How TUDOR Became Watchmaking’s Most Military-trusted Name

Reading Time: 3 minutes

‘Military watches’ represent a hallmark of robustness, precision, and reliability, far above the excellence of contemporary mechanical watches.

For watchmakers, it’s a distinguished badge of honour – one that ratifies their offerings as more than time-telling instruments – meeting the calibre of armed forces and capable of accompanying them in valorous endeavours. Since the 1950s, TUDOR has accumulated a cabinet full of such badges, partnering with multiple military forces worldwide as they consistently reaffirm their timepieces’ spectacular engineering and resilience in extremities.

While watchmakers historically had special R&D divisions for their military watches and produced off-market models, TUDOR’s military divers’ watches mostly thrived in near-stock form – with standard production models boasting slight customization and tweaks to meet military requirements. These special-issue pieces/projects were also engraved with the name of their respective unit and year of delivery.

Here’s a deep dive into the brand’s most notable military watches and how TUDOR became watchmaking’s most military-employed brand.

TUDOR’s Go-to Military Diver: The Oyster Prince Submariner

TUDOR’s Oyster Prince Submariner almost single-handedly built their iconic legacy of divers’ watches and military special issues. Born in the 1950s, the Oyster Prince Submariner was built to serve as a professional divers’ watch, featuring robust Oyster construction, clear legibility, and exceptional water resistance – soon catching the attention of military forces as indispensable tools for naval divers.

TUDOR for the French Marine Nationale (Navy)

In 1956, the French Marine Nationale (Navy) was among the first to adopt the TUDOR Oyster Prince Submariner, using these watches extensively from the 1960s through the 1980s. When the Groupement d’Étude et de Recherches Sous-Marines (G.E.R.S.), which translates to Underwater Study and Research Group, received Oyster Prince Submariner watches (Ref 7922 and 7923) for evaluation, they were tested for water resistance at 100 meters. In a letter from the Commander of the G.E.R.S, he deemed it ‘perfect’ and ‘completely correct’, which led them to place a fresh order of watches, water resistant to 200 meters. And so, in the late ‘50s, the Ref 7924 slated in with an instantly recognizable oversized crown. Collectors call this model the “Big Crown”. In quick succession, we had the Ref. 7928, which incorporated new crown guards – this became a staple model for all Marine Nationale diving endeavours.

The 1969 Ref. 7016 gave TUDOR’s military Oyster Prince Submariners a makeover. Its notable use of ‘Snowflake’ hands and square hour indexes provided enhanced readability in low-light conditions. The square hour indexes offered extra real estate for luminous materials. Furthermore, these models boasted a Plexiglas crystal that was no longer domed but flat, thick and prominent making it better capable of withstanding the extremities. The later 1974 Ref. 7016 became the first in their military series to feature the iconic ‘TUDOR M.N.’ engravings and the year of issue, adding to its historical value and collectability.

A year later, in 1975, the Ref. 9401 – famously dubbed “Tudor Blue” stood as TUDOR’s quintessential French Marine Nationale model. With a blue dial and bezel combination, it strutted ‘MN’ engravings and ‘Snowflake’ hands but swapped the square for triangular hour indexes. This model remained in production and was delivered to the French Navy until the 1980s.

TUDOR Oyster Prince Submariner ‘US Navy’

TUDOR’s track record of serving militaries extends well beyond the French Marine Nationale and even Europe. In 1964, TUDOR introduced Ref. 7928, an Oyster Prince Submariner, which bore the screw-down caseback engraving ‘US Navy’ or ‘USN’ along with a date. These watches were similar in design to the Marine Nationale models but were customized to meet the specific requirements of the US military. These models often featured distinctive markings and were mounted only on flexible straps.