Debuting in 1954, the Tudor Submariner set out on its journey to become a more affordable version of 1953's Rolex Submariner, in keeping with Hans Wilsdorf’s original founding vision for Tudor as a luxury watch for the everyday person. A legendary watch thanks to its ties to the French Navy amongst other military forces, the Tudor Submariner's history as one of the most widely issued military dive watches speaks for itself. Keen to produce just as high-quality a product as their sibling, Tudor fitted their Submariner model with OEM Rolex parts throughout its construction, except for its third-party movement. Built upon the same specifications as its larger siblings, the ref. 75090 that we have here measures in at a relatively svelte 35.5mm in diameter, with its smaller size a lot more welcoming for the tastes of the time of its release. While large watches were beginning to grow in popularity in the 1990s, the ref. 75090 filled the void between Tudor’s 39mm ref. 79090 Submariner and their 33mm ref. 73090. Today, the midsize Submariner is famed for its vintage sizing, acrylic crystal, and tritium luminous, which all combine to give this wonderful watch a much more authentically vintage feeling in the hand and on the wrist than its age might otherwise allow. A wonderfully rich piece of Tudor’s history in a peculiar package, this is one watch that will wear splendidly on any wrist.

A wonderful example of Tudor's determined endeavor to offer something that Rolex didn't, the Tudor Submariner Mid-Size is a gorgeous timepiece that resides within the watch-collecting community as an intriguing watch that doesn't get the plaudits it deserves.