From 1954 to 1978, Tudor created some of the world’s most collectible diving watches. The first Tudor Submariner was
the ref. 7922, which in terms of case and dial iconography was very similar to the Rolex ref. 6538 of that era. And,
like the ref. 6538, it boasted a herculean 8mm crown. These watches exist with both 100-metre as well as 200-metre
depth ratings. In the late ’50s, the ref. 7922 was also released in a version with a smaller 6mm crown, similar to
that found on Rolex’s ref. 5508 Submariner. The caliber 390 automatic movement used for the ref. 7922 was
manufactured for Tudor by a company named Fabrique d’Ébauches de Fleurier.
The model ref. 7923 is interesting, as it is the only manual-winding Submariner ever produced either by Rolex or
Tudor. Its basic iconography closely resembles that of the smaller-crown ref. 7922 watches. The Tudor Submariner
ref. 7924 is a subtle evolution of the ref. 7922, and was offered in a thicker case with a large crown, as well as a
thinner case with small-crown configurations.
The second famous Tudor, the ref. 7928 Submariner, emerged around 1960 and was produced until 1968. It was
distinguished by crown guards similar to those found on the Rolex ref. 5512/5513 watches. Early models boasted both
square and pointed crown guards, as well as gilt dials, and are breathtakingly beautiful. The earliest of the ref.
7928 pieces feature a unique combination of gilt chapter ring, gilt writing and square crown guards — they’re among
the most collectible Tudor Submariners of all time.
In 1968, Tudor created what is probably its most famous diving watch, the ref. 7016 Submariner with unique square
markers and ‘Snowflake’ hands powered by reliable ETA 2483 movements. A second version, the ref. 7021, powered by
the ETA 2484 — which was distinguished by a date feature — was also offered. These watches represented a paradigm
shift in Tudor’s design identity as, for the very first time, it moved away from traditional Rolex iconography
completely. It should be noted, however, that the vast majority of ref. 7016/7021 watches suffer some amount of dial
discolouration over the years.
This was resolved in 1975 with the introduction of the Tudor ref. 9401 and ref. 9411 models, which looked very
similar to the previous incarnation of the Snowflake Submariner, only now with much more stable dials. Amongst the
most collectible of these were the ref. 9401 Marine Nationale watches issued to the French navy, which are
distinguished by quartermaster markings on their casebacks. Just to keep things interesting, all varieties of the
Snowflake Submariners were available with either blue or black dials.
And included in Watches of Knightsbridge vintage timepiece collection is a magnificent Tudor Submariner “Snowflake”
from 1981. This stunning example features the more sought-after blue dial and bezel, with the luminous showing a
nice even patina. The watch is fitted with a blue NATO style strap.
Featuring the Tudor “Shield” logo on the dial with round “Maxi” luminous markers, the Tudor Submariner no-date from
1994 is a rare timepiece. These Tudor Subs are similar the Rolex 5513 Submariners produced at the same time, but
made in far fewer numbers than the Rolex. This excellent example shows a nice patina and is fitted to a period
correct Rolex Oyster bracelet.
And to our delight there’s a trio of Tudor Submariners on the Watches of Knightsbridge collection. This version from
1984 is referred to as the “Lollipop” Submariner due to the shape of the hour hand. This stunning example is the
rarer Mk1 variant and is fitted with one of our quality leather straps.
Shop The Watches of Knightsbridge Tudor Submariner Collection
