Tudor and the Submariner
The history of Tudor dates back to 1926, when the house of “Veuve de Philippe Hüther”, a Swiss watchmaker, registered the trademark “The Tudor” in Geneva, for Hans Wilsdorf. Wilsdorf would later go on to found the Rolex Watch Co.
The Tudor brand was transferred to Hans Wilsdorf in October 1936, leading to the formation of “Montres Tudor S.A” 10 years later, just after the Second World War. In the years leading up to the development of the brand, Hans Wilsdorf had long considered the idea of manufacturing a moderately priced watch that would still attain the technical, aesthetic and functional characteristics of a Rolex. Many of them would come to share identical features to their Rolex counterparts.
In its earliest iteration, the Tudor Submariner Ref. 7922 was introduced in 1954, and the team worked closely with the French Navy in order to develop the piece. The Tudor Submariner was in use by both French, from 1956 onwards, and U.S. forces between 1964 and 1966. Some of these pieces were also used by the South African Navy in the 1970s. This particular Ref. 75190 was one of the last Submariner series produced and was released in 1995.
The Design
The dial of this Ref. 75190 is a navy-blue shade, which invokes a sense of the ocean, while also providing a contrast to the stainless-steel case. The watch has a uni-directional twin-lock bezel in a complementary shade of blue, as opposed to the bi-directional bezels of earlier Submariners, preventing the accidental turning of the bezel.
The index markers and Mercedes-based minute hands are rendered in steel and filled with tritium, giving greater legibility for divers, and there is a date aperture at 3 o’clock, enlarged with a Cyclops window. In a departure from previous references, the Ref. 75190 uses sapphire crystal rather than plexiglass, giving this piece a more modern look.
Notably, the dial of this Ref. 75190 still bears “Prince Oysterdate”, highlighting that this is an earlier version of the reference, as pieces produced after 1997 bear “Prince Date” instead, omitting the “Oyster”. With a case diameter of 36mm, this Submariner is slightly smaller than the previous iterations, and when combined with the traditional Oyster bracelet, the overall look is reminiscent of a classic divers’ watch. The caseback and crown feature classic Rolex signatures, a subtle reminder of the partnership between Tudor and Rolex.
The Movement
The Ref. 75190 is powered by the ETA 2824-2, a movement that features 25 jewels, has a bi-directional winding rotor, and a hacking function, which allows for improved time-synchronisation. The watch has a power reserve of 42 hours, and the movement also enables a quick date correction.
The Set
The Ref. 75190 comes with an outer and inner box, in addition to a certificate of guarantee, a leather card pouch, extra bracelet links, and a booklet introducing the Submariner model.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Prince Oysterdate Submariner will be subject to 20% VAT. Viewings are currently suspended for the time being.