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Tudor "Snowflake" Faded Insert Submariner (Ref. 7016/0), 1974 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Tudor "Snowflake" Faded Insert Submariner (Ref. 7016/0), 1974

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Tudor (maker)
Date
1974
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
TDRSUB9279090
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (TDRSUB9279090)
Catalogue title (original)
1974 Tudor "Snowflake" Faded Insert Submariner (Ref. 7016/0) (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number TDRSUB9279090), this is a wristwatch by Tudor, made in Switzerland, dated 1974. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

The Tudor “Snowflake” is the nickname given to the Tudor Submariners with reference numbers 7016/0, 7021/0, 9104/0, and 9411/0 which was in production from 1969 to 1975. Dial variants are commonly found in black and or blue and the watch can feature at date complication. The nickname snowflake comes as a result of the unique features of the reference range such as the square hour markers and a unique snowflake hands that were introduced by Rolex/Tudor to increase visibility in low light conditions. However, there is more to the Tudor’s Snowflake Submariner line than its unique and different visual features. The Tudor Snowflake Submariners, much like the other Submariners produced by Rolex and Tudor, have a long standing history and were supplied to military forces including the U.S. Navy and the Marine Nationale (French Navy) Marine Nationale Diver Wearing Turdor Submariner "Snowflake"7016/0 The second-generation Tudor Submariners also marked the watchmaker’s transition from caliber 390 movements produced by Parmigiani Fleurier SA (Fleurier) to movements produced by Swiss watchmaker ETA which made the Tudor Snowflake Submariners the first Tudor watches to use these modified ETA movements. This specific example would make a great addition to a growing collection or be a great first piece as it retains the classic and timeless look of the Submariner while being unique and eye-catching as a result of the unique dial and hand configuration Stock # TDRSUB7470160 Brand Tudor Style Submariner Model 7016/0 Serial 82XXXX Size Men's Material SS Dial Black Millimeters 40 Bracelet 7356 Oyster bracelet with 382 end links CASE & BRACELET The case of this 1974 Ref. 7016/0 has been previously polished but retains its full and thick lugs. Also, the case comes equipped with the original Rolex signed trip-lock crown. The original 9315 oyster bracelet retains all of its original links and shows very minimal stretch and included are the original 382 end links DIAL & HANDS in pristine original condition. The lume and hands have a matching white creamy patina and match the age of this fantastic example. The tritium lime on the dial and within the hands has been inspected with UV light and shows no lime loss or lime degradation. The original blue bezel insert shows a wonderful and sought after ghostlike fade and retains the original tritium filled pearl. ACCESSORIES

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Dive and water-resistant watches

Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.

Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.

What to look for

  • Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
  • Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
  • Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
  • Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.

Dating clues

  • Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
  • Professional dive watches: from 1953.
  • Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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