The Tudor Black-Bay ancestor

[michel33]

Hello fellow WiS, I'm now the proud owner of the Black-Bay ancestor, a 94010 Submariner originally issued with this stunning dial/hands combo for only one year, every known examples throughout the world (a very few watches) being in the 8.8/beginning of the 8.9XXX serial range number.


This very small 94010 batch is now well documented in the "Tudor Anthology Book" edited by Mondani as you can see hereafter.

I remember that when the first examples emerged, from different world areas, many of us were skeptical about this dial/hands combo on a 94010 Submariner.

Many thought that this could only be a swap between dials/hands done by watchmakers during the watch services.

However, too many facts were conclusive:

- The serial range of these specific examples, as said above.

- But above all, the fact that this specific dial with rectangular stick markers at 3, 6 and 9 O'clock was only fitted on the previous Tudor Submariner model, the 7016 Submariner.
If the 94010 Submariner also featured from 1980 to 1983 a round markers dial, it was with triangular 3, 6 and 9 markers only (see picture).

-And the ultimate proof is that these two dials are not interchangeable at all, as some people suggested, for the simple reason that the two models feature different ETA movements (2776 ETA for the 94010 Submariner and the 2483 ETA for the 7016 Submariner), which require that the feet of the dial are not positioned at the same place for each model!!!

Thus it is impossible to fit a 7016 (3, 6 and 9 "stick markers") dial instead of a Snowflake 94010 dial as previously envisaged by some skeptical fellows.
No need to say that the specific 7016 Submariner round markers (that was furthermore discontinued) cannot have been modified by local watchmakers throughout the world for watches that are all in the same serial number range….. (And as the regular triangular 3,6 9 stick markers round dial was easily available…).

- Another piece of evidence came from a Canadian Navy member who found four Tudor issued Tudor Submariners (though not engraved) in an old box in his naval base, one of them being a round markers dial/Snowflake hands 94010 Submariner once again in the same serial number range.

My new baby:


The article on this very limited issued Tudor 94040 Sub in the "Tudor Anthology Book":


The Canadian Navy 94010 round markers dial/Snowflake hands:


The specific triangular 3, 6, 9 stick markers of the 94010 round dial: