Tudor Submariner "Snowflake" Ref. 7016 and 7021: The Vintage Dive Watch That Built a Brand

A Watch Designed for the French Navy

In the late 1960s, the French Marine Nationale had a problem. Their divers needed a watch they could read underwater, in murky conditions, at a glance. Standard watch hands with thin lines weren't cutting it.

Tudor's answer was a set of large, blocky hands with a square hour hand that collectors would later nickname the "Snowflake." Paired with oversized square hour markers, the design prioritized readability above everything else. It wasn't pretty by the fashion standards of the day. It was functional.

More than fifty years later, that utilitarian design has become one of the most recognizable features in watchmaking. Tudor still uses Snowflake-style hands on their modern Black Bay line. And the original vintage Snowflake references, the 7016/0 (no date) and 7021/0 (with date), have become serious collector's watches.

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Quick Value Summary

Reference	Dial	Approximate Value
7016/0, black Snowflake dial	Good condition	$8,000-$12,000
7016/0, blue Snowflake dial	Good condition	$12,000-$20,000+
7016/0, Rose dial (SPCG case)	Good condition	$15,000-$25,000+
7021/0, black Snowflake dial	Good condition	$10,000-$15,000
7021/0, blue Snowflake dial	Good condition	$12,000-$18,000+
7021/0, blue "Confetti" dial	Good condition	$15,000-$25,000+

Recent Auction Result: Tudor ref. 7021/0 Snowflake sold for $10,795 at Phillips, New York Watch Auction X, June 2024. Estimate was $6,000-$12,000.

Chrono24 Current Listings: 7016/0 models start around $8,700. 7021/0 models generally listed from $10,000.

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The Story

Tudor was created by Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf in 1926. The idea was straightforward: offer Rolex-quality durability at a lower price point. For decades, Tudor watches shared Rolex cases, bracelets, and crowns. The main difference was the movement. Where Rolex used in-house calibers, Tudor used modified ETA movements.

In 1968, Tudor launched the ref. 7016/0, replacing the previous ref. 7928 Submariner. The 7021/0, Tudor's first Submariner with a date window, followed in 1969. Both were produced until approximately 1975, when they were replaced by the ref. 9401/0 and 9411/0.

These watches used ETA caliber 2483 (7016/0, no date) and ETA caliber 2484 (7021/0, with date). Both were 25-jewel automatic movements. Reliable and easy to service, but lacking a hacking (stop-seconds) function. That would come with the later 9401/9411 replacements.

The case was 39mm stainless steel, signed Rolex on the outside. The crown was a Rolex crown. The bracelet was a Rolex folded-link Oyster, reference 9315 with 380 end links. Water resistance was rated at 200 meters. Inside the caseback, you'd find "Montres Tudor S.A., Geneva Switzerland" along with the reference number.

The Snowflake Design

The Snowflake wasn't the only dial available on these references. The 7016/0 went through three main dial types:

1. Rose dial (earliest, matching the previous ref. 7928 MK6). Found on the very first 7016/0 watches from early 1968. These came in cases with semi-pointed crown guards (SPCG), a brief design that was quickly replaced by rounded crown guards.

2. Shield dial. A transitional variant found around 1970.

3. Snowflake dial. The most common and the one that defined the reference. Available in black and (much rarer) blue.

The 7021/0 only came with Snowflake dials, in black or blue. Early 7021/0 examples featured a "roulette" date wheel with alternating red and black numbers. Later examples switched to all-black numbers.

The blue dials are significantly rarer than black across both references. The blue 7016/0 Snowflake is one of the rarest Tudor Submariners overall. Early Snowflake dials were prone to a defect where the paint would bubble or rot, making clean examples even scarcer.

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How to Identify

Case Details:

• 39mm stainless steel case, signed Rolex

• Reference number engraved between the lugs at 12 o'clock (7016/0 or 7021/0)

• Serial number engraved between the lugs at 6 o'clock

• Rounded crown guards on most examples (semi-pointed crown guards only on very early 7016/0, serial range ~621xxx-623xxx)

• Caseback should be stamped with production quarter and year (e.g., "IV 68" for fourth quarter 1968)

• Post-1973 casebacks (approx. serial 814xxx+) omit the date stamp

Dial Identification:

• "TUDOR" text with shield logo (Snowflake dials)

• "TUDOR" text with rose logo (early Rose dials only)

• "OYSTER PRINCE" below the Tudor name

• "SUBMARINER" below that

• "200m = 660ft" depth rating

• "T SWISS T" at the bottom (tritium lume) on standard Snowflake dials

• "SWISS" only (no T markings) on the earliest Snowflake dials (rare, serial range ~74xxxx-78xxxx for black)

Hands:

• Snowflake hands: large square hour hand, long minute hand with a rectangular lume plot, small seconds hand

• Mercedes hands: found on Rose and Shield dial variants only

• Lollipop seconds hand: found on very early 7016/0 examples

Bezel:

• Unidirectional rotating bezel with 60-minute graduation

• Aluminum bezel insert, black (most common) or blue (matching blue dials)

• Bezels fade over time, often turning gray or "ghost" blue. This patina is desirable to collectors.

Serial Number Ranges (approximate):

• 7016/0: 621xxx (earliest, 1968) through ~827xxx (end of production)

• 7021/0: 70xxxx (1969) through ~76xxxx (end of production)

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Value by Condition

Condition matters enormously with vintage Tudor Submariners. Originality is everything. A watch with its original dial, hands, bezel insert, and case shape (unpolished) is worth dramatically more than one with replacement parts.

Ref. 7016/0 (No Date):

Variant	Condition	Value Range
Black Snowflake, T SWISS T	Good, original dial and hands	$8,000-$12,000
Black Snowflake, T SWISS T	Excellent, unpolished case, original bracelet	$10,000-$14,000
Blue Snowflake	Good condition	$12,000-$20,000
SWISS-only Snowflake (earliest)	Good condition	$12,000-$18,000
Rose dial, SPCG case	Good condition	$15,000-$25,000+
Shield dial	Good condition	$12,000-$18,000

Ref. 7021/0 (Date):

Variant	Condition	Value Range
Black Snowflake	Good, original dial and hands	$10,000-$15,000
Black Snowflake, roulette date wheel	Good condition	$12,000-$18,000
Blue Snowflake	Good condition	$12,000-$18,000
Blue "Confetti" dial (green/blue specs)	Good condition	$15,000-$25,000+

What Affects Value:

• Original dial with intact lume plots (no relume)

• Unpolished case with sharp edges

• Correct hands (not replaced)

• Original bezel insert (even if faded)

• Original Rolex bracelet, ref. 9315 with 380 end links

• Box, papers, and hang tags (add 20-40% premium)

• Provenance (military issue examples are especially desirable)

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Errors and Variations

Semi-Pointed Crown Guards (SPCG): The earliest 7016/0 watches (serial ~621xxx-625xxx) have a distinctive case shape with pointed crown guards that slope upward. These were quickly replaced by the standard rounded crown guards. SPCG cases are rare and command significant premiums.

Roulette Date Wheel (7021/0): Early 7021/0 watches had a date wheel with alternating red (even) and black (odd) numbers. This is a desirable feature that collectors specifically seek out.

Confetti Dials: Some blue 7021/0 dials show green and blue specks, nicknamed "Confetti" dials. These are natural variations in the dial paint and are highly prized.

Maxi Dials: Both Rose and Shield variants exist in "Maxi" versions with enlarged hour plots and shorter hands. These are distinct sub-variants.

Dial Degradation: Early Snowflake dials were susceptible to paint bubbling or "tropical" aging. While this sounds like damage, certain types of aging (even color change, warm patina) are actually desirable to collectors. Severe bubbling or flaking, however, reduces value.

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Authentication

Vintage Tudor Submariners are frequently found with replacement parts, and outright fakes do exist. Here's what to check:

Red Flags: 1. Dial text that doesn't match the correct variant for the serial number range 2. Snowflake hands paired with a Rose or Shield dial 3. A date window on a 7016/0 (it's the no-date reference) 4. Modern or re-lumed hands (lume should show age-appropriate patina) 5. Over-polished case with rounded edges where they should be sharp 6. Incorrect bracelet (many have had bracelets replaced over 50+ years) 7. Caseback engravings that don't match the dial generation

Professional Assessment:

• Have the watch opened by a qualified watchmaker familiar with vintage Tudor

• Check the movement for correct ETA caliber (2483 for 7016/0, 2484 for 7021/0)

• Verify the serial number matches the approximate production date suggested by the dial variant

• Cross-reference with resources like TudorSub.com, which documents known serial ranges for each variant

Dial Authenticity: This is the most commonly faked element. Refinished ("re-dialed") dials are common. Signs of a refinished dial include too-perfect printing, incorrect font spacing, and lume that doesn't match the hands in color or aging.

Lume Patina: Original tritium lume on hands and dial should age at roughly the same rate. If the hands are creamy/warm and the dial plots are bright white (or vice versa), something has been replaced.

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Where to Sell

Auction Houses:

• Phillips is the premier venue for high-end vintage watches. They regularly feature Snowflake Tudors in their Geneva and New York auctions.

• Christie's and Sotheby's also handle vintage Tudor, typically in their online-only sales.

• Antiquorum and Bonhams for European markets.

Specialist Dealers:

• HQ Milton specializes in vintage Tudor Submariners and is a well-known reference in the community

• Bulang and Sons (Amsterdam) regularly stocks vintage Tudor

• Bob's Watches handles pre-owned Tudor alongside Rolex

Online:

• Chrono24 is the largest watch marketplace. Expect to pay seller fees of 6-8%.

• WatchCharts tracks market values and connects buyers/sellers

• Reddit's r/Watchexchange for peer-to-peer sales

What to Expect:

• Dealer buyback: 70-80% of retail value for clean examples

• Auction: potential to exceed estimates if the watch is original and well-preserved (as the $10,795 Phillips result shows)

• Private sale: highest return but requires trust and documentation

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