Tudor
*Military Issued* 1980 Tudor Marine Nationale Snowflake Submariner (Ref. 94010) Black Dial
The French Navy, also known as the Marine Nationale, and Tudor Watches have a long-running and close relationship that dates all the way back to the 1950s when Tudor was first testing the original Submariner design and supplied the M.N. with early-diving watches for their evaluation. This relationship eventually evolved into Tudor issuing the elite Marine Nationale servicemen with combat-ready timepieces of the exact spec they requested, which is also how the "Snowflake" dial design originated. Though Tudor supplied issued timepieces to different militaries around the world including the US Navy, Canadian Navy, and South African Military among many others, the Marine Nationale-issued Tudor Snowflakes are by far the most celebrated and sought after with military and vintage wristwatch collectors alike.
Marine Nationale Diver Wearing Turdor Submariner "Snowflake"7016/0
The “Snowflake” is the nickname given to the Tudor Submariners with distinct aesthetic details such as the square hour markers and the unique handset where the hour hand resembles a snowflake, hence the nickname. Tudor introduced this dial and hand configuration to increase visibility in low-light conditions, as more lume meant a longer duration of glow-time. The Tudor Snowflakes were produced from 1968 to the mid-1980s and were produced with either black or blue dial colorations. The Snowflakes were also made with or without a date complication.
We are truly proud to offer this exceptionally well-preserved, original, and downright great-looking Tudor Snowflake Submariner M.N. 80 in a very uncommon black dial and bezel insert configuration. While finding any M.N.-issued Tudor Submariner is rare, they are almost exclusively seen with blue dials and bezel inserts, that is except for only a few black versions that were created and remain today as precious pieces of military history.
Stock # | TDRSUB94010MN | |
Brand | Tudor | |
Style | Snowflake Submariner M.N. 80 | |
Model | 94010 | |
Serial | 93XXXX | |
Size | Men's | |
Material | Stainless Steel | |
Dial | Matte Black | |
Millimeters | 40 | |
Strap | Marine Nationale-Issued Grey/Black NATO Strap |
CASE & BRACELET
The case is in exceptional condition with symmetrical and thick lugs that show minimal evidence of previous polishing and honest signs of light use. The original black bezel Mk III "thin font" bezel is in near flawless condition with the tritium pearl intact and matching to the dial patina. The case back retains its original factory engravings along with the "M.N. 80" military engraving in very crisp condition. The watch comes supplied on what's believed to be its original military-issued grey and black striped NATO strap which exhibits light signs of use.
DIAL & HANDS
The original matte black dial is in virtually perfect condition, with the only elements of age present being nominal and invisible to the naked eye. The tritium lume plots have acheived a charming eggshell patina with no degradation under UV light inspection. The original hands match the dial perfectly, under UV light inspection the hour and seconds hand appear to be professionally restored with tritium while the minute hand retains its original lume.
ACCESSORIES
None. The watch was recently serviced and is keeping time perfectly, backed by a 1-year warranty on accurate timekeeping.