We will be talking about a nice Tudor MN that was issued to the French Navy (Marine Nationale). It belongs to a passionate collector who writes under the name RolexJNJ in Rolexforums. Joe has a tasteful selection of vintage watches in his collection. Thank you one more time for taking the time to answer our questions and sharing your experience with us.
- Why vintage ? Why Rolex / Tudor ?
I have been collecting watches for many years, across many brands. But I always came back to Rolex. Their history of quality, innovation and value is simply second to none. Ultimately, I fell in love with the 1970’s era of vintage Rolex. To me, these watches represent the very best of design, form, and function. They were built for purpose and to last. As a collector, there is nothing more exciting than finding original examples of great watches with history and provenance.
- Can you name your favorite watches in your collection ?
My collection now is very focused, so every piece represents something special to me. But generally, I have always been fascinated by vintage Daytonas, GMTs, and Submariners the most. Recently, I was lucky enough to acquire an amazing 1975 Marine Nationale Tudor Mil-Sub.
- What is the importance of this watch to you, what makes it speacial for you ?
This particular watch is a great example of everything I love about vintage Rolex/Tudor. It’s incredibly rare. It is visually very beautiful with a blue dial, blue bezel and snowflake hands. It has aged perfectly, having spent years in the sea and under the sun. It was made and designed for the Marine Nationale (French Navy). And best of all, it was actually used by the Marine Nationale and documented in their service ledgers.
- When did you start to get into watches and can you tell a little about the story of how you acquired this watch?
My passion for watches began at a very early age when I received a Swatch Watch as a gift. I built up a small collection of Swatches at the time and remember really enjoying the variety of colors and designs. Also, it was fun to “customize” them by adding things like guards. As I grew older, I got into Swiss Army and Wenger watches, before later reaching brands like Rolex. Those Swiss Army watches really gave me a taste for military issue and purpose built watches.
The search for this Mil-Sub actually began when I was hunting for a clean and original no-date Blue Snowflake. I had been looking for months without any luck. Then one day, while surfing the web, I came across 2 MNs for sale! Not wasting a second, I was able to reach the seller and buy the 1975. I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to own this watch.
- Let’s hear some details about this particular piece Joe;
This was the first year that Tudor made this model with a blue dial and bezel to accompany the snowflake hands with the idea of improving under water visibility. It is also the only year that the full year is engraved on the case back (i.e., “M.N. 1975”), and only the second year that the case backs were being engraved at all.
Personally i really liked the colors on Joe’s Tudor. The light creme plots and the faded insert goes well with G-10 natos. This particular model being a military issue gives it a rich history. It sure is a cool watch with the snowflake desing hands and square shaped plots that every collector would like to have one in their collection. Thanks for your time, and hope to talk more watches from your collection in near future Joe.
