THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: TUDOR
MODEL: 7928
YEAR: 1964
BOX/PAPERS: YES/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 40mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC
We love vintage divers here at Fathom, our very name is inspired by one, but a few that come through the door are just that little bit special.
If you’re remotely into Rolex and their four-digit subs, you’ll likely know that their younger and pluckier sibling Tudor has also made some special watches. Although the 7928 wasn’t the first, it’s certainly the most revered and well-known of the Tudor Submariner lineup.
Initially, the 7928 came with a square crown guard case like the 5512; around 100 Tudors in this configuration were produced, and to see one today is as likely as bumping into a Dodo. Tudor then changed the 7928 design swiftly afterwards with the eagle beak case, a slightly larger production run but still a mere few hundred exist. In ~1963, the pointed crown guard case was introduced, followed closely by the rounded crown guard design as we see here.
The present example, dated to 1964, boasts a very rare combination of rounded crown guards with a gilt chapter ring 'Swiss' only dial. The dial is spotless and has acquired a pleasing tropical patina after years of exposure in the sun. The original early tritium lume on the markers and hands has aged to an even and rich creamy hue. They glow brightly under UV and fade away quickly which is correct for the era. The original and very rare MK1 'Curvy Long 5' insert has aged to a striking dark navy. The case has been polished before but remains very strong, with prominent lugs and crown guards. The bottom right lug is slightly thinner than the rest.
It comes on a rare full-link Tudor 9315/380 bracelet in wonderful condition. The clasp was replaced during a later service.
The watch has recently been serviced and is running well at +8 s/d, 230 amps, with a 0.8 ms beat error. This really is a glorious Tudor 7928, in our opinion rivalling the gilt 5512/5513 from similar era but with a much lower price tag.