Your truly is quickly developing an obsession with the Tudor Submariner, obsession that manifests itself in way too many visits to Tokyo’s vintage watch spots. As expected none of these visits ends up with a purchase of any watch, because the more I dig deep in this model history, the more I convince myself I haven’t found yet the Right One.

But how deep can you possibly dig in to the history of this model? A lot, turns out. So much to make this high level overview a multi-part series.

A Tool Watch for the Masses

The Tudor Submariner, launched in 1954, became the ultimate expression of Hans Wilsdorf’s Tudor philosophy: not just a budget alternative to the Rolex Submariner, but a professional instrument that was externally indistinguishable from its expensive sibling: a Rolex Oyster case, Triplelock crown and Rolex branding on the caseback, crown and bracelet.

The cost saving happened inside the watch case, where Tudor adopted third-party calibres, primarily from Fleurier and later ETA.

In this series we will focus on “full size” Submariners, started with the reference 7922 with a 37mm case size, to the “gold standard” of 39mm, till the very last Submariner 79190 at 40mm.

Foundation: Tudor 7922, 7923, 7924

The story begins with the “Small Crown” and “Big Crown” models of the mid-1950s. The very first reference, the 7922 (1954 - “Small Crown”), featured a 37mm Oyster case - a standard professional size for the time, the same of the Rolex 6204 introduced just one year before.

The dial shows the Tudor “Small Rose” logo, Mercedes hour hand and lollipop seconds hands - trademarks of early Tudor Submariners. The water resistance is 100 meters with no crown guards.

After this initial release, Tudor substantially redesigned the Submariner launching the reference 7924 “Big Crown” in 1958. While the novice might feel the only difference from the 7922 was the bigger crown, the new reference had a substantially thicker mid-case, a thicker acrylic crystal and a redesigned case back in order to achieve a 200 meters water resistance.

The updated specs meant also that this model was the first issued to the French Marine Nationale, and the feedback from the army divers directly led to the creation of new (and bigger) models.

Both the 7922 and 7924 adopted the Calibre 390, a 17-jewel automatic movement based on a Fleurier ebauche and then modified by Tudor. A compact and reliable movement beating at the low frequency of 18,000 beats per hour, it was a good and pragmatic solution to power 37-39mm divers.

Between the two models, we also have the manual Tudor 7923 which is somehow an oddity as the only manual-wind Submariner ever produced by Tudor or Rolex. The case is very similar to the 7922, slightly thinner due to the use of the manual ETA 1182 movement. Unsurprisingly, a manual diver watch never became popular among professional, to the point that collectors thought for decades that the 7923 was a “Frankenwatch” until Tudor confirmed it in their archives as a legitimate, rare production model (that once sold for 99,999$ on eBay)

The Definitive Early Submariner: Tudor 7928

In 1959, Tudor introduced the Reference 7928, with a bigger 39mm case to improve overall legibility; this is considered the final state of the first generation of Submariners, remaining in production until 1968.

Still with the Tudor “Small Rose” logo, Mercedes hour hand and lollipop seconds hand, this with the introduction of crown guards assumes the most classic Submariner look.

During the life of the 7928 several evolutions of the crown guards designs can be seen: Square Crown Guards (thick and blocky, very rare), Pointed Crown Guards (so called “Cornino” ending in a sharp point), Rounded Crown Guards (the final more roundy evolution that was the standard for the following 30 years).

Finally, also the dial experienced small evolutions in the decade of production. During this period, Tudor always used the “Small Rose” logo, but early models had gilt (yellow/gold colored) printed text and chapter ring, while later model have white/silver printed text and chapter ring.

Between 1963 and 1964 we also have the switch from Radium lume to Tritium lume. During the transition some small markers that are sought after by collectors appear: a small horizontal line over the 6 o’clock marker to identify model with lower-radiation Radium (or a very early Tritium mix), and a dot under the 6 o’clock marker to identify the early Tritium dials.

Despite the numerous aesthetic changes to its dial and crown guards, the Reference 7928 adopted the same Calibre 390 throughout its entire lifespan.

(to be continued)

The Diver That Refuses to Age

Can I say that the Omega Seamaster Professional 2254.50 seats in the “sweet spot” of history? Dimensions-wide, it certainly has an affinity with Seamasters of the 1960s, a thin and slender profile, in stark contrast with the high-tech, ceramic-clad overweight modern models. It also has the characteristic sword hands and “big triangle at 12” of certain military Omegas like the 165.024 - all of that is lost in new Seamasters.

It is also known as “Peter Blake”, the two-time America’s Cup winner yachtsman and Omega ambassador, who lived exactly the life this watch was designed for - bar the tragic death sailing the Amazon river in 2001.

For long time in the shadow of the “James Bond” 2531.80 and its 90s pop culture iconic status, in the past 10 years the Peter Blake came out strong as the purist choice who wants the old style, military-spec Seamaster on their wrist.

Design

I look at modern divers (ehmm, certain modern divers) and I see flashy, big, ostentatious man jewellery. I can’t be the only one. But the 2254.50 was not designed to achieve that look.

What attract many are the sword hands. It’s not completely clear why Omega adopted skeleton hands in all modern Seamasters; one can only guess that after the success of GoldenEye (first Bond/Omega movie), the company chose the 2541.80 design (quartz watch, mind you) as their own trademark. But sword hands, a nod to the military-spec Omegas issued to the British Ministry of Defence in the 1960s, have a much more purposeful look; their lume glows like a torch well into the night.

Then there is the dial itself, with the “Big Triangle” at 12 o’clock, another vintage military cue that makes it easier orienting the watch at night. The wave pattern on the dial is in line with all modern Seamasters.

Finally, the bezel. The scalloped edge introduced in the 90s is there, but the aluminium insert looks different. Compare the fonts of the Peter Blake with modern Seamasters, and you will notice how oversized and bold they are. Again, purposeful design.

While the design traits mentioned above (luminous hands, big triangle, bold fonts) are all meant to make the watch highly readable, the 2254.50 surprises first-time wearers on the wrist for how compact it wears. Its 41mm case diameter is larger than its contemporary rival—the iconic 40mm five-digit Rolex Submariner 16610 - but the Omega actually feels much smaller, thanks to a remarkable 11.5mm thickness. The "Peter Blake" Seamaster uses its ultra-thin profile and lyre lugs to hug the wrist, sitting low and centered.

Omega Calibre 1120

Under the solid caseback we find the Omega Calibre 1120, coming from an era where there was no shame for high end manifacturers to use off-the-shelves movements.

It is essentially a modified ETA 2892-2, where Omega added two extra jewels and turned it into a chronometer-grade powerhouse. Because it’s based on such a established architecture, it’s a workhorse in the truest sense of the word, and almost any watchmaker will know exactly how to fix it and find spare parts. The power reserve (44 hours) was normal for the time, probably falling short compared to modern movements, but in line with a watch that you can wear every day.

Buying Guide

Where and when your truly lives (Japan - 2025), there’s no shortage of Omega Seamasters 2254.50 available in online retaliers, with a price ranging from just short of 2000 USD for beaten up pieces, to 3500+ USD for very good conditions. Different situations in brick and mortar shops, where they are a rare sighting.

Box and papers are almost unheard. It was an everyday watch at the time, who would want to keep box and papers (past the warranty expiration)?

The obvious place to examine when you find one is the aluminium bezel, which can show many scratches. I have two good news here. One, most scratches highly visible on pictures, will not be noticeable in real life; if they appear short and thin on picture, you will barely notice them while wearing the watch unless you keep turning it around until the light just catches the scratched area. Two, Omega will still service the watch and replace the bezel if you ask for it; there is no need to be precious about 'originality' or the 'integrity' of this piece: it is a Luminova bezel that can be swapped for a factory-fresh one that is exactly the same. Nothing is lost, and the watch will look better.

Which brings the question: buy the cheapest model out there and get it polished and serviced by Omega (which will cost you around 1000 USD, including the bezel replacement but provided that the movement hasn’t something terribly broken), or go for a more expensive one with no need to service? At the end it’s up to you. I think the middle ground is the best choice: look for a case in good shape, a watch that is running decently (good accuracy, amplitude and low beat error), and compromise on a few bezel scratches if the price is good (in the 2000 to 2500 USD range). You will always be able to replace the bezel down the road the next time you service it.

Market Status

How does it stack up today? If you look at its contemporary rival Submariner 16610, you will be looking at paying one third of its price for a watch that has similar size and features; both are great (I know - I have both), can be worn in every situation, as a beater watch up to every day office watch.

Longer term, it is certainly a watch that will hold value but do not expect crazy appreciation - so don’t overpay for it and wait for the right deal which will certainly come. There will always be many pieces available on eBay/Chrono24, more will come up, and it’s not vintage enough to attract the most sophisticated sector of collectors. The fact that it’s so robust - the movement, the sapphire glass, the case, means also that there will be no shortage in the future.

It would classify it as an enthusiast best buy. The watch you can wear every day, but with its originality and story. Something that can always spark a conversation when you meet like-minded folks.

Heuer pre-Monza

Often the first watch to be mentioned in the Monza lineage is a cushion-cased monopusher chronograph produced in the 1930s. This watch, even though not named Monza, is important in the lineage of this model as its shape inspired the Monza re-editions of early 2000s. Very compact in size (as the times required), with a case of around 33mm, two registers and a single pusher, it was using a single-button chronographic movement derived from the Valjoux 13.

Heuer Monza, 1976

The first Heuer Monza was launched in 1976. Just in 1971, Heuer had become the first watch brand to sponsor an entire Formula 1 team, and developed this celebration piece to commemorate the Austrian Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda third-place finish in the Italian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in 1975, which also secured his first Drivers’ Championship title.

The 1976 Monza’s case had a PVD matte black coating and was powered by the Calibre 15 automatic chronograph, a descendant of the Calibre 11 and of the Project 99, who produced one of the first automatic chronograph calibres in 1969.

The 1976 Monza was historically important because it was Heuer’s first PVD watch with a black esthetic that was in vougue in the 1970s, however it was a relatively unsuccessful release. While more affordable than the contemporary Carrera (thanks to the Calibre 15), it suffered from the competition of quartz watches and was eventually discontinued in the 1980s.

2000 re-edition: CR2110 reference

Following the success of the 1996 Carrera re-edition, TAG Heuer (as it was called after the TAG Group bought a stake in Heuer in 1985) began actively looking at the historical Heuer catalog for new (old?) ideas in an attempt to appeal to enthusiasts interested in the brand’s chronograph heritage.

The result was the CR2110, released around year 2000, which interestingly did not re-issue the tonneau case of the 1976 Monza, nor used the PVD coating, going back (as we noticed before) to the shape of the 1930s monopusher. Case dimensions remained very compact at 38mm, adopting the TAG Heuer Calibre 17 based on the ETA 2894-2.

In line with the vintage inspiration, the original CR2110 and CR2111 (silver dial) only had the “Heuer” logo on the dial, while later the CR2113 (black dial) and CR2114 (silver dial) had the “TAG Heuer” logo with the “Monza” name on the dial.

Tag Heuer Monza Calibre 38 - CR5110

The next generation of the TAG Heuer Monza (ref. CR5110) has a cushion case similar to the CR2110, just marginally bigger at 39.5mm and 14mm in height. However it looks and feels significantly more premium than the previous version thanks to the guilloché-like dial divided in sectors that brings out subtle textures shifting with every angle.

Prominent in the dial, between the “Monza” name and the “TAG Heuer” logo, you see “Calibre 36” in italics. That is a premium calibre based on the Zenith El Primero 400, with a 36,000 vibration-per-hour beat rate, a 50-hour power reserve and a column-wheel mechanism. The movement is also well-decorated with arguably a better finish than contemporary Zenith watches using the same calibre.

It might seem counterintuitive that TAG Heuer, a pioneer who developed one of the first automatic chronograph movements with Project 99, chose to utilize a direct competitor’s caliber. However, by the early 2000s, since both Zenith and TAG Heuer belonged to the LVMH Group, it likely made strategic sense to incorporate a premium movement to boost TAG Heuer’s image following the challenges of the 1990s.

40th anniversary edition: CR2080

The Tag Heuer Monza CR2080.FC6375, released in 2016, is arguably the most successful modern interpretation of the Monza name. Launched as a limited edition at Baselworld to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the original 1976 model, the CR2080 combines the best of the Monza’s two design histories: the black PVD coating of the original model, and the cushion case shape of the 2000s re-editions, stretched to a more modern 42mm size. The case is made from lightweight Grade 5 Titanium and coated with black matte finished Titanium Carbide for better durability. In a nod to purists, the dial features only the historic “HEUER” logo.

The watch is powered by the TAG Heuer Calibre 17 automatic movement (again based on the ETA 2894-2); maybe a step back from the Calibre 36, but more true to the watch vintage origins.