Tudor Submariner Marine Nationale 'M.N.'

You should know it by now, we LOVE our military-issued watches.

There is arguably no segment of vintage watch collecting with more history or romanticism. We may never know whether a given watch ever weathered active combat on the battlefield or only the inside of a homefront HQ. Either way , we know that military-issued wristwatches were purpose-built, tough as nails, and provided to the servicemen and women who put their lives on the line in the name of patriotism and honor.

This particular timepiece, a Tudor Submariner issued to the Marine Nationale, comes with a little more provenance than normal: Accompanying paperwork confirms it was decommissioned from the submarine S.M. Beveziers out of Brest on the French coast in 1999.

Dating to circa the late 1970s, this Reference 94010 features a 39mm stainless steel Oyster case with holey lugs, an acrylic crystal, a Rolex signed screw-down crown, a blue bidirectional rotating dive bezel, a lovely blue dial with a matching snowflake handset, and a screw-down case back with the inscription "M.N.79".

Slightly faded from use and sun, and with some indisputable industry provenance, this example has just the look and all the character we could hope for after 20 hard years of use as a military tool!

*For more information on this piece, please inquire!*

Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf created Tudor in 1926 for the everyman — for miners, construction workers and all sorts of tradesmen. For your everyday person Rolex was sometimes — and is now more so than ever — out of reach. It was meant for the explorer and the businessman, whereas Tudor was to be a different creature entirely.
In creating Tudor, Wilsdorf wanted to offer “a watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches, and yet one that would attain the standards of dependability for which Rolex is famous.”
Tudors were in many ways Rolexes in all but name, with the same waterproof Oyster cases and similar styling. However, in order to keep costs down, the brand used off-the-shelf Swiss movements rather than their own in-house calibres. What resulted were watches that were more affordable than Rolexes to the consumer, but still uniformly tough and reliable.
Today Tudor has certainly defeated any impression of being the redheaded stepchild of the Rolex family, and their current timepiece collection — as well as their vintage counterparts — are getting the recognition and respect they most rightfully deserve. From the colorful “Home Plate” chronograph to the complicated Advisor, these models often picked up where Rolex left off, daring to be more bold and playful in their design. And now that the brand has introduced in-house movements while still managing to keep pricing modest, the company is better poised than ever to win the hearts and minds of millions of new watch enthusiasts.

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.