Tudor Oyster Submariner

Tudor

Oyster Submariner Chocolate Exclamation

Ref. 7928

1964

449XXX

The serial and reference numbers are correctly punch-numbered between the lugs, it has the original screw-down winder and the original long 5 bezel which although not perfect is in excellent condition

Very beautiful dial, it has a deep dark chocolate colour, which magically lights up in the sunlight. The dial lume is original and responds beautifully to UV light & it has the exclamation dot at numeral VI

The hands are the original hour, minute and hands and they have their original lume and respond in the same manner as the dial lume under UV light.

Calibre 390 movement in excellent condition signed TUDOR Auto-Prince

Brown leather strap by Bulang & Son

Tudor is a separate company that manufactures Rolex watches. Original Rolex founder Hans Wildorf wanted to create a company that would make a product that as reliable and of as high a quality as the original Rolex but at a more affordable price. Therefore, Tudor watches have always symbolized affordable, quality, and long-lasting wear. The Submariner was designed as a dive watch and could withstand pressure from being underwater without being damaged. Here is where the true difference of the Tudor and Rolex watches becomes negligible: Tudor watches were required to meet very strict standards of quality in order to be sold by Rolex. In fact, the only real difference between Tudor and Rolex was the type of movements. Tudor used a modified version of the Rolex movements but the Submariner was still required to be water-resistant to a particular depth. The 7928, unlike earlier Tudors, was fitted with the Rolex calibre 390 17-jewel movement. The 7928 also used an identical bezel to the Rolex 5513 Submariner. It was produced from the late 1950's until 1966 when it was replaced by newer Tudor models. There are actually four different dial versions known of the 7928, this example features the sought-after gilt writing and gilt ‘train track' around the outer edge. It also features a tiny lume dot beneath the long stroke at the 6 o'clock position, it's what collectors call an “exclamation mark”, this may seem insignificant, but it is extremely rare to find – it was applied by Tudor for a few months to indicate that the luminous material on the dial was a mixture of radium and tritium – this was a very short era before Tudor finally replaced all radium on their dials with tritium –which they indicated by the two T's either side of the word SWISS at the base of the dial. The chocolate colour is a reaction of the black paintwork on the dial to UV light over the 50+ years that the dial has been exposed to the sun. 99% of Submariner dials are jet black, but just a few turn this lovely dark chocolate colour which turns to a lighter brown immediately when exposed to sunlight – it is a true chameleon, and very rare.