Tudor Prince Oysterdate Submariner 79090 - Black Dial - Tudor Warranty

Tudor was founded in 1926 by Hans Wilsdorf as a trademark and became an official brand in 1946, shortly after WWII. Its mission was clear: to offer robust, high-quality watches with Rolex's reliability—at a more accessible price point. Soon after Rolex patented the Oyster case, Tudor began using the first "Waterproof Case," becoming the only other brand permitted to do so. At that time, Tudor watches shared many components with Rolex—including cases, crowns, and bracelets—differing mainly in branding and the use of outsourced movements. This formula remained unchanged until the late 1960s, when Tudor began to break away from Rolex's design codes. This era marked the brand's first steps toward building a distinct identity. As such, the Tudor rose emblem was replaced by a sleek modern shield logo, symbolizing a new era of stylistic independence. The Tudor Submariner, introduced in 1954—a year after Rolex's—offers a perfect lens into this evolution. In 1969, Tudor debuted references 7016 and 7021, which featured bold square hour markers and the now-iconic "snowflake" hands, creating a unique and recognizable design separate from Rolex. Then came reference 79090 in 1989, a fascinating piece in the lineage. It marked a return to classic round markers and dropped the snowflake hands in favor of Mercedes-style hands. Yet, Tudor continued to innovate: triangular indices, typically reserved for 12 o'clock, were now also used at 6 and 9, hinting at continued experimentation. The present example, sold in 1996 in Piedmont (Italy), remains in excellent condition and is accompanied by its original warranty.