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Crédit http://www.finertimes.com/asp/articles/tudor.asp
Tudor and the French Navy: a love story?
by Saad Zinai
Rolex
did not have the same commercial success with the Tudor Submariner as
with its parents, the Rolex 5512 and 5513 Submariners. Tudors were sold
at a fraction of the 5513 price and so it was not difficult for the
French Navy (La Marine Nationale) to negotiate a good deal for
significant number of pieces.
Unlike contracts for the U.S. and
British Royal Navy, which specified all the characteristics of
timepieces from size to materials, the French government contracts were
purely commercial contracts. Therefore, the Marine Nationale (or M.N.)
provided its divers with many different watches including Zenith, Doxa,
Longines, Rolex, Blancpain, Beuchat, Auricoste and many others. But
that's another story.
Early on, the French Navy equipped
its divers (plongeurs de bord) with Tudor Submariners. The first Tudors
were purchased by the M.N. in the late 60's. This model seemed to meet
army specifications for Commando Marines. It was then the classic
"rose" model, (see right) featuring case reference 7928 and the
Rolex-derived 390 movement. Curiously, this model had the same sharp
crown shoulders as the first Rolex 5512. The back is prominent and flat
(unlike the bubble-back-like of that of further models). These models
do not hack, but backwards action will stop the movement.
Unfortunately,
Rolex kept no manufacturing records for these watches, and therefore,
it remains difficult to date them accurately. A good indication is the
date marked inside the back (something like I-67, for first quarter
1967, according to Rolex)
Ironically, the same model was
issued by the U.S. Navy to their UDT and Navy SEALS (see Marvin
Whitney's Military Timepieces for more details). Like their american
cousins, the M.N. Tudors were always issued "head only." The absence of
any sign of wear between lugs that a metal bracelet might have produced
is a good clue for purists.
In 1974, the M.N. started to
extensively equip their commando marines with Tudor submariners. From
this point, most of the watches (except a few, for some "sterile"
reasons) are marked on the back MN 19xx or MNxx. This date -1974- is
very important from a collector's point of view. This transitional
model (case reference 7016/0) always has a black dial and "square" or
"diamond hands" (see below) The case back is slightly different from
subsequent models in that it retains somewhat of a "bubble back" look.
The movement is now an ETA 2483, non-hack, no longer found on the
earlier models. Of course, the rose is no longer the Tudor emblem,
replaced in the late 60's by the current shield.
The
poor quality of the dial coating and its vulnerability to moisture led
Rolex to propose another dial. Starting in 1975 dials with a blue
finish were introduced which had much better tolerability to water.
These dials had square then "Mercedes" style markers and hands (see
images to the right.) These blue dials proved to be an excellent choice
in that the dials were coated with an enameled material which prevents
ageing. I have seen (and own) many mercedes-ed Tudors, with ruined
cases, faded bezels, brownish hands. The dial was always intact ! The
case reference is now 9401/0 or 94010, and the movement is the current
ETA.
I don't know of any model issued after 1983. Most of The
Tudor submariners were auctioned by the army, according to their date
of end of service. Some of them are being (as I type this...) destroyed
manually by some troopers in Toulon or Brest...I have tried to save
some and share with you this piece of the French Naval history.
MN 1982
MN 1983
Thanks to my friend Edward J. ROKE for his contribution
Crédit http://watchcaliber.free.fr/MarineNationale.html
The
French Navy, La Marine Nationale, has a long lasting history of using
the Tudor and Rolex submariner models. Indeed, the M.N. official diving
equipment supplier, La Spirotechnique, signed a succession of
commercial contracts with the Swiss watchmaker from the late 60's till
the mid 80's. The Tudor submariners were supplied to the French Navy's
picked divers such as the Clearance Divers (Plongeurs Démineurs), the
Combat Divers (Commandos Marine), and a few selected Ship Divers
(Plongeurs de Bord). Being a Ship Diver was then a part-time activity
or secondary duty for sailors onboard. In addition to the elite
personnel mentioned above, a handful of Combat Diver officers serving
in the C.I.N.C. (secret service operational team based on the outer
island of Cosica in the Mediterranean sea) were equipped with the
famous Rolex submariner 5513.
This very well built and
reliable official chronographer were to be used in the most difficult
weather conditions. In the early 80's the Tudor submariners were slowly
replaced by cheaper maintenance watches as the Ministry of Defense was
undergoing a severe budget cut. The 1989 Rainbow Warrior scandal led to
the relocation of the C.I.N.C.(renamed C.P.E.O.M.) and the
S.D.E.C.E.(renamed D.G.S.E.) and a new contract with Tudor S.A. was not
to be renewed
Tudor Marine Nationale :
Ref. 94010 MN78
Cal. Eta 2824-2
Hacking rotor automatic movement
25j.-28.800 A/h
Power reserve 38h.
Water-resistant to 200m.
Matt blue dial
Square/diamond type handset
Buble type case back
Matt blue dial with square/diamond hour hand and markers
Tudor and the French Navy: a love story?
by Saad Zinai
Rolex
did not have the same commercial success with the Tudor Submariner as
with its parents, the Rolex 5512 and 5513 Submariners. Tudors were sold
at a fraction of the 5513 price and so it was not difficult for the
French Navy (La Marine Nationale) to negotiate a good deal for
significant number of pieces.
Unlike contracts for the U.S. and
British Royal Navy, which specified all the characteristics of
timepieces from size to materials, the French government contracts were
purely commercial contracts. Therefore, the Marine Nationale (or M.N.)
provided its divers with many different watches including Zenith, Doxa,
Longines, Rolex, Blancpain, Beuchat, Auricoste and many others. But
that's another story.
Early on, the French Navy equipped
its divers (plongeurs de bord) with Tudor Submariners. The first Tudors
were purchased by the M.N. in the late 60's. This model seemed to meet
army specifications for Commando Marines. It was then the classic
"rose" model, (see right) featuring case reference 7928 and the
Rolex-derived 390 movement. Curiously, this model had the same sharp
crown shoulders as the first Rolex 5512. The back is prominent and flat
(unlike the bubble-back-like of that of further models). These models
do not hack, but backwards action will stop the movement.
Unfortunately,
Rolex kept no manufacturing records for these watches, and therefore,
it remains difficult to date them accurately. A good indication is the
date marked inside the back (something like I-67, for first quarter
1967, according to Rolex)
Ironically, the same model was
issued by the U.S. Navy to their UDT and Navy SEALS (see Marvin
Whitney's Military Timepieces for more details). Like their american
cousins, the M.N. Tudors were always issued "head only." The absence of
any sign of wear between lugs that a metal bracelet might have produced
is a good clue for purists.
In 1974, the M.N. started to
extensively equip their commando marines with Tudor submariners. From
this point, most of the watches (except a few, for some "sterile"
reasons) are marked on the back MN 19xx or MNxx. This date -1974- is
very important from a collector's point of view. This transitional
model (case reference 7016/0) always has a black dial and "square" or
"diamond hands" (see below) The case back is slightly different from
subsequent models in that it retains somewhat of a "bubble back" look.
The movement is now an ETA 2483, non-hack, no longer found on the
earlier models. Of course, the rose is no longer the Tudor emblem,
replaced in the late 60's by the current shield.
The
poor quality of the dial coating and its vulnerability to moisture led
Rolex to propose another dial. Starting in 1975 dials with a blue
finish were introduced which had much better tolerability to water.
These dials had square then "Mercedes" style markers and hands (see
images to the right.) These blue dials proved to be an excellent choice
in that the dials were coated with an enameled material which prevents
ageing. I have seen (and own) many mercedes-ed Tudors, with ruined
cases, faded bezels, brownish hands. The dial was always intact ! The
case reference is now 9401/0 or 94010, and the movement is the current
ETA.
I don't know of any model issued after 1983. Most of The
Tudor submariners were auctioned by the army, according to their date
of end of service. Some of them are being (as I type this...) destroyed
manually by some troopers in Toulon or Brest...I have tried to save
some and share with you this piece of the French Naval history.
MN 1982
MN 1983
Thanks to my friend Edward J. ROKE for his contribution
Crédit http://watchcaliber.free.fr/MarineNationale.html
The
French Navy, La Marine Nationale, has a long lasting history of using
the Tudor and Rolex submariner models. Indeed, the M.N. official diving
equipment supplier, La Spirotechnique, signed a succession of
commercial contracts with the Swiss watchmaker from the late 60's till
the mid 80's. The Tudor submariners were supplied to the French Navy's
picked divers such as the Clearance Divers (Plongeurs Démineurs), the
Combat Divers (Commandos Marine), and a few selected Ship Divers
(Plongeurs de Bord). Being a Ship Diver was then a part-time activity
or secondary duty for sailors onboard. In addition to the elite
personnel mentioned above, a handful of Combat Diver officers serving
in the C.I.N.C. (secret service operational team based on the outer
island of Cosica in the Mediterranean sea) were equipped with the
famous Rolex submariner 5513.
This very well built and
reliable official chronographer were to be used in the most difficult
weather conditions. In the early 80's the Tudor submariners were slowly
replaced by cheaper maintenance watches as the Ministry of Defense was
undergoing a severe budget cut. The 1989 Rainbow Warrior scandal led to
the relocation of the C.I.N.C.(renamed C.P.E.O.M.) and the
S.D.E.C.E.(renamed D.G.S.E.) and a new contract with Tudor S.A. was not
to be renewed
Tudor Marine Nationale :
Ref. 94010 MN78
Cal. Eta 2824-2
Hacking rotor automatic movement
25j.-28.800 A/h
Power reserve 38h.
Water-resistant to 200m.
Matt blue dial
Square/diamond type handset
Buble type case back
Matt blue dial with square/diamond hour hand and markers
