So as I’ve said before I’m a fan of a vintage Rolex, especially early Submariners, Seadwellers and GMT’s. The thing is though, they cost a flipping fortune and the new versions are ten a penny.

So if you fancy a bit of vintage Rolex action but at the same time want something cheaper and more obscure what do you do? Well you buy a Tudor, that’s what. Tudor watches are the sister brand to Rolex and were released to be a more affordable watch, allmost a diffusion line if you will. Most Tudor’s don’t have that much in common with their big brothers really, they’re all pretty much separate models.

The Tudor Submariner however is different.

Tudor Submariner 7922

Tudor Submariner 7928

Tudor Submariners 7016/0

Firstly, it shares the same name but more importantly it also uses the same case, bezel, insert, case back and crown as it’s more expensive counterpart. They do however use lesser movements than Rolex but that helps keep the price down (vintage ones still aren’t ‘cheap’ though but are about half the price of a Rolex Sub).

My favorite variation is the model 7928 (although the snowflake 7016 of the 70′s is pretty cool too). This is the model that was in production the longest – from 1960 – 1968. The early versions with the large Brevet crown are darn nice too (but as with their Rolex counterparts carry a premium over the later versions). Also, Tudor Subs have an extensive military heritage (probably due to being more inexpensive than Rolex’s Milsub version). As a fan of a fixed lug and a NATO strap that’s a good thing.