Rolex offshoot Tudor wakes up to challenge mid-priced rivals

Zurich

ROLEX'S younger sibling is coming of age. Tudor, a sportier brand that Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf trademarked in 1926, plans to enter Japan after returning to the UK and the US in the past two years, Philippe Peverelli, who has led the brand since 2010, said.

The label may pose a threat to the makers of Longines, TAG Heuer and Baume & Mercier as it sheds decades of dormancy and benefits from the support of the foundation that owns Rolex, Switzerland's top-selling watch brand. Priced at about US$2,000 to US$5,000, Tudor is a gateway to a generation of consumers that might not purchase a Rolex, which starts at about 4,600 Swiss francs (US$4,800 or S$6,580).