Called The Spirit of Daring Adventure, the exhibit takes you through the key moments of the expedition and the watch that survived it.
In 1952, Britain launched one of its most ambitious scientific missions: The British North Greenland Expedition. Composed of 30 men, the expedition left London in July, and was meant to study glaciers, weather patterns, gravitational fields, and how biology worked on the ice.
The expedition lasted for two years, with the team traveling over the ice via dog sleds, tracked vehicles, and even on foot. But aside from all the machinery and scientific equipment, the team also took one other thing with them: the then-new Oyster Prince model. It was Tudor’s first watch that was both automatic and waterproof, and 30 of these watches would go on the wrists of the expedition team.
For two years, these watches were worn under some of the most extreme conditions in the world—research that would later lead to the Tudor models of today. And now, Tudor and Lucerne Luxe are offering a glimpse of the expedition—and the watches that went with it—in a new exhibit called The Spirit of Daring Adventure.
Walking into the exhibit, you’re greeted with a replica of one of the vehicles used in the expedition. On the walls are historical documents, photographs, and displays depicting the timeline of the expedition. But one thing that particularly stands out is the interactive screen toward the far end of the exhibit. It takes you through the history and experience of the expedition with animated photos and videos, giving you an idea of what these adventurers—and the Oyster Prince—went through.
You can also see the new Tudor Ranger on display, which was launched last year to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the expedition. Essentially the descendant of the Oyster Prince that had a two-year tenure in the Arctic, the new Ranger comes in a 39 mm case, making it very wearable for most wrist sizes. Under the 316L steel case, the Ranger runs Tudor’s in-house calibre MT5402, which is a certified chronometer with 70 hours of power reserve (good for a whole weekend, if you’re leaving it on the desk).
The Spirit of Daring Adventure can be found at the ground floor of The Podium in Ortigas, and will run from March 2 – 14 2023. So if you’re looking for something a bit off-the-beaten-path to go to, or maybe doing some research before deciding to get one, you might want to head over.
