
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Tudor Submariner (Ref. 94110) "Snowflake", 1981
- Maker / attribution
- Tudor (maker)
- Date
- 1981
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- TDRSUB8194110
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (TDRSUB8194110)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1981 Tudor Submariner (Ref. 94110) "Snowflake" (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number TDRSUB8194110), this is a wristwatch by Tudor, made in Switzerland, dated 1981. 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 unique features such as the square hour markers and a unique snowflake hands that were introduced by Rolex/Tudor to increase visibility in low light conditions. In production from 1968 to the mid-1980s with dial variants commonly found in black or blue and the watch can feature at date complication. 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, additionally the insert is extremely rare due to the fact that it has taken on a rare and sought after color change that is sometimes reffered to as "claret" due to the fact that the insert has changed from black to a deep reddish brown coloration that looks simalar to a bordeaux wine color. Stock # TDRSUB8194110 Brand Tudor Style Submariner Model 94110 Serial 96XXXX Size Men's Material SS Dial Black Millimeters 40 Bracelet NATO Strap CASE & BRACELET We believe the case of this 1981 Ref. 94110 Tudor Snowflake remains unpolished due to the thick and even lugs and visible and even chase chamfering. The case comes equipped with the original Rolex signed trip-lock crown. The bezel insert has taken on a rare and sought after reddish purple coloration sometimes referred to as "claret" as it is reminiscent of the color of red wine from Bordeaux region in France which is eye-catching and absolutely stunning especially in the sunlight.The watch will come supplied with a strap of your choice, "shown on brown Horween shell cordovan" DIAL & HANDS The snowflake dial remains in pristine and original condition. The lume and hands have a matching creamy and "custard" like patina. The tritium lume on the dial and within the hands has been inspected with UV light and shows no lume loss or lume degradation. The crystal was switched out for a Rolex T-19 crystal without cyclops for a cleaner and streamlined look. ACCESSORIES None, The watch was recently serviced by the previous owner and is keeping time at spec. Additional extended service history is unknown.
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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