Manufacturer: Tudor Year: Circa 1969 Reference No: 7021/0; inside caseback stamped IV.68 Case No: 739’766 Model Name: Submariner “Snowflake” Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 2484, 25 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Rolex folded Oyster bracelet, reference 9315, endlinks stamped 380, max overall length 210mm (about 245mm length including diver’s extension) Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp with diver’s extension Dimensions: 39mm Diameter Signed: Dial and movement signed Tudor. Case and bracelet signed Rolex. Accessories: Accompanied by two additional links.
Catalogue Essay
The Tudor brand was the brainchild of Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf who wished for a separate watch company that retained the durability and dependability of Rolex, but at a “more modest price”. Though designated as autonomous companies, Rolex guaranteed the technical quality of the watches and as time went on, it became clear that the aesthetic design of Tudor watches would closely mirror that of Rolex.
Tudor produced the current reference 7021/0 alongside its non-date sibling the reference 7016/0 between 1969 and 1975. These watches featured square hour markers and a unique hand style that set them apart from their Rolex counterparts, and subsequent collectors have nicknamed both references “Snowflake” for the unusual geometric handset.
The reference 7021/0 was the first Tudor Submariner model to feature a date indication as well as the brand’s updated logo, a shield, which replaced the rose of the previous decades. Powered by the reliable ETA caliber 2484, the 7021/0 marked the beginning of the design codes that would come to define the Tudor brand into the contemporary era.
With a most probably unpolished case, beautifully faded bezel, well-preserved, original dial and hands with all luminous material intact, the current lot is an excellent opportunity to snap up a coveted, early Tudor diver’s watch.
Almost twenty years after Rolex was founded, Hans Wilsdorf established Tudor with the intention of making more affordable watches without compromising the quality for which Rolex was renowned. Tudor was named after the British Dynasty that ruled England from 1485 to 1603, and their symbol came from the "War of Roses." After interchanging Rose and Shield symbols for a number of years, the firm replaced the Rose with the Shield logo from the 1960s until today.
Some of the most recognized vintage models made by Tudor include the Submariner, a waterproof model first introduced in 1954, the Oysterdate, the earliest versions of which were nicknamed the "Monte-Carlo," the Heritage, which included the date at 6 o'clock, as well as the Pelagos, which translates to "deep sea" in Greek.
