U.S.N. 1964 Tudor Submariner (Ref. 7928) "Tropical Dial" W/ Military Provenance

A major ingredient in the mystique of vintage watches is the lives they may have lived on the wrists of past owners. More often than not, we’re left with little more than what our imaginations can insert and some light-duty horological forensics when it comes to questions about a watch’s life before our stewardship. However, there are those rare occasions when a remarkable timepiece arrives in our care with its story fully intact. This particular Tudor Oyster-Prince Submariner (ref. 7928) from 1964 is one such watch. While this example -- with its “tropical” gilt chapter ring “rose logo” with silver-gilt text dial -- would be a knockout under any circumstances, it happens to have an incredible history as the trusted tool of decorated USN diver, Captain Glenn A. Fletcher, and comes with a clutch of documentation from its years in Captain Fletcher’s service.

This Tudor Sub was worn on Captain Fletcher’s wrists (Fletcher’s photos show him wearing it on both the right and the left) for the entirety of his Naval service. Despite the fact that the watch was used for its intended purposes as a diver’s tool under the most extreme circumstances while it traveled both the globe and the depths with Captain Fletcher, it remains in fantastic condition. Captain Fletcher’s photos trace this trusted Tudor’s odyssey from the Arabian Gulf in the ‘60s to the illustrious (and now defunct) U.S. Naval School Underwater Swimmers in Key West, and even include a newspaper article with Fletcher and his Tudor in full dive gear celebrating his citation for braving shark-infested waters to repair the U.S.S. Charles R. Ware (DD-865), a Gearing-class Destroyer which had fallen prey to a major mechanical failure en route to an important Middle East Force commitment which “would have otherwise had to have been aborted” according to the citation.

The Tudor Submariner Ref. 7928 was first introduced in 1960 and the ref. 7928 is very much the little brother to the extremely sought-after Rolex 5513/5512 references as they share many of the exact same parts and design elements. We think the Tudor Submariner ref. 7928 is just as handsome as its big brother Rolex 5512/5513 but possesses a unique charm and feeling that is distinctly Tudor and speaks a bit louder to the esotericist that lurks within all watch collectors.