Tudor Snowflake Submariner

Well, here's something we'll probably never see again: a New Old Stock (NOS) Tudor "Snowflake" Submariner! 

Originally produced by Rolex to respond to a growing base of sports watch consumers, Tudor was conceived as a more economic way to buy a quality tool watch.  This was achieved by using generic ETA Swiss movements and housing them Rolex Oyster cases, utilizing Rolex-signed crowns and Rolex crystals.  These ETA movements were simpler and more common, making them easy to service and locate parts for today.  

As time wore on, collectors and enthusiasts began to appreciate the designs that were exclusive to Tudor's Submariner line.  The most famous of these, the Tudor "Snowflake" Submariner, was released in 1968, and represented the first time in Tudor's history that they sought to differentiate themselves visually from their parent brand.  The name 'snowflake' was derived from the unique shape of the hour hand and seconds hand and the presence of squared Tritium hour markers on the blue or black matte dials.  

Though relatively modest in price when it was released, the Snowflake Submariner has become a grail for many, causing values to climb within spitting distance of Rolex subs of similar vintages. What many forget is that Tudor produced fewer Submariners than Rolex, making sharp Tudor subs rarer than the equivalent 5513 or 1680.  Rarer still are honest examples that have bested the use that they encountered - so many were destroyed on the wrists of sport divers over the ages - and retain original dials, hands and bezels that have patinated with age and use.

What we have here is something unheard of in the world of vintage Tudor sports watches: a completely unworn example of the Reference 94110 Snowflake Submariner, finished with a black dial, complete with its original folded-link Oyster bracelet and unblemished bezel.

This stunner probably belongs in a museum, but will undoubtedly go to a deserving enthusiast to occupy a place of distinction in his or her personal collection!