Tudor Submariner

Why We Love It We love Tudor here at Analog/Shift. From dress watches to alarm watches and everything in between, Tudor always has a place in our collection. Even their contemporary offerings, with their neo-vintage looks, feel right at home on our wrists. But for those of us who love the newer Tudors but want something a little, well, older, there’s the Tudor Submariner Reference 79190. Collectors go on and on about "transitional" model Rolexes, and this fits the same criteria. It features the same classic 39mm Oyster case used on Tudor Submariners since the 60s with a thin profile, matte black dial with Tritium luminescent elements, rotating bezel with black aluminum insert, and folded link bracelet, but it also features the modern accoutrements of a sapphire crystal and quickset date. Essentially, the 79190 has the perfect blend of vintage looks and contemporary convenience. Dating from 1996, this Reference 79190 is a true peach. Not only is it in unworn, as-new condition aesthetically, with crisp bevels, a light patina, and a 9315 bracelet with Tudor signed clasp, but this beauty even has its factory case back sticker intact.  Need we say more!? The Story Tudor first began offering the Submariner in the 1950s. In its earliest iterations, the Tudor Submariner was nearly identical to its Rolex compatriot, with black dials, Mercedes hands, and hour markers that alternated between long triangles at the poles and round plots everywhere else. However, it wasn’t long before the look of the Tudor Submariner began to shift and change. For nearly two decades, the Tudor “Snowflake” (Reference 7016) was the model that defined the Tudor Submariner, with its distinctive triangular hour markers and hands… but the Snowflake was not the be-all, end-all of Tudor Subs. With the 79090 and subsequent 79190, Tudor returned the Submariner to its roots. The Mercedes hands returned, along with circular hour plots and elongated triangular hour markers at the Poles. As the last of the Tudor Subs, collectors are now turning to these "end of era" pieces with true affection for what they really are - classic.