The Rolex Day Date Replica has been one of the most important watches of this Millennium for Tudor. Actually, it has been THE most important watch of the past 20 years for the brand. Following the brand’s withdrawal from key markets in the early 2000s, the Tudor’s triumphant return in 2010 with a whole new look and feel and the launching of the Heritage line was nothing short of genius. The reimagined watches from Tudor archive were exactly what collectors wanted at the time. The huge boom in vintage watches was well underway by 2010 with prices of Rolex watches in particular rising on a monthly basis. In fact,Omega Constellation Replica it is these early Black Bays from 2012 until the in-house movement watches were released that are becoming sought after now. The Mk1 Black Bay features the modified ETA movement and the dials feature a Rose logo and the vintage-esque ROTOR SELF-WINDING in what we call the ‘smiley face’ layout. And with the black version of the Mk1 only being in production for a mere five months, one thing is for sure – the Mk1 Black Bay is getting hot!

In 2012, Tudor released the Heritage Black Bay based on vintage Tudor Submariners (Image: millenarywatches.com)

In 2012 when Tudor unveiled the Black Bay dive watch collectors really sat up and took notice. This large, no-crown-guard divers watch was more than a Heritage piece…it was the opportunity for collectors to own a Big Crown Tudor. And more than that, this Big Crown watch could be worn on the beach, in the pool and for just about any other modern day activity that a vintage piece would never be suitable. The Black Bay had arrived and it was the beginning of a new chapter for Tudor.

A History of Tudor Dive Watches

Tudor’s first toe-dip into the diver’s realm was reference 7922 in 1954. The watch had a highly legible dial layout, with hands and hour markers that were Radium. This allowed the wearer to tell the time in dark conditions such as underwater or in the dark. The rotating bezel allowed the wearer to measure elapsed time by moving the triangle,Rolex GMT-Master II Replica also with luminous filling, to the where the minute hand was at the beginning of the dive and therefore knowing exactly how long they had been submerged. The first batch of ref. 7922 were fitted with pencil hands, that were the predecessor of the more well-known mercedes pattern hands. The 7922 was a self-winding automatic watch that was driven by the calibre 390, based on a Fleurier movement.

A Tudor 7922 full-set offered by Phillips Watches during their GWA: III (Image: Phillips Watches)

Tudor’s dive watch history is linked to the brand’s relationship with a number of key navies around the world. The most famous relationship began 1956 with the French Navy, the Marine Nationale, who ordered a batch of Tudor Submariners ref. 7922. The watches were put into active service with the divers, and the French Navy provided valuable insights into the watches’ abilities in the field. The feedback was that the navy wanted a watch that was a little more robust with divers requesting a winding crown that was easier to use. Tudor provided a second batch of 7922 that featured Rolex Day Date Replica a slightly different case profile and that were fitted with a large oversize winding crown.