This Marine Nationale-issued 9401/0 MilSub is a stunning remnant from a lost era of the Tudor & Rolex brand, a time when both brands focussed on creating robust and purpose-built tool watches rather than luxury items. This focus is made clear by examining the symbiotic relationship between Tudor and the Marine Nationale, France’s Naval Service. The MN purchased numerous batches of Tudor MilSubs from the 1950s to the 1980s for their divers and submarine officers, who provided feedback that shaped the evolution of the Submariner. This example is not only the reference that arguably contributed most heavily to the Tudor Submariner identity (even a quick glance will reveal features now considered iconically Tudor) but it also served on the wrist of a member of the MN’s tip of the spear special operations unit, Le Commando Hubert.
This Submariner is the result of slow, steady evolution. The previous reference, 7016, kept the crown guards and thicker case from ref. 7928 but added in the now iconic snowflake handset with square indices based on direct input from the MN regarding a need for increased legibility in low visibility conditions. The 7016 was offered to the public in both black and blue dial and bezel configurations (those delivered to MN were only black), but the dial lacquer on both were discovered to be prone to bubbling. Tudor then released the 9401/0, correcting the dial lacquer issue while keeping the snowflake handset with square marker dial layout. Tudor delivered the first batch of blue dial and bezel Submariners to the MN in 1975. The 9401/0 was so successful in incorporating the functional developments from previous references with the iconic blue dial and bezel that the MN continued ordering batches until 1982, while their use has extended at least into the 2000’s. This specific example comes from the first batch of 9401/0s delivered to the MN in 1975, the only year in which the military caseback engraving, the distinguishing feature between Mil-Subs produced after 1974 and their civilian counterparts, utilized four digits to represent the year rather than 2.
The most captivating part of MilSub collecting is the story, the watch’s unique history, which can take great effort on the part of the collector to confirm and uncover. The MN had a contract with Yves Pastre, a local watchmaker, to provide service for their MilSubs. Pastre kept detailed service ledgers now known as the 'Registre'. Confirming that a MilSub’s serial number is in these ledgers is the most common and robust verification of authenticity. This 9401/0 not only comes with a photocopy of the Registre cover and a page inside featuring its serial number, but also a handwritten letter from the MN Veteran and former owner confirming its legitimacy and providing some details of its story.
He was issued this watch during service in Le Commando Hubert, the MN’s premiere Special Operations Unit focussed on combat diving, counterterrorism, and hostage rescue operations, from 1998 to 2002. This unit is the pinnacle of French naval special operations, requiring prospective members to have served with distinction in another Commando unit before trying out for Hubert, still most do not make the selection. Having served in such a unit, there is no doubt that this watch has travelled well beyond the Commando Hubert headquarters in Saint Mandrier; calling this a mere tool watch is like comparing the butter knife in your kitchen drawer to Rambo’s Bowie.
The Tudor Marine Nationale relationship meaningfully shaped the evolution of the dive watch not only through inspiring purposeful design changes like the snowflake handset and square indices, but in providing credibility to the model range for Tudor and even Rolex. While the 9401/0 is the reference to which Tudor points in much of its modern design language, the impact of MilSubs and the men who wore them extend well beyond watchmaking. This example’s significance within the lineage of dive watch history is clear, well understood, easily defined, but its actions and experiences will likely be left to our imagination. It is, without question, a true quiet professional.
