1971 Tudor Submariner Snowflake Blue Dial - Ghost Bezel •Pending•

Year: 1971
Model: Submariner
Case Diameter: 40mm
Lug to Lug: 47mm
Case: Stainless steel
Condition: No significant wear as seen
Dial: Blue
Movement: Automatic

Condition
Let's start with the case. The watch case holes have no distortion which makes us believe the case is unpolished. The lug chamfers are also still very prominent. The original blue bezel insert is in amazing condition with a stunning ghost fade that is even. The dial has a crazy patina with a raised texture. The dial has been touched up between 8 and 9. The minute hand looks to have been relumed in the past but we suspect it was done closer to the early part of the watch's life. The dial, because of the raised texture that has happened over time, has caused the U in TUDOR to slightly move.

The "Snowflake" Submariner is a significant watch that Tudor has ever released, marking the first major stylistic departure from its big brother, the Rolex Submariner. Introduced in 1969, the snowflake design became the foundation of Tudor's return to North American prominence, imbuing the original references from the 1960s with even more importance in the collector community. Snowflakes had a continuous production run of roughly a decade, initially appearing as the reference 7016/0 and 7021/0, and later as the references 9401/0 and 9411/0, which were introduced in 1975 and featured newer movements. These snowflake references also became the most widely distributed military dive watches ever produced by Tudor, as they graced the wrists of military divers all the way from France to Jamaica.

The author's interest in the Tudor side of the Submariner spectrum is due to the unique and endlessly interesting niche created by Tudor's packaging of the Oyster case and bracelet with more creative riffs on the traditional Submariner and dive watch design. The story behind owning a Tudor "Snowflake" Submariner began in 2018 when an estate picker listed a blue Snowflake that immediately stuck out to the author. Bidding was strong in the early going, and the watch continued to climb towards a fair market value over the ensuing days.

The Snowflake Submariner was produced for over a decade across two references: the reference 7021/0 and the reference 9411/0. The most obvious differences between the two references are the "roulette" date wheel that alternates between red and black text each day, wider chamfers on earlier 7021/0 cases, and lighter dials, often referred to as "confetti" dials.

In 1946, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf founded Montres Tudor SA, a wristwatch brand aimed at producing high-quality watches at affordable prices. Tudor's first models, the Oyster and Oyster Prince, blended Rolex style and build quality with a more market-friendly retail price. In 1954, Tudor released the iconic Oyster Prince Submariner, which shared many of its features with Rolex's 6204 Submariner.

Tudor has a history of use in military and sporting contexts, with France's Marine Nationale issuing Tudor watches to its members throughout the 20th century. Other military organizations, such as the Jamaican Defense Force, Canadian Navy, and United States Navy, chose the Tudor Submariner as their go-to watch due to its outstanding durability and build quality.

Tudor is known for its experimental designs, including unique integrated cases, colorful dial chronographs, and "Montecarlo"-inspired color schemes. Today, Tudor's lineup combines minimalistic tool watches and eye-catching chronographs. Five of its most popular modern models include the Black Bay, Black Shield, Ranger, and Pelagos.

The Black Bay is a stylish, functional dive watch inspired by Tudor watches of the 1950s. It measures 41mm and is waterproof to 200m, drawing inspiration from several of Tudor's iconic 1950s Submariner dive watches. The Black Bay's dial is both functional and elegant, with pink gold hands and lume plots and a unidirectional rotating bezel made from steel.

The Fastrider Black Shield is a bold, midsized chronograph with a matte black dial, bezel, and ceramic monobloc case. Inspired by the Ducati XDiavel, the Black Shield is a tactical watch that brings Tudor's sense of style into the modern day.

The Tudor Heritage Ranger is a minimalist, function-over-form tool watch that closely resembles the Oyster Prince Ranger of the 1960s. It features an Explorer-inspired dial, a larger stainless steel case, and an in-house TUDOR calibre 2824 movement with a total power reserve of approximately 38 hours.