8075
Tudor
Ref. 9401/0
Submariner Marine Nationale
A very rare and well-preserved stainless steel military diver’s wristwatch with military engravings and presentation box, made for the French Marine Nationale
Full-Cataloguing
- The reference 9401/0, which omits the date function, replaced the reference 7016/0 in 1975. It introduced a more robust movement with hacking seconds while retaining the distinctive square-shaped hour markers and “snowflake”-style hands featured in the 7016/0. Both references, along with their sister models that included a date function, were commissioned by the Marine Nationale for use by their divers until the 1980s, and these “issued” “MN” Submariners are among the most coveted Tudor Submariners. Tudor also supplied watches to other military forces, including Canada, the United States, South Africa and Argentina. The caseback is engraved with the prominent military designation “M.N. 1975” and the present example comes with a copy of the Marine Nationale ledger and presentation box.
- Boasting a rich azure dial and excellent preservation, this reference 9401/0 is offered with no reserve and its collectability is enhanced by both its historical significance and exceptional aesthetics.
Tudor
Swiss | 1926Almost twenty years after Rolex was founded, Hans Wilsdorf established Tudor with the intention of making more affordable watches without compromising the quality for which Rolex was renowned. Tudor was named after the British Dynasty that ruled England from 1485 to 1603, and their symbol came from the "War of Roses." After interchanging Rose and Shield symbols for a number of years, the firm replaced the Rose with the Shield logo from the 1960s until today.
Some of the most recognized vintage models made by Tudor include the Submariner, a waterproof model first introduced in 1954, the Oysterdate, the earliest versions of which were nicknamed the "Monte-Carlo," the Heritage, which included the date at 6 o'clock, as well as the Pelagos, which translates to "deep sea" in Greek.