The Tudor Submariner was first produced in 1954 with the introduction of the Oyster Prince Submariner reference 7922. Featuring similar aesthetics and robustness like its crowned sibling Rolex, the shield brand began to evolve into more than 20 difference reference with numerous variants from 1969. This marks the dawn of the second era of the Tudor Submariner’s history that would last until 1999, starting with the no date reference 7016 or known as the famous “Snowflake” Submariner powered by an ETA movement, along with its sibling ref. 7021 featuring a date function.
Marking the last generation of the Tudor’s classic Submariner is the 79000 collection, the present reference 79090 was first released in 1989 and remained in production until 1995. Offered in two colourway in either blue or black dial with matching bi-directional bezel, the 39mm diver’s watch no longer features the early snowflake hands with the replacement of the Mercedes hands, and was the last reference to be fitted with a plexiglass crystal. Utilitarian and undoubtedly a no-frills tools watch, the ref. 79090 offers a depth rating of 200 meters powered by a self-winding ETA 2824-2 calibre. Bearing a B624’XXX serial dating to 1995, the present ref. 79090 is part of the Prince Oysterdate Submariners, Tudor dropped “Oyster” from its name and was known as the “Prince Date Submariner in later references. Well-preserved with a strong case and attractive blue appeal, the present ref 79090 features its period correct bracelet. Humble in appearance, the present timepiece is truly one of the most underrated diver’s wristwatch from the 90s.
Almost 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.