Rolex introduced Tudor to the market in 1945 with the intention of producing high quality watches at an affordable price. Throughout its history, Rolex used the Tudor line to experiment with different designs and concepts, later to be used in Rolex’s own watches. Reference 7016 was launched in 1968 as part of the Submariner family. It was the second-generation Tudor Submariner, and it was offered along with the reference 7021, which featured a date window.

The history of the Tudor Submariner intimately follows that of its Rolex counterpart, introduced in 1953 with the references 6200, 6204, and 6205. Tudor released its first Submariner, the reference 7922, the following year, and it was almost identical, but featured a non-chronometer caliber, the Fleurier 390. Like the Rolex line, the Tudor Submariner underwent various changes throughout its history, with the cases increasing in size from 37mm to 39mm, dials in either black or blue, and various caliber changes.

The present example is a highly sought-after example made for the French Marine Nationale. As early as 1954, the French navy commissioned timepieces from Tudor beginning with the reference 7922. The reference 7016/0 along with its sister model with date, reference 9401/0 were used by French divers until the 1980s. These “issued” “MN” Submariners are among the most coveted of all Tudor Submariners, and the present diver’s watch is a lovely example with crisp and prominent military engravings of “M.N.74” on the caseback. Further enhancing the desirability of the present watch is the accompanying decommissioned certificate issued by the Marine Nationale, specifying its serial number. Tudor’s aesthetic with well-proportioned cases is appreciated by collectors, and these early military-commissioned are extremely rare and highly sought-after.