THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: TUDOR
MODEL: 94110
YEAR: 1980
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 39mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC

The Tudor Snowflake Submariner has carved out a niche of its own, often drawing comparisons to its Rolex siblings—the famed references 5513 and 1680. In late 1969, Tudor introduced reference 7021, its first Submariner to feature a date function. In 1973, a new generation of Snowflakes followed, beginning with the reference 9411/0 seen here and joined two years later by the 9401/0, both now powered by hacking ETA movements. A few years on, the slash in the reference numbers was gradually phased out as the line benefited from several incremental improvements.

The present example, reference 94110, dates to 1980 and features a “Type A” dial. This is not a textbook “perfect” vintage Tudor Submariner, but rather one with so much character that it becomes addictive to wear. The dial shows minor marks around the centre post and another at the 11 o’clock position. These are not especially noticeable on the wrist, particularly as the later Tudor dials benefited from improved construction and did not suffer from the infamous “bubbling” effect seen on many earlier Snowflake dials. As a result, the rest of the dial remains remarkably well preserved. The tritium lume on the markers and hands has aged beautifully to a rich, creamy tone.

The case has likely been polished in the past, though not for many years. It remains thick and shows honest sleeve wear, which we love. The original Mk5 bezel insert has faded extensively to a desirable “ghost” hue. The watch was serviced within the last year and is running healthily at +3 s/day, with an amplitude of 274° and a beat error of 0.2 ms. It is fitted on a pair of taupe straps from our friends at The Strap Tailor.