph lines: Fastrider, Grantour Flyback Chrono, Tudor Heritage Chrono, Archeo Chronograph, Iconaut, and Sport Chrono. I’m really not sure why Tudor was making so many different chronograph references back then.
In any case, the Hydronaut II chrono looks a lot like the final regular Hydronaut II, ref. 20060. The 9 o’clock subdial, for some reason, is totally different than the other two, and the date is at 4:30. Another quirky aspect of the watch is the date corrector at 10 o’clock–that’s not a helium escape valve (its 200m depth rating doesn’t necessitate one). Hydronaut II chronographs are definitely different from Tudor’s current offerings, and they don’t come up for sale very often. But when they do, they’re generally in the $3,000 ballpark.
Tudor Hydronaut II Chronograph Specs
| Model Name | Hydronaut II Chronograph |
| Reference Number(s) | 20360N |
| Years Produced | 2009-2012 |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size | Diameter: 41mm Thickness: 14mm Lug-to-lug: 46.6mm |
| Water Resistance | 200m |
| Movement Caliber | ETA 2824-2 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Movement Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph |
| Bracelet/Strap Options | Steel bracelet or rubber strap |
| Market Value (May 2024) | ~$2,850 USD |
Hydro 1200
If you wrote “Invicta” on the dial of this next watch, nobody would bat an eye. The Tudor Hydro 1200 is an absolute monster. Everything about this watch is huge–crown, crown guard, lugs, bezel, bezel text, dial text, logo, hands, hour markers, and a 24mm lug width. There’s also a conspicuous red-trimmed helium escape valve at 9 o’clock. Perhaps intentionally, its depth rating of 3,930 feet falls just short of the 4,000-foot rating of the Rolex Sea-Dweller. But that’s just semantics–this is the most hardcore diver Tudor has ever made, and it was basically their flagship watch in its day.
The huge blocky numbers on the bezel are something you probably wouldn’t see watch brands make now. And seriously, check out those thick, veiny hands. The Hydro 1200 is really something, and because it was only made for 2 or 3 years, it’s actually fairly rare–although not as rare as the Hydronaut 2 Chronograph. It never really caught on, but it has its admirers. Personally I prefer it on a rubber strap, because the alternating steel and black ceramic links on the available bracelet are too Rado-like for my taste.
Tudor Hydro 1200 Specs
| Model Name | Hydro 1200 |
| Reference Number(s) | 25000 |
| Years Produced | 2009-2012 |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size | Diameter: 45.5mm Thickness: 15mm Lug-to-lug: 52mm |
| Water Resistance | 1200m |
| Movement Caliber | ETA 2824-2 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Movement Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Bracelet/Strap Options | Steel/ceramic five-link bracelet or rubber strap |
| Market Value (May 2024) | ~$2,750 USD |
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Chronautic
The successor to Tudor’s beloved Rolex Daytona-like Small Block chronograph was the Chronautic, made from about 2000-2008. In some parts of the world, like Hong Kong, the Small Block was still sold that entire time, also. The Chronautic isn’t too wild, although it does have the unusual geometric hands from the Hydronaut. The case is slightly more swoopy and Tag Heuer-like than old Tudor chronos, but not in a bad way. The slate dial option looks particularly nice on the Chronautic.
Except for a salmon option, all Chronautic dials are variations of black/white/grey, including a checkerboard carbon fiber dial like the one offered on the Hydronaut. There’s also a “waffle panda” dial:
Although its look isn’t exactly “timeless,” the Tudor Chronautic has a coherent, pleasant aesthetic and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it get more appreciation eventually. If you’re considering ETA-based sport chronographs under $3,000, a Chronautic is certainly worth a look.
Tudor Chronautic Specs
| Model Name | Chronautic |
| Reference Number(s) | 79380P |
| Years Produced | 2000-2008 |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size | DIameter: 41mm Thickness: 13.9mm Lug-to-lug: 47mm |
| Water Resistance | 100m |
| Movement Caliber | ETA/Valjoux 7750 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Movement Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph |
| Bracelet/Strap Options | Leather or Bracelet |
| Market Value (May 2024) | ~$2,800 USD |
Sport Chrono
Just as the Chronautic shared the hands from the Hydronaut, the Sport Chrono introduced in 2007 was given the same hands as the Hydronaut II. With a wide bezel, huge shiny lugs, oversized logo, and a 22mm Oyster bracelet, the Sport Chrono is more aggressive than the Chronautic that it replaced. Although it looks pretty chunky, it has the same reasonable 41mm diameter.
The Sport Chrono uses the ETA 7753 movement rather than the 7750, so the subdials are in a 3-6-9 configuration instead of 6-9-12. The circular date window was a bit of an odd choice, but not as odd as the choice to write the word “CHRONO” at the top of the dial in enormous partly-cut-off letters. The reverse panda dial seen below is one of the only dials without that feature.
The Sport Chrono was discontinued in 2010, when the Tudor Heritage Chrono debuted and the Tudor Hydronaut era was coming to an end.
Tudor Sport Chrono Specs
| Model Name | Sport Chrono |
| Reference Number(s) | 20300 |
| Years Produced | 2007-2010 |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size | DIameter: 41mm Thickness: 14mm Lug-to-lug: 46.6mm |
| Water Resistance | 150m |
| Movement Caliber | ETA/Valjoux 7753 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Movement Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph |
| Bracelet/Strap Options | Leather or Bracelet |
| Market Value | ~$2,500 USD |
Aeronaut
The Tudor Aeronaut, with a 6 o’clock subdial and multiple pushers, looks somewhat like a chronograph at first glance. But it was actually Tudor’s first GMT model, released in 2006. The 2 o’clock pusher advances the main hour hand one hour, while the 4 o’clock pusher moves it back an hour. The 8 o’clock pusher advances the date, so all travel-related time changes can be made without unscrewing the crown. Three pushers just for managing a second time zone may seem odd, but it’s actually a pretty unique, practical interpretation of the GMT function.
The subdial at 6 o’clock displays a pointer date function, which is unusual for Tudor. It was probably easier to make the date pusher advance a small subdial hand than a date window. In any case, it works with the watch’s vibe. While most Aeronauts have the same well-lumed stick hands as the Hydronaut II, some have Milsub-style sword hands. Aeronauts with sword hands have a Star Trek logo-like date pointer hand, too.
And don’t let the fat, prominent lugs fool you–the Aeronaut is a surprisingly slim and wearable watch, with a case height of about 10.5mm. If you’re not a fan of the ” giant 2-4-8-10″ dial, keep in mind that most of the other dial options have “AERONAUT” written in faint huge letters across the middle of the entire dial. I mean hey, it was 2006, but fortunately there are some regular stick dials too–they’re harder to find, though.
Tudor Aeronaut Specs
| Model Name | Aeronaut |
| Reference Number(s) | 20200 |
| Years Produced | 2006-2011 |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size | DIameter: 41mm Thickness: 10.5mm Lug-to-lug: 46.6mm |
| Water Resistance | 150m |
| Movement Caliber | ETA 2892-A2 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Movement Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, small pointer date, GMT |
| Bracelet/Strap Options | Leather or Bracelet |
| Market Value | ~$2,300 USD |
Iconaut
Out of all of Tudor’s loud early-2000’s sports models, the Iconaut is probably the most over-the-top. It’s the only Tudor ever made with both a chronograph and a GMT function. Tudor didn’t shy away from eye-catching design elements here: each of the three subdials has its own look, and most of the dials offered have an unusual “axe blade” shape on the left.
The ones without the axe blade have the aforementioned Star Trek logo-like subdial hands. The 4 o’clock date window and large stylized bezel typeface also add to the unique look. The Iconaut didn’t sell very well, and was only made from 2008-2011.
Tudor Iconaut Specs
| Model Name | Iconaut |
| Reference Number(s) | 20400 |
| Years Produced | 2008-2014 |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size | Diameter: 43mm Thickness: 15mm Lug-to-lug: 52mm |
| Water Resistance | 150m |
| Movement Caliber | ETA 7754 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Movement Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph, GMT |
| Bracelet/Strap Options | Steel bracelet or rubber strap |
| Market Value | ~$2,600 USD |
Tudor Hydronaut Era: A Comeback?
Tudor has, arguably, largely managed to escape the shadow of Rolex at this point. But when the Tudor Hydronaut was first released, that must have seemed like a daunting task. So, while some of their early-2000’s design choices may seem a bit aggressive now, ultimately the decision to aesthetically distance themselves from Rolex was a wise one.
It’s undeniable that the busy design language of watches like the Iconaut and Aeronaut has gone out of style. But it remains to be seen if the shamelessly-loud-and-sporty aesthetic typical of the Tudor Hydronaut era will come back. It just might!
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