Tudor Submariner Ref. 7021/0 - Blue 'Snowflake Confetti Dial' With Roulette Date Unpolished

The Submariner, namely those produced by Rolex, has long been considered the cream of the crop when it comes to watch collecting as a whole. Possibly the most iconic watch ever produced, the Submariner has long standing utilitarian roots that span decades, and everyone who’s anyone has been spotted wearing one. However, if you look deeper into the Submariner line, you may find a less known but just as incredible model manufactured by Tudor.

These pieces are not only more unique and uncommon than the traditional Submariner, but offer a more fun, playful design — particularly with the blue-dialed variants with a pop of red in the 'Roulette' date wheel like the example that we have here.

This example, a Ref. 7021/0, dates to circa 1970 and is known as a 'Snowflake' for its distinctive hands and indices. In recent years, these have developed a cult following with collectors and have become one of the more sought after and collectible vintage Tudor Submariner References. The condition of this piece is excellent, with a thick, unpolished case showing normal, honest signs of wear throughout with only a few noteworthy impressions and blemishes present on the left case profile. It comes fitted to a correct folded-link Oyster bracelet with a "Rolex" signed blade clasp, which is also in unpolished condition and matches the watch perfectly. The bezel insert is slightly later and retains an incredible vibrant blue color and shows light wear throughout. The real treat with this piece, however, is that blue dial. For a short time, the early blue 'Snowflakes' exhibited additional colors under close inspection within the blue of the dial, usually 'flakes' of green and even hints of gold. These are what we call 'Confetti' dials. The one we have here is a beautiful, clean example with consistent color and texture, and lightly patinated characteristic square Tritium plots. The equally characteristic handset matches beautifully both to the naked eye and under UV inspection. As if the dynamic color of the dial wasn't enough, this pice also has a 'roulette' date wheel, with alternating black and red numbers — further adding to the layers of whimsical fun.

These days, Tudors most popular line, the Black Bay, drawn largely from pieces like the one that we have here, and for good reason. As the expression goes, you can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’re from.

This is a fantastic example of a vintage diver that has seen steady grown in popularity, with no signs of stopping....

...And Rolex sure never made a steel Submariner with a blue dial!