Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial (1989) | Crown Vintage

Introduction: The Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial and Why It Belongs in Your Collection

There is a particular kind of watch that asks nothing of you except to appreciate it. It does not demand a velvet-lined box, a humidity-controlled safe or a place on an investment spreadsheet. It asks only to be wound, worn and respected. The 1989 Tudor Submariner Reference 79090 Black Dial is precisely that kind of watch. It is a tool built to serious specifications, carrying a lineage that stretches back to the earliest days of Swiss professional dive watchmaking, and it remains one of the most honest and compelling vintage sports watches available to collectors at any level. At Crown Vintage, we are drawn to pieces that have earned their reputation without marketing budgets or celebrity endorsement, and few watches make that case more convincingly than the black dial 79090.

Introduced in 1989 as the final generation of the classic Tudor Submariner line, the Reference 79090 replaced the previous undated Tudor Submariner and would remain in the catalogue until the late 1990s (Tudor Watch Company, Inside Tudor: Submariners 1969 to 1999). Produced at a moment when Tudor's relationship with Rolex was still most visible in the shared architecture of the case, bracelet and crown, this watch sits at a fascinating crossroads between professional tool watch and vintage collector's piece. The black dial variant, in particular, offers something that the blue version cannot: a pure, uncompromising stealth that suits the original diving brief of the Submariner line perfectly. If you have not yet given the Tudor 79090 Black the attention it deserves, now is the time.

The Story Behind the Tudor Brand: Heritage, Purpose and Precision

The Tudor brand was brought into existence in 1926 when the trademark "The Tudor" was registered in Geneva by the house of Veuve de Philippe Hüther, acting on behalf of Hans Wilsdorf, the man who had already given the world Rolex (Tudor Watch Company, Inside Tudor: History 1926 to 1949). Wilsdorf was, above all else, a visionary businessman. He had achieved something extraordinary with Rolex, creating a brand synonymous with precision, durability and status. Yet he recognised that this very success placed Rolex out of reach for a significant portion of the market. His answer was Tudor, a brand conceived to deliver the same fundamental qualities at a more accessible price.

In Wilsdorf's own words, his intention was to produce "a watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches, and yet one that would attain the standard of dependability for which Rolex is famous." This founding philosophy shaped every decision Tudor made over the following decades. On 6 March 1946, Wilsdorf formalised the vision by establishing Montres Tudor SA, with Rolex guaranteeing the technical and aesthetic standards of the new company's output (Wikipedia, Tudor Watches). From the outset, Tudor watches were built using the Oyster case that had made Rolex famous, ensuring water resistance and structural integrity from the very beginning.

Tudor wasted no time in proving itself in demanding environments. The brand launched its first diving watch in 1954, the Oyster Prince Submariner, with an initial water resistance rating of 100 metres that was extended to 200 metres by 1958 (Wikipedia, Tudor Watches). The military establishments of the world quickly took notice. From the 1960s through to the mid-1980s, Tudor Submariners were issued to divers serving in the French Marine Nationale, while a dedicated variant was developed specifically for the United States Navy beginning in 1964 (Wikipedia, Tudor Watches). These were not purchases made on the basis of brand prestige. They were procurement decisions made by people whose lives could depend on the reliability of the equipment on their wrists.

The year 1969 proved pivotal for Tudor's visual identity. The introduction of the iconic Reference 7016 "Snowflake" Submariner brought a new dial design featuring distinctive square hour markers and the matching hand style that would define the brand's dive watches for over a decade (Tudor Watch Company, Inside Tudor: Submariners 1969 to 1999). In that same period, Tudor's use of ETA self-winding movements represented a deliberate choice to deliver quality through proven Swiss calibres rather than in-house production, prioritising serviceability and reliability at a price point the brand's customers could justify. By the time the 79090 arrived in 1989 as the natural evolution of all that had come before it, Tudor had accumulated more than three decades of dive watch development, military use and collector appreciation. That context matters enormously when you pick up a 1989 black dial 79090 and consider what it represents.

Technical Specification: What Makes the Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial the Watch It Is

Understanding why the Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial commands the respect it does begins with understanding precisely what Tudor built when they assembled each example. This is a watch where every specification was chosen with function in mind, and where the passage of time has transformed those functional choices into the very qualities that make it desirable today.

Case and Construction

The 79090 is housed in a stainless steel Oyster-style case measuring 39mm in diameter across the middle, with a lug width of 20mm (Bob's Watches, Vintage Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial). The earliest examples, including those from the 1989 production run, carry serial numbers in the 260,000 to 300,000 range, a detail that allows knowledgeable collectors to date a specific piece with confidence (HQ Milton, 1989 Tudor Submariner Prince OysterDate 79090; Analog:Shift, Tudor Submariner Date). The inside of the caseback on early 79090 examples is typically stamped "76100", providing an additional point of authentication. Crown guards flank the winding crown, which carries the Rolex crown insignia, as does the caseback, a reminder of the deep structural relationship between Tudor and its parent company during this period. Cases from the earliest years of the reference frequently retain impressively thick, unpolished lugs, making genuinely unworn or lightly worn 1989 examples particularly prized.

Dial

The matte black dial of the 79090 is a study in functional beauty. It carries no metal surrounds on its applied luminous hour markers, a characteristic known as borderless or "no borders" indices that is shared with vintage dive watches of the era and gives the dial a clean, uncluttered appearance (Bob's Watches, Vintage Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial). The hour markers and hand inserts are filled with tritium luminous compound, which over the decades has aged naturally to a warm, creamy off-white colour. On well-preserved 1989 examples, this patina is even and consistent across the dial and hands, creating a warm contrast against the deep black of the dial background. The date aperture sits at 3 o'clock, confirming the Oysterdate designation. At 12 o'clock, the Tudor shield logo appears on the dial, with the Rolex crown mark reserved for the caseback and winding crown. The dial also carries the "meters first" depth rating notation, in which the 200m specification appears before the equivalent footage, a detail that collectors specifically associate with vintage Submariners and which adds to the period character of these early production examples (Bob's Watches, Vintage Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial).

Hands

The handset on the 79090 Black uses the Mercedes-pattern hour hand, named for the three-segment design of its head which resembles the automotive marque's logo. This replaced the Snowflake hand design that had defined Tudor Submariners from 1969 through to 1981. The seconds hand carries a round luminous lollipop plot at its tip. As with the dial indices, the tritium in the hands ages alongside the dial material, and the most desirable examples are those where the handset patina is well-matched to the dial, indicating that the watch has remained untouched and original throughout its life.

Bezel

The 79090 Black is fitted with a black aluminium bezel insert, graduated for 60 minutes of elapsed time with a tritium pip at the 12 o'clock position. The aluminium insert will develop a characteristic fade on worn examples, with the black gradually softening and the markings taking on a slightly washed appearance that collectors find appealing. Pristine examples with the tritium pip still clearly visible and the black hue intact represent the top of the market for this reference. The bezel action is unidirectional, consistent with its diving function, and the notched grip allows operation with a gloved hand.

Movement

The engine driving the 79090 is the ETA Calibre 2824-2, a Swiss-made automatic movement that was one of the most respected and widely deployed calibres of its era (Bob's Watches, Vintage Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial). It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve of between 38 and 42 hours. The movement is not COSC-certified as standard, though the 2824-2's tolerances are inherently tight and well-maintained examples run well within chronometer-equivalent accuracy. The choice of an ETA movement rather than an in-house calibre was entirely consistent with Tudor's founding mission: the 2824-2 is straightforward to service, with parts widely available, meaning a 1989 79090 can be maintained in running order by a competent watchmaker without difficulty. When Tudor released the 79090 in 1989, the watch retained the acrylic Plexiglas crystal, at a time when Rolex had already transitioned to sapphire (Time Curated, Tudor Submariner 79090 and 75190). This detail, far from being a shortcoming, is now one of the most loved characteristics of the reference among collectors, as the acrylic crystal is integral to the watch's period-correct aesthetic and can be polished back to perfect clarity.

Bracelet

The correct bracelet configuration for 1989 production examples of the 79090 is the Tudor Reference 9315 folded link Oyster bracelet with 380B endlinks, carrying the Tudor signature on the clasp rather than Rolex (Bob's Watches, Vintage Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial). The clasp code stamped on the underside of the clasp corresponds to the production period of the watch and serves as a useful dating reference for collectors. The folded link construction gives the bracelet a slightly supple feel that is distinct from the solid-link bracelets fitted to later examples and from contemporary Rolex bracelets. Correct, unstretched examples with matching clasp codes and intact endlinks are among the most important factors in assessing the overall originality of any 79090.

Why Collectors Are Drawn to the Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial

The collector appeal of the black dial 79090 is built on several pillars that reinforce one another. The first is its position within a broader narrative. The 79090, introduced in 1989, was the final expression of a Submariner lineage that Tudor had been developing since 1954 (Tudor Watch Company, Inside Tudor). By the time the reference was introduced, Tudor had accumulated more than three decades of refinement across the Submariner line, incorporating improvements in water resistance, movement technology and case finishing. The 79090 is therefore not an early experiment but a mature, thoroughly developed professional dive watch, and the 1989 examples represent the earliest and, to many collectors, the most historically resonant production of the reference.

The second pillar is the relationship with Rolex. No other watch brand has the same structural and historical connection to Rolex that Tudor does. Early 79090 examples feature Rolex-signed crowns and casebacks, Rolex-developed Oyster case architecture and Rolex-supplied bracelets. For collectors who admire Rolex Submariners but find the current market for genuine vintage examples prohibitive, the Tudor 79090 offers an authentic connection to that heritage at a fraction of the cost. The black dial 79090 in particular shares the same uncompromising visual language as the classic black Rolex Submariner, with the Tudor shield providing the only real point of differentiation at a glance.

The third pillar is wearability. The 39mm case diameter of the 79090 sits beautifully on a wide range of wrist sizes and wears with an elegance that larger modern dive watches cannot always match. The black dial and black bezel combination makes this a watch that transitions effortlessly from casual weekend wear to business environments, a versatility that the more distinctive blue dial variant cannot always claim.

Final Thoughts: The Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial at Crown Vintage

The 1989 Tudor Submariner Reference 79090 Black Dial is one of those rare pieces that rewards deeper knowledge the more you bring to it. On the surface, it is a well-proportioned, cleanly executed vintage dive watch with a compelling pedigree. Look closer, and it becomes a direct physical link to over sixty years of Swiss watchmaking heritage, military service history and the founding vision of one of the most important figures in the watch industry. Hans Wilsdorf built Tudor to prove that quality and accessibility were not mutually exclusive. The 79090 Black Dial, in its 1989 form, makes that argument more persuasively than almost any other example in the brand's history.

At Crown Vintage, we assess every 79090 with the same rigour. The case must show honest, unpolished wear with lugs that retain their original geometry. The dial must be untouched, with a tritium patina that speaks to natural ageing rather than replacement. The hands must match the dial. The bezel insert must be original, and the bracelet must carry the correct reference markings and a clasp code consistent with the case serial. These are the benchmarks against which originality is judged, and they are the standards we apply to every piece we offer. If you are looking for a vintage dive watch that offers genuine history, outstanding wearability and a connection to one of the great names in Swiss watchmaking, the Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial from 1989 deserves a place at the very top of your shortlist.

References

• Tudor Watch Company. Inside Tudor: History 1926 to 1949. tudorwatch.com. Retrieved 2025.
• Tudor Watch Company. Inside Tudor: Tudor History Submariners 1969 to 1999. tudorwatch.com. Retrieved 2025.
• Wikipedia. Tudor Watches. en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2025.
• Bob's Watches. Vintage Tudor Submariner 79090 Black Dial. bobswatches.com. Retrieved 2025.
• HQ Milton. 1989 Tudor Submariner Prince OysterDate 79090. hqmilton.com. Retrieved 2025.
• Analog:Shift. Tudor Submariner Date ref. 79090. analogshift.com. Retrieved 2025.
• Bulang and Sons. Tudor Submariner Date Black Dial Reference 79090. bulangandsons.com. Retrieved 2025.
• Time Curated. Tudor Submariner 79090 and 75190. time-curated.com. Retrieved 2025.

• Case and bracelet in very good condition 

•   Dial & hands excellent