Building the Perfect Snowflake Sub 🌹

Happy NYE watch fam!

Recently, I stumbled down a watch rabbit hole, as I’m sure many of you have before, and learned virtually anything and everything under the sun about the Tudor Snowflake Sub.

Maybe not everything, haha, but I became obsessed when I learned how Wilsdorf also made a submariner under the Rose. In true dive fashion, there was one made with an an awesome blue dial and blue bezel. A watch that, to this day, Rolex still hasn’t made (in stainless steel, at least).

I was instantly drawn to the snowflake confirguration with the square indices on the blue dial, something so unlike other Subs of the time, yet housed in the same Submariner case and bracelet. I had seen this look before in modern Pelagos references. As a young collector, my history lessons come retroactively, but the familiarity was there.

Therefore, I began my journey to build my own Seiko Snowflake Submariner. (Cont’d below)

The Inspiration

First Attempt

I sourced most of the parts from AliX. I found a ceramic matte dial that matched a blue, 6105 Willard style dial. The snowflake hands were from NamokiMods. However, it didn’t feel like the vintage sub I fell in love with. This case mimics the modern 6 digit reference and sat too wide. The bezel was also thicker than my reference images. It looked great in a vacuum, in my opinion, but not the look I was going for. I therefore started hunting a vintage sub case made to fit Seiko’s NH35.

Take Two

I found my vintage 4/5 digit case, and it instantly changed the dynamic of the watch. It suddenly felt classier, daintier, even a bit more jangly, but in a charming way. The slimmer lugs and the smaller case diameter (39mm) significantly reduced the look and feel of this watch. The build could have ended here, and it would have been a knockout. But, I couldn’t help but feel like the watch presented more like a case queen, rather than the weathered piece I set out to create. I wanted to try something I never had before, learn a a couple of new tricks, and add another layer to my modding. I was going to try aging lume and ghosting a bezel for the first time.

Wake and Bake

After watching DIY Watch Club’s video on adding patina to dials multiple times and building up the courage to pop my only dial in the oven for half an hour (and risk having to wait another month for a replacement dial), I sent this bad boy in to bake. After plenty of checking and increasing of the temperature, I finally matched the dial to a new set of patina’d hands from Namoki quite well and quit while I was ahead. This process alone can be it’s own post, but I’ll leave it here for now. I definitely recommend DIY’s video and skipping to the, without coffee, method.

Kids See Ghosts

Up next, was achieving a ghost bezel. Much like the lume, you have to slowly and carefully work your way up to the look you want to achieve because there’s no turning back. I dipped the bezel in a cup of bleach and let it sit while slowly rubbing the bezel evenly with a gloved finger. I also ran a q-tip over it to do the same. Once I got near the (de)saturization I wanted, I took the bezel out and washed it with soap and water generously because the bleach continues working afterwards. To cap off the worn look, I applied some cape cod watch polish and ran the rough side of a sponge over the bezel to give an even, gritty, feel with surface level scratches. It was now time to put it all together.

My Very Own Snowflake Sub

I couldn’t be happier with the final product. This project was something different and a journey all its own. I eventually want to hunt down my own Marine Nationale Tudor Sub later in life. For now, I will wear the hell out of this one. If you made it this far, cheers to you, cheers to this wonderful hobby, and cheers to a Happy New Year 🍻🌹