SPOT ON - The Untouched Tudor Submariner 7928

The only thing that stays constant in the watch world is change. Trends come and go and tastes develop and evolve. There are times when people want watches in their absolutely true, unmolested condition – the ‘warts and all’ approach. Then other people like to make the watches look like new…all period correct and a case freshen-up that makes it look like new-old-stock. There is no right or wrong, but then that’s the joy of collecting watches. This story of our discovery of a Tudor Submariner 7928 tick all the boxes – and more!

Real History

There is one thing that never changes here at Bulang and Sons though; our love of watches with a real history in genuine condition having lived their lives. We love them like this and they touch our hearts. We want to see the signs of life, the marks of honour. They’re part of not just the watches history, but also the character of the watch, which of course is formed by the journeys that the watch has embarked upon. And when we put the watch on our wrist…we are not just enjoying a beautiful dial and a great financial investment, but connecting with the personality of the watch and sharing in its heritage. And then, maybe, we can one day pass that on to our clients.

One day we got an email with these two pictures attached…

What Lies Beneath

Buying these watches from original owners is always a gamble. You can’t be 100% sure what you are buying and in what condition it is in. We can’t expect these owners to properly appraise the watch, as we could expect from a knowledgeable collector or dealer. And so there is a leap of faith. This watch was no exception. The crystal was so scuffed and scratched that it was impossible to see exactly what was under the glass on the dial. Would it be perfect or a complete water-damaged right off? The case looked nice from the pics, but the dial?

The Reveal

And so we took the bezel off and began the process of uncovering what secret was hidden behind the scratches up plexi.

DNA of a untouched watch.

What a result! As you can see – the dial was perfect!

Beauty is in the eye of the holder – shades of beauty

All correct 363xxx batch – the exclamation point, lollipop bubble seconds and and gilt hands. See home the lume is almost translucent…

Perfect Patina

The watch was 100% correct and original. All it needed was a service and a new Tropic 19 crystal. The Tudor is from the 363xxx batch a features the correct pointed crown guards that remain in stunning condition, as does the rest of the case. Look at the lugs and bevels!

The dial is a beautiful gilt example in credible condition. The gilt minute track is unmarked and the exclamation dot at 6 o’clock is present and correct. The lollipop seconds hand is perfect and the hands match the hour plots beautifully. These watches are becoming highly sought after by collectors. All the beauty and vibe of a gilt 5512 but in a more off-the-radar cool and stealthy package of a Tudor Submariner. The gilt dial surface is so fresh and when the light hits it at just the right angle…its mind blowing!

The ‘grainy’ finish off the dial when seen without the T19 crystal

Signs of Life

This Tudor Submariner reference 7928 is a beauty. A true beauty, with a history that gives the watch a character that we want to preserve – not only in the physical timepiece but also in this article. This Sub really is Spot On! It has the signs of life that should be there. It has been preserved well, but when it was worn it was worn for its intended purpose as a tool watch. Diving, working on motorbikes and dating girls…girls dig a cool watch!

Factory Lines

The most pointed of crown guards

Just look how fat the case is! The lugs are fat and the look at the condition of the teeth on the caseback

Beauty and character rolled into one

A Canadian Tale

So this watch really is special, but the story has a fantastic additional layer…

Mark grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba and as a teenager he took a keen interest in scuba diving. In 1968, aged 17, he visited a pawnbrokers in town where he’d been told about a steel diving watch that was for sale. For the princely sum of $100 he became the proud owner of a Tudor Submariner. The watch was his companion for all his dives and was a constant source of enjoyment for him at work too. Like many teenage pursuits, his interest in diving soon waned and the watch was relegated to a life of sitting in a dark drawer at his parents’ home. Except for the odd time when he wore it during his 20s and 30s, the watch remained unworn and in the drawer for fifty years. Until it was discovered and the owner contacted Bernhard Bulang…

Mark was shot in the 70th by the photographer Gerry Kopelow for the book “All Our Changes. Images from the Sixties Generation. Photographs by Gerry Kopelow”, published by University of Manitoba Press in 2009.

“Now it is not unusual to see watches like that, or with much larger faces, but in those days they were not common. I remember wearing the watch when I was working at my uncle’s photoengraving business, and a client remarking “Holy sheep shit, what a watch!” So it was a beauty even then!”
– Mark-

BACK INTO THE LIGHT

And now its ready to be out in the open and shine again 50years later in a different society. Ready to rock our world and bring some of the coolness of the past to the future.

“One of my younger sisters asked me if she could wear the watch, as I wasn’t using it. The strap was too large for her wrist, and she was advised to replace it with a simple nylon strap rather than trying to modify the steel bracelet. The bracelet subsequently went missing. (My sister and I still argue about whose fault that was.)”
– Mark-

We added a nice US revited bracelet to the watch for it’s original looks as on the images. But of course we will also wear it a lot with some leather and nylon straps in the future.

Thanks Mark and Norel for your great help to get this watch and sharing your story. We hope we will be able to carry on it’s history and share the love for untouched vintage watches and their stories in the future.

Bernhard Bulang