Debuting in 1954, the Tudor Submariner set out on its journey as a more affordable version of the Rolex Submariner, which had been released the year prior, in keeping with Tudor's original ethos. 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 the Submariner with OEM Rolex parts throughout its construction, except for its third-party movement. As one of the later references, the Submariner ref. 79090 features the most modern movement of any Tudor Submariner within its 40mm stainless steel case, the high-grade ETA cal. 2824-2. Renowned as perhaps one of the most robust and widely used automatic movements ever, the ETA 2824-2 featured in various Tudor models for over 30 years – a true testament to its quality. Fitted with a Rolex Triplock crown and flip-lock clasp, the ref. 79090 is a stunning timepiece that harbors some of the modern creature comforts we ask of our watches while still retaining a vintage feel. This is thanks to its anodized aluminum bezel insert, hollow end links, and hollow center links, all design details that are quickly fading from modern horology.

By the early 1990's, Rolex had already moved on from the matte dials they had earlier used since the mid 1960's in favor of a more contemporary looking glossy dial with white gold indexes, and most importantly, a sapphire crystal. Thankfully, Tudor was a bit behind the curve, and this 79090 from the early 1990's still has all the features that vintage collectors appreciate.