Dear Tudor- Bring Back The Prince Oysterdate Submariner 94110

November 30, 2016

Is this perhaps the most obvious Bring Back request so far? There certainly is a vocal community out there that would love to see a return of the Tudor Prince Oysterdate Submariner. And though is perhaps not keen on the overlap, having clearly differentiated the Tudor dive watches from its own by creating the Pelagos and Black Bay lines, wouldnt it just be fantastic to see this vintage icon make a comeback? There is something so uniquely charming about the vintage Tudor Submariner watches. It comes from the more daring approach that took with its sister brand. Not afraid to mix it up, there are plenty of different dial-and-hand configurations out there. But if I could ask for just one to come back, it would have to be the classic blue Snowflake Sub. And I know Im not alone in thinking that this would be an incredible comeback.Take the classic Submariner. Now turn the dial and bezel a stunning deep shade of navy blue. Now, replace the royal crown with a soldiers shield. Next, replace the round hour markers with squares, and make the rectangular markers and upside-down triangle at 12 oclock bolder. Finally, swap out the Mercedes hands and lollipop seconds hand. Replace them with the Snowflake handset - a chunky, blocky, alternative that became Tudors signature. These aesthetic changes, combined with the price point, quality, and availability of Tudors watches would make for an undeniably perfect combination. And though I could sit here and list all of the logical reasons why would not give this the green light, I think its more fun to dream, wish, and hope that someday this dream watch returns to the pages of Tudors catalog.Trouble fitting in?One question worth asking is whether there is room in said catalog. Between the beloved Black Bay and the popularity of the Pelagos, one could argue that Tudor has all the bases covered. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight and standard Black Bay cover the 39mm and 41mm sizes, and the Pelagos and Pelagos FXD cover 42mm. They also range from classic to modern and have plenty of the Tudor and DNA in their designs. Would a modern version of the Tudor Submariner overlap just a bit too much with the current catalog? Would this be too much of a good thing? Or would a vintage reissue of the classic Snowflake Submariner be an absolute crowd pleaser and an instant success? I think it has the potential to be both of those things. But judging by recent releases, we will have to wait some time to see the Oysterdate Submariner return.Image courtesy of XupesTudor has a popular, all-blue dive watch in the form of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight. And the snowflake dial exists on the Pelagos models. Little room remains between those two to bring anything back. Keeping the Submariner name exclusive to would also make sense. And with the current availability of steel sports models (or lack thereof), the return of the Oysterdate Submariner to the Tudor lineup could cause a rush from the crown to the shield. That said, perhaps its a watch that could make a return in the form of a vintage reissue. A limited run made to honor the classic icon that is the Snowflake Sub. All arguments aside, I can honestly say Id love to see it return. Where it fits, and if and how it could make sense, is something for Tudor and to figure out and for the watch community to debate!The Tudor Prince Oysterdate SubmarinerTheres not much I could tell you about the watch that our very own Tudor Sub specialists Mike Stockton and Balazs Ferenczi havent already said. Especially in Mikes #TBT article?and Balazss Historical overview. Personally, of the more popular models, I tend to gravitate towards the 94110, with the 94010 coming in a close second place. You, the Fratelli, even cast your vote on whether youd love to see the Tudor Submariner return, leading to an overwhelming majority of votes going to yes, it should return. In fact, 1568 of you voted in favor of its return, whereas only 356 voted no. I think that 81.4% is almost enough to call it unanimous. However, Id love to rekindle the discussion today. You see, back then, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight in blue had just been released, and it hadn t penetrated the market fully. But does that really change things?#gallery-1 {margin: auto;}#gallery-1 .gallery-item {float: left;margin-top: 10px;text-align: center;width: 50%;}#gallery-1 img {border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;}#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {margin-left: 0;}/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */I know, having spoken to the team here at Fratello, that most of us would still love to see something closer to the OG Tudor Prince Oysterdate Submariner. A watch in 40mm, on a bracelet, in either blue or black. And sure, the lollipop is cool and still has plenty of fans. But for us, its the Snowflake that deserves to see the light of day again. For now, though, well just have to wait and see. Though I dont have high hopes that it will come to be a reality any time soon, there is a sliver of hope left for a reissue. Stranger things have happened, right? You all remember the Black Bay P01 released in 2019. And though Mike compared the chances of the Sub making a comeback to a snowballs chance in Hades, you never know when the nostalgia bug will bite.And if it bites, thoughts of bringing back the 94110 might return to Tudor HQ.Final ThoughtsThe most obvious? Perhaps. The most unlikely? Absolutely. This series has always been about wishful thinking. At Fratello, we dont (yet) have an accurate crystal ball that allows us to look into the future of watches (despite what Lex tells you). But rare is the day where we dont discuss watches that we would love to see make a comeback. And past icons can certainly predict future hits! The designs are there. The history is there. Its only a matter of the decision being made to bring back something that people like. Judging by the prices of Tudor Submariners on Chrono24 and other sites, the passion for these watches is very real. Heck, vintage pieces in decent condition go for well over the retail prices of even the newest Submariner!#gallery-2 {margin: auto;}#gallery-2 .gallery-item {float: left;margin-top: 10px;text-align: center;width: 50%;}#gallery-2 img {border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;}#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {margin-left: 0;}/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */Our very own Bert Buijsrogge made the renders above of what a Black Bay more faithful to the Snowflake dial might look like. These, more than anything, show not only the potential for a return of the Snowflake but also just how different the Black Bay is to the classic Tudor Sub. This helps to add hope where there perhaps shouldn t be any.That said, Id love to hear your take. Do you think the Tudor Prince Oysterdate Submariner should return? Or is it a case where it s best to enjoy the original and spinoffs without hoping for a remake? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! And remember to stay tuned each Sunday to see which other watches our editors would love to see return.Follow me on Instagram @ncgwatches