1964 Tudor Ref. 7928Ci Argentine Milsub

1964 Tudor Ref. 7928-Ci Argentine Milsub.

Argentinian issued watches remain one of the most enigmatic in the world of military timepieces. This example, dating to 1964, features a beautiful matte dial that has taken on a really nice pumpkin color. This dial is later and likely replaced while still in service, which is common for issued watches. These were true tools for those that wore them.

As @revolution.watch elaborates on these intriguing Tudor-issued watches:

“There are many known examples, all marked with a distinctive engraving pattern starting with ’61xxx Ci’. The earliest examples, dating back to the mid- to late-1960s, include pointed-crown-guard (PCG) Submariners ref. 7928. These watches consistently feature ‘612xx Ci’ caseback markings with similar engraved fonts. Most examples fall within a relatively narrow serial number range.”

The letters ‘Ci’ are speculated to stand for Cuerpo de Infantería, a division of the Argentinian police force known as the Cuerpo Guardia de Infantería. Another possibility is the Commando de la Infantería of the Argentinian Navy, similar to Chile’s Cuerpo de Infantería de Marina, suggesting these watches might have been used as dive watches by these forces. Alternatively, ‘Ci’ might signify ‘código de inventario’ (inventory code). Research is ongoing, but these watches remain fascinating pieces that we are gradually understanding better.