Tudor 'Big Block' Chronograph

Though Tudor has been, from its inception, the gateway brand to horological behemoth Rolex, it's made strides in distinguishing itself. Foremost is aesthetics, with Tudor models with a more sporty, athletic flavor than their ofttimes staid Rolex counterparts. And despite the rugged exterior, Tudor is no slouch in the technical department, achieving horological distinctions sometimes decades ahead of their parent company.  After the game-changing introduction of the Chronomatic and the El Primero automatic chronograph movements in 1969, it seemed as though every brand rushed to produce an automatic chronograph of their own. Heuer (along with partners Hamilton, Breitling, and Buren) were more than keen to share their creation within the Swiss watchmaking community. Zenith, protective of their El Primero movement, were reluctant to offer it to competitors, only granting it to Tudor's parent company in 1988 for the Daytona.  Therefore, there simply wasn't an alternative to the Chronomati