The 1926 is the Tudor almost nobody writes about, and the one most likely to be bought as a first proper watch. It is also the only Tudor family where you cannot order a strap until you know which size you own — because the three sizes take three different widths, and they look nearly identical in photographs.
That is where this starts.
Strap size and fit guide — check your case size first
The Tudor 1926 comes in four case sizes and the lug width scales with them. It does not follow the pattern the rest of the Tudor range uses, so do not assume.
| Case size | Reference | Lug width |
|---|---|---|
| 41mm | M91650 | 22mm |
| 39mm | M91550 | 21mm |
| 36mm | M91450 | 19mm |
| 28mm | M91350 | approx. 17mm |
This guide is written for the 41mm M91650, which takes 22mm. If yours is the 39mm it is 21mm, and if it is the 36mm it is 19mm — both are covered by the ranges below, just at your own width. The 28mm sits below the widths we stock, so that one is not served.
If you are not sure which you have, measure across the gap between the lugs with a ruler. It is a five-second job and it is the only number that matters.
Why this catches people: every Black Bay size maps to a width people can remember, and the 1926 does not. Three sizes, three widths, one design. If you buy from a photo rather than from your own watch, there is a two-in-three chance of getting it wrong.
What the 1926 actually is
Tudor named the line after 1926, the year "The Tudor" was first registered as a brand on behalf of Rolex's founder, Hans Wilsdorf. It is the most classical thing the brand makes: a 41mm steel case with a polished finish, a smooth polished steel bezel, a domed dial with embossed decoration and Arabic numerals at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, a date at 3, and a sapphire crystal.
Two specifications matter more than the rest, and together they are unusual.
It is around 9mm thick — comfortably the thinnest watch Tudor makes, and thin enough to disappear under a shirt cuff in a way no Black Bay ever manages. And it is waterproof to 100m with a screw-down crown, which is an genuinely odd thing to find on a dress watch.
Inside is the self-winding Calibre T601, with roughly 38 hours of reserve.
Why the strap rules are backwards on this one
Every other Tudor strap guide is, at some level, about managing bulk. The Black Bay is tall. The Pelagos has a clasp under the wrist. The FXD is 52mm long. In each case the strap is doing damage control.
The 1926 has no bulk to manage. At 9mm there is nothing to hide, nothing sitting high off the wrist, no proportion to rescue. Which means the strap stops being a fix and becomes a straight choice — and it opens up two things that would be wrong on any other Tudor.
First: this watch takes a thin strap properly. On a 14mm-thick diver, a slim dress strap looks undernourished. On a 9mm case it is correct. Alligator, suede and fine calf all work here and nowhere else in the Tudor range.
Second — and almost nobody does this — the 1926 can wear rubber. A screw-down crown and 100m of water resistance is not dress-watch specification; it is closer to a sports watch that happens to look formal. So unlike a genuine dress watch, you can put this one on FKM rubber, take it swimming, and it is entirely within what the watch was built for. It is the cheapest way to own two very different watches.
So on the 1926, the material decision matters more than the colour. That is the opposite of every other guide on this site, and it is why the picks below are organised by material rather than by shade.
The best straps for the Tudor 1926
Alligator — the one the watch was designed around. A polished steel case with a domed, embossed dial is a dress watch by any measure, and alligator is what a dress watch is supposed to wear. The grain gives the 1926 a formality the steel bracelet never quite delivers, and because the case is thin the strap does not need padding to look right — a fine, flat alligator sits flush and the whole watch reads considerably more expensive than it is. Black for evening and formal, brown for everything else. This is the single biggest change you can make to how this watch is perceived. Alligator Leather Watch Straps — choose 22mm for the 41mm
Smooth leather — the everyday version. The one you will actually wear most. Smooth calf keeps the 1926 looking classical without the formality of alligator, and it suits the watch's slightly under-the-radar character: this is a watch people notice rather than recognise, and a plain leather strap keeps it that way. Brown is the safest and most versatile; black narrows it to business and evening; navy is the one that makes it look intentional rather than default. Leather Watch Straps — choose 22mm for the 41mm
Curved FKM rubber — the one you will not expect. Here is where the 100m rating earns its keep. On rubber the 1926 stops being a dress watch entirely and becomes a thin, light, swimmable everyday piece — and because the case is only about 9mm, it does not look like a dress watch wearing a costume. It is genuinely the most useful second strap you can buy for it. Our curved rubber range covers 19mm, 21mm and 22mm, so every 1926 size except the 28 is served. Curved FKM Rubber Straps — 18mm to 22mm
Suede — the texture one. The most underrated option on a watch like this. Suede softens all that polished steel, gives the dial's embossed pattern something tactile to sit against, and works particularly well in the colder half of the year with wool and tweed. It is also the pick that makes a 1926 look like a deliberate choice rather than an entry-level purchase — which, given this is the most affordable way into the brand, is worth something. Suede Leather Watch Straps — choose 22mm for the 41mm
Getting the order right
Measure your lug gap, then order that width. 41mm is 22mm, 39mm is 21mm, 36mm is 19mm. The 1926 uses standard spring bars, so anything at the correct width will fit.
If you own other Tudors, these cover the sports side:
- Tudor Black Bay 36 Ref. 79640 Strap Guide — 36mm, 19mm, same width as the 1926 36
- Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 79030N Strap Guide — 39mm, 20mm
- Tudor Black Bay Ceramic 79210CNU Strap Guide — 41mm, 22mm, same width as the 1926 41
FAQ
What lug width is the Tudor 1926? It depends on your case size. The 41mm takes 22mm, the 39mm takes 21mm, and the 36mm takes 19mm. The 28mm is smaller again at roughly 17mm.
Do all Tudor 1926 sizes take the same strap? No — and this is the most common mistake with this model. Three sizes, three different widths, and the watches look almost identical in photographs.
Can I wear the Tudor 1926 on a rubber strap? Yes, and it is a better idea than it sounds. The 1926 has a screw-down crown and 100m of water resistance, which is unusual for a watch this dressy. On rubber it becomes a thin, light everyday watch you can swim in.
Is the 1926 too formal for a leather sports strap? Not at all. At around 9mm thick it is one of the few watches that suits both a fine alligator and a casual leather equally, because there is no bulk pulling it in either direction.
Does the 1926 use standard spring bars? Yes. No model-specific fitting, no proprietary end links — order the correct width and it goes on.
Final thoughts
The 1926 is the most quietly capable watch Tudor makes: thin enough for a cuff, tough enough for a pool, and priced so that a strap represents a meaningful share of what the watch looks like. That last part is the point — on an expensive sports watch a strap is a detail, and on this one it is closer to half the design.
Helvetus straps come in every width the 1926 uses, shipping is free worldwide with no import costs, leather straps carry a one-year warranty and every rubber strap a lifetime warranty, and more than 50,000 customers have already made the swap.
