The art of collecting Military-issued Timepieces has never been more interesting or captivating than in today’s day and age. These alluring Timepieces have been sought after for as long as collectors have existed, however, due to the availability of archived information we now possess, the community has never been more interconnected or informed. And as we collectively continue to discover new information we reinforce our understanding of where and when and why these incredible timepieces were enlisted.
From the famous Rolex Milsub 5517 to the Milspec Blancpains, Benrus Type 1’s and 2’s, and the many Heuer military watches, one watch company has seen a lot of attention in recent years for its military service and that would be Tudor. Perhaps best known for the French Marine National issued Tudor Snowflake Submariners or MN Snowflakes, but interestingly enough Tudor held contracts all over the globe for military spec timepieces, and the watch we’re proud to offer today comes from the Royal Canadian Navy.
Tudor and the RCN had a long-standing relationship and we’ve been proud to offer a few examples of these military-issued Submariners throughout the years, however this ref. 79090 holds a special place in history as being part of the last batch of Submariners ordered by the Canadian Navy from Tudor. The case back is inscribed with the original owner’s name “Petty Officer Cumberland” and though it is worn, it is still visible. This RCN Tudor is also accompanied by its original issued Nato strap. More information about this watch’s history is available in this in-depth article by Ross Povey for Bulang & Sons, about RCN Tudor Submariners, where this watch is featured at the end. Ross Povey is one of the leading experts in Royal Canadian Navy Issued Tudors.
The Rolex/Tudor relationship Dates back to 1926 when Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex SA, wanted to create a more affordable alternative. Tudor manufactured Submariners adjacent to the Rolex submariner for many many years. In 1954, the year following the release of Rolex’s first Submariner, Tudor released their first Submariner as an affordable alternative that didn’t lack in quality or craftsmanship yet leveraged a non-in-house Rolex movement. The Tudor submariner 79090 uses the 2824-2 quick set movement which makes adjusting the Date on the fly easy.
| Stock # | TDRSUB79090MIL | |
| Brand | Tudor | |
| Style | Submariner | |
| Model | 79090 | |
| Serial | B3XXXXX | |
| Size | Men’s | |
| Material | SS | |
| Dial | Matte Black | |
| Millimeters | 40 | |
| Bracelet | Original RCN Issued Black Nato Strap |
CASE & BRACELET
The case is in exceptional condition, displaying honest signs of use and extremely strong lugs and crown guards that are believed to remain Unpolished. The original bezel insert has taken on a handsome navy blue coloration with light signs of use, the pearl at the 12 o’clock position has been replaced with a service luminova pearl. The case retains its original Rolex trip-lock crown. The case back retains its original “PO Cumberland” case back, though it is worn though years of the watch being worn on a Nato strap. The watch comes supplied with its original RCN issued black nylon Nato strap.
DIAL & HANDS
The matte black dial is in very well preserved condition with only minimal signs of aging not visible to the naked eye. The tritium lume plots remain bright and show very little aging, under U.V. light inspection the lume plots exhibit no degradation. The original tritium hands match the dial perfectly, under U.V. light inspection the sweep seconds hand exhibits minor cracking and remains stable, the Other hands show no degradation.
Accessories
None. The watch is keeping time and functioning perfectly, previous service history is unknown.
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