Royal is a name Tudor first used in the 1950s to signal the quality of its watches. The brand revived it in 2020 for a new line of automatic sport-chic watches with integrated bracelets, positioned at the accessible end of the Tudor catalogue.
The collection was announced in the summer of 2020, initially for China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines, before rolling out worldwide from November 2020. Baselworld 2020 was cancelled, and the line was launched through a press announcement rather than a fair.
The first generation came in four sizes: 28 mm, 34 mm, 38 mm, and 41 mm. Reference 28500 is the 38 mm steel date model. It carries the two signatures of the range: a notched bezel with alternating cut grooves and polished sections, and a five-row integrated bracelet. This page covers the black dial with applied Roman numerals, catalogued as M28500-0003.
Dial and Face Design
The dial is black with a sunray finish, so the surface shifts between deep black and charcoal grey depending on the angle of the light. A printed minute track runs around the outer edge of the dial.
The hours are marked by applied Roman numerals in silver tone. The hands are silver-tone batons with luminous fill, paired with a slim central seconds hand. A date aperture sits at 3 o’clock, cut into the numeral position.
The dial carries the Tudor shield with TUDOR GENEVE below 12 o’clock and SWISS MADE at the base of the dial.
Case and Bezel
The case is 38 mm in steel, finished with a mix of polished and satin surfaces, and flows directly into the bracelet with no conventional lugs. The published diameter is 38 mm; Tudor does not publish thickness or lug-to-lug figures for this reference.
A flat sapphire crystal covers the dial, with no magnifier over the date. The winding crown is a steel screw-down type stamped with the Tudor logo, and the caseback is solid. Water resistance is rated to 100 m (330 ft).
The bezel is fixed and made of 316L steel, machined with alternating cut grooves and polished sections in the notched pattern that defines the range. It is purely decorative and carries no scale or function.
Bracelet and Clasp
The bracelet is integrated into the case in 316L steel and built five rows across: satin-brushed external and central links with polished intermediate links between them. The transition from case to bracelet is continuous, which is the defining construction feature of the reference.
The bracelet closes with a folding clasp fitted with a safety catch. Sizing is done by removing screw-fitted links from the bracelet.
Movement and Functionality
The reference runs Tudor caliber T601, a self-winding mechanical movement based on the Sellita SW200-1. It operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and delivers a power reserve of approximately 38 hours.
Functions are hours, minutes, central seconds, and date. The crown must be unscrewed before use: fully screwed in it seals the case, the first pulled position quick-sets the date, and the second position sets the time with a stop-seconds function for precise synchronisation. The crown is screwed back down after each adjustment to maintain water resistance.
Materials of the Watch
The case is stainless steel with polished and satin finishing. The bezel and the integrated bracelet are 316L steel, a corrosion-resistant alloy standard in Swiss watchmaking. The clasp is steel with a folding mechanism and safety catch.
The crystal is sapphire, which resists scratching in daily wear. On the dial, the Roman numerals are applied in silver tone, and the baton hands carry luminous material for low-light legibility.
The material character of the watch is all-steel and sapphire throughout, with no plating or mixed metals on this reference.
Box and Papers
A typical full set for a 2025-delivered example of this reference includes:
- Black textured Tudor outer box
- Hinged black Tudor presentation box with dark suede and foam interior, red Tudor shield branding, and central watch cushion
- Black and charcoal plastic Tudor guarantee card, completed by the retailer at sale
- Black warranty and worldwide-service booklet
Box Variations
Older version
- Generation 1, covering the full 2020 to 2026 production run: black textured Tudor outer box paired with a hinged black presentation box
- Dark suede and foam interior with red Tudor shield branding and a central watch cushion
- This is the only consistently verified manufacturer-issued box style for the reference
Newer version
- The reference had a single box generation throughout its run, and no later manufacturer-issued box style exists for it
Minor regional or supplier construction differences occur within the Generation 1 box and are not counted as separate generations. For a full-set listing, the correct packaging is the Generation 1 black box set; a generic or mismatched box reduces the completeness of a set, since every example left the factory within this single packaging generation.
Original Warranty
A 2025-sold example of this reference carries Tudor’s five-year transferable international guarantee, which applies to all Tudor watches sold since 2020. The guarantee requires no registration and no periodic maintenance checks, and it follows the watch rather than the owner, so it transfers on resale.
The era-correct certificate is the black and charcoal plastic Tudor guarantee card with fields for the model, the serial number, and the purchase date, accompanied by the black warranty and worldwide-service booklet. The card contains an NFC chip used with Tudor Watch ID, and the sale is activated electronically by the official retailer, fixing the start of the guarantee period. The card must be completed by the retailer and presented with the watch for guarantee service.
Warranty Variations
Older version
- Generation 1, covering the full 2020 to 2026 production run: black and charcoal plastic Tudor guarantee card with model, serial number, and purchase-date fields
- The card contains an NFC chip used with Tudor Watch ID and is activated electronically by the retailer at sale
- Accompanied at delivery by the black warranty and worldwide-service booklet
- Every example sold under the five-year transferable international guarantee, extended from the previous two-year term with effect from 1 January 2020
Newer version
- The reference had a single card generation throughout its run, and no later physical card redesign exists for it
- A 2025-sold example remains under its original factory guarantee until 2030
- Work carried out at official Rolex or Tudor service centres after the guarantee period generates its own service documentation; third-party work or non-Tudor components invalidate the factory guarantee
Because the reference only sold from late 2020, every example shipped under the same five-year guarantee terms and the same card format. A dealer-completed, electronically activated card is the primary authenticity document for a full set; a blank or photocopied card is a red flag.
Production and Discontinuation Status
- Currently in production: No
- Year introduced: 2020
- Year discontinued: 2026
- Production run: approximately six years
Reference 28500 was retired when Tudor relaunched the Royal collection at Watches and Wonders 2026. The new generation replaced the 28 mm, 34 mm, 38 mm, and 41 mm cases with 30 mm, 36 mm, and 40 mm sizes and moved the line to in-house chronometer-certified calibers, ending the 38 mm Sellita-based generation to which this reference belongs.
On-Wrist Feel
At 38 mm this is the mid-size men’s option of the first-generation Royal range, sitting between the 34 mm and the 41 mm day-date. The integrated construction means there is no lug overhang: the bracelet begins where the case ends, so the watch spans less wrist than a conventional 38 mm case with lugs.
The all-brushed-and-polished steel build with a five-row bracelet gives the watch a solid, dense presence rather than a light dress-watch feel. Owner reports place it as comfortable on wrists around 16 cm, and the size carries enough dial to read easily on larger wrists as well.
Fit is set by removing screw-fitted links. The sunray black dial and Roman numerals lean formal, while the 100 m water resistance and screw-down crown support daily wear, which is the sport-chic brief the range was built around.
Variations
Every example of reference 28500 shares the same build: 38 mm steel case, fixed notched 316L steel bezel, integrated five-row 316L steel bracelet with folding clasp and safety catch, caliber T601, and a date at 3 o’clock. The variation across the run is in the dial.
Dials
- 2020 launch dials, sunray finish with applied silver-tone Roman numerals: silver (28500-0001), black (28500-0003), blue (28500-0005)
- 2020 launch diamond dials, combining applied Roman numerals with eight diamond-set hour markers: silver (28500-0002), black (28500-0004), blue (28500-0006)
- 2023 additions, radial-brushed salmon: Roman numerals (28500-0007) and diamond-set (28500-0009)
Neighbouring references
These are separate references whose specifications do not carry across to 28500:
- 28503: the 38 mm Royal in steel and yellow gold, with a gold bezel and two-tone bracelet
- 28400: the 34 mm Royal date model
- 28600: the 41 mm Royal with day and date displays, running caliber T603
- The 2026 Royal generation in 30 mm, 36 mm, and 40 mm, which uses new reference codes and in-house Tudor Manufacture calibers
