THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: TUDOR
MODEL: 94110
YEAR: 1981
BOX/PAPERS: YES/YES
CASE DIAMETER: 39mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC
The Tudor Submariner 'Snowflake' has carved out a niche for itself, drawing comparisons with its Rolex siblings - the renowned 5513 and 1680. Following the first Snowflake models, Ref. 7021 and 7016, Tudor launched a new generation in the early 70s with the 9411/0 date version in 1973 and subsequently the 9401 in 1975. The main upgrades are the hacking ETA Calibre 2784 and 2776 movements.
Around 1981, owners noticed that the snowflake dials tend to degrade and either bubble or form black spots on the lume plots and hands. Tudor rectified this problem relatively swiftly by changing the paint mixture, and made a few changes to the dial design (scholars named it 'Type B', with slight longer shield logo and bolder m and ft texts).
The present example dates back to exactly 1981 and has the older 'Type A' dial, making it one of the last examples produced in this configuration. The dial did not suffer from any degradation and remain immaculate after 40+ years unlike many other 'Type A' dials. The markers have aged to a beautiful creamy colour, and the hands match perfectly. The lume on the minute hand has been stabilised. The original insert and silver date wheel are present and in perfect condition.
The watch has just been serviced and is running perfectly at 0 s/d, 260 amps, with 0.1 ms beat error. It comes on a brand new Tudor 78500/380 bracelet, and is complemented by its original box, wallet, and the original translation guarantee papers. These Tudor Subs represent great value proposition, being a fraction of the price of a Rolex 1680 from the similar era and arguably with more character.