Tudor Submariner Vintage 94010

I am not a huge Tudor watch collector. Nevertheless, along the way, I have managed to collect a few Tudors. The Key Tudor sports submariner are as follows:

Ref. 7922: The first Tudor Submariner

Ref. 7923: The manual Submariner

Ref. 7924: “Big Crown”

Ref. 7928: “Square Crown Guards (1959) ” “Pointed Crown Guards, (1960) ” or Rounded Crown Guards” (1964- 1966)

Ref. 7016: “Snowflake” (and Ref. 7021, Snowflake date)

Ref. 9401, 9411: Snowflake 2 (1975-1990s)

Ref. 79090, 79190: The Last Submariners (1995-1999)

Of all the Submariners, I have only managed to collect  the near mint Tudor 94010 by accident (from the 1990s) and the Tudor 7928 where the dial is turning Tropical (March 2017). 

Some History. In 1964, Tudor manufactured the Rose Submariner  Ref. 7928 with rounded crown guards, a shape that would define the Submariner collection until the end of the 1990s. There are a few variations of the 7928. For my Tudor 7928, it uses the calibre 390 from Fleurier, and the dial was printed in white (instead of gilt) while the markers are in gilt, the hands were characteristic of the Submariner collection, and the case featured rounded crown guards and a Rolex signature.

Tudor 7928

Tudor offered the Ref. 9401/0 in four dial/bezel combinations: blue or black with “snowflakes” hands and hour markers, as well as blue or black with characteristic Submariner (Mercedes) hands and triangular and round hour markers. My Tudor 94010 is with black dial, Mercedes hands and triangular and round hour markers as below:

Tudor 94010

I have paid S$500 for the Tudor 94010 during the 1990s as the watch was not popular then and it was part of the package deal where I need to get a few nice Rolex bubbleback together with this un-wanted Tudor. The irony of life is that this Tudor turn out to be the real gem in today's context.